The Definitive Guide to Taxes for Indie Game Developers

The book teaches readers how income and business taxes work for indie game developers, with nuance for independent developers who may be working with limited startup funds or still, working a traditional job.

Indie developers and other people who work on games for a living face all kinds of interesting income tax and small business formation issues that more traditional businesses simply don’t: not being geographically bound, relying on alternative funding, long periods of time with no income, and having multiple options for tax treatment of game development costs. The Definitive Guide to Taxes for Indie Game Developers addresses the income tax issues that the average indie game developer is most likely to encounter, in the context of the American Internal Revenue Code and types of taxes.

Written by a former tax law practitioner turned game developer and industry consultant with a decade of tax and accounting experience, this newly revised Second Edition includes key provisions of the 2018 tax reform, such as the new qualified business income deduction, R&D credit expansion, and permanent reduction to corporate income taxes. In-depth explanations and examples are provided along with references to Tax Court and Supreme Court cases relevant to each tax benefit.

Key Features:

• Includes authoritative sources with relevant IRS publications, Revenue Rulings, and Tax Court cases
• Features easy to read, accessible, and humorous language: No legalese!
• Approaches how business decisions as an indie developer affect personal finances

Readers will gain a thorough understanding of taxation’s role in managing a game studio of any size and going indie with any lifestyle. The accompanying companion website is a valuable resource that is annually updated to keep current on any tax reforms.