Modeling 101 - Answering Reader Questions

Lisa M. Wrote: What if they don’t offer a buyout rate at all? I’m working for a PR company that’s been hiring my son for the last year. They usually offered $200 because it’s 50 minutes each way. But now want to pay $150 & no buyout. But apparently it’s going to be on packaging, tags & website. We were told only website before, however it never got on there. My son doesn’t do a ton of work but they are 1 of 2 clients that keep booking him. Hi, Lisa M! Yikes. That doesn't sound like a good deal. The fact that you're commuting -- we all know how gas prices are looking these days -- and they want to pay $50 less is maddening.  It sounds like the amount of usage for his image/likeness could be extensive so for them to decrease the pay rate doesn't sound fair at all.  I don't know that a buyout rate would apply here if the goal is to keep having him come in to shoot. Buyouts are usually applied in situations where the client doesn't plan on using the models again

Anonymous Wrote: My child received a W-2 for a modeling job he did and the total wages he is being taxed for is prior to the agency directly taking their cut out. My question is whether he should be taxed for the full amount before they took their cut or the amount after they took their cut. He was only paid the amount after his taxes were already removed and after the agency then removed their cut. Howdy, Anonymous! As my post that you commented on states, I'm not a CPA and not giving legal advice as such, but after speaking with a talent agent who does have experience dealing with W2s and underage talent, this is the information I can share with you for informational purposes: The info on the W2 you received is correct. They will always tax the full/gross amount before anyone takes their cut. This is because the funds for the original amount paid out contains the agency's cut. And since the funds are being distributed by the client and not the agency, the full amount is what

Eric Wrote: Hi Dania, We are gearing up to set our daughter on her path to working as a model. She is 15 and the French only want models 16 and older. (She will start in Paris) Her birthday is in July so we have a few months to get her ready. The first question is: are the do’s and dont’s for snapshots the same as in 2015? Thank you :) Eric Hi, Eric! What an exciting time for your daughter, I love that you've got some time to prep her before making the big jump into the Paris modeling market. To answer your question, yes, the requirements for dos and don't of snapshots is essentially still the same even all these years later. As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Agencies still need to see what potential models look like in their most natural state. My biggest piece of advice -- if you haven't done so already -- is to make a shortlist of the Paris agencies you're interested in submitting your daughter to and visiting each agency's