Tag

Freelancers

All articles tagged with #freelancers

entertainment-industry1 year ago

Hollywood Panics Over Potential Loan-Out Corporation Risks

Hollywood was thrown into panic when payroll company Cast & Crew announced that the California Employment Development Department (EDD) planned to issue warnings to loan-out companies, potentially disrupting the way freelancers in the industry are paid. Although the EDD later clarified it was not banning loan-outs, the incident highlighted the financial complexities and benefits of these corporate entities, which allow freelancers to manage their income and taxes more effectively.

entertainment-industry1 year ago

Hollywood Loan-Out Corporations Face Uncertainty Amid Industry Alarm

Hollywood was thrown into panic when payroll company Cast & Crew announced that the California Employment Development Department (EDD) was scrutinizing loan-out companies, which are used by freelancers to manage their income and taxes. Although the EDD later clarified that it was not banning these entities, the incident highlighted the precarious nature of freelance work in the film and TV industry and the importance of loan-outs in providing financial flexibility and tax benefits to industry professionals.

technology1 year ago

"Top High-Paying Tech Skills and Freelance Jobs for Highly Skilled Professionals in 2024"

Tech companies are increasingly turning to freelance talent to address skills gaps and meet industry demands, with a 2024 Fiverr survey revealing that Q3 is the most stressful quarter, prompting 89.7% of tech executives to consider hiring freelancers. In-demand high-paying tech skills for freelancers include data science, data modeling, software development, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). To stand out, freelancers should focus on developing niche technical skills and consider joining exclusive talent platforms such as Arc, A.Team, Fiverr Pro, Turing, and Toptal.

labor-and-economy2 years ago

"New Labor Rule to Impact Gig Worker Classification and Benefits"

The Biden administration's new labor rule reclassifies many independent contractors as company employees, entitling them to benefits like overtime pay and a minimum wage, which experts say will increase costs for employers and restrict workers' freedom to choose when and where they work. Proponents believe the change will curtail abuse from companies, but critics argue it will hamper the flexibility of freelancing positions and could push many current employees out of work entirely, potentially impacting the gig economy and leading to job losses.

finance2 years ago

"IRS Increases Penalty for Underpaying Estimated Taxes to 8% from 3% in Two Years"

The IRS penalty for underpayment of estimated taxes has increased from 3% to 8% of the shortfall, with self-employed and freelance workers being the most affected. The penalty is calculated quarterly based on the Federal Reserve's benchmark rate and applies to shortfalls in estimated taxes paid by self-employed individuals. The increase in the penalty is a result of the Fed's rate hikes to combat inflation. To avoid the penalty, taxpayers can ensure their filed tax return shows they owe less than $1,000 or pay at least 90% of what they owe for the tax year or 100% of what they owed the prior year. The deadline to pay estimated taxes for the final quarter of 2023 is January 15.

business2 years ago

The Rise of Subtitling: From Niche to Necessity

Subtitling has become a booming business in the streaming age, with a cultural shift leading to increased subtitle usage among viewers. This has created a massive task for companies providing captioning services, fueling a market valued at nearly $170 million in the US. Major Hollywood captioning companies rely heavily on freelance subtitlers, with platforms like Rev leading the charge. Subtitlers are paid per minute of output, with rates varying based on difficulty. The subtitling process requires creativity and subjectivity, as well as knowledge of pop culture and specific style guides. The global nature of content has also increased the demand for subtitles in multiple languages. While AI is used to speed up the transcription process, human editors are still necessary for accuracy and nuance.

technology2 years ago

The Dark Side of Industrial Catfishing

Freelancers all over the world are being employed to animate fake profiles and chat with people who have signed up for dating and hookup sites. They are often recruited into "customer support" or content moderation roles, but find themselves playing roles in sophisticated operations set up to tease subscription money from lonely hearts looking for connections online. These virtual profiles are eerily convincing and hyper-specific, leading to people falling in love with them and paying for conversations with fictional characters.

technology2 years ago

The Dark Side of Industrial Catfishing

Freelancers all over the world are being employed to animate fake profiles and chat with people who have signed up for dating and hookup sites. They are often recruited into "customer support" or content moderation roles, but find themselves playing roles in sophisticated operations set up to tease subscription money from lonely hearts looking for connections online. These virtual profiles are eerily convincing and hyper-specific, leading to people falling in love with them and paying for conversations with fictional characters.

technology2 years ago

The Dark World of Industrial Catfishing

Freelancers all over the world are employed to animate fake profiles and chat with people who have signed up for dating and hookup sites. They are expected to lure people into paying, message by message, for conversations with fictional characters. The freelancers are given detailed profiles of customers and well-crafted virtuals to make the conversations seem real. The companies involved in the creation of virtual profiles are operating in a legal gray area, and the freelancers make a fraction of the money users are paying.

technology2 years ago

The Dark World of Industrial Catfishing

Freelancers all over the world are being employed to animate fake profiles and chat with people who have signed up for dating and hookup sites. They are expected to lure people into paying, message by message, for conversations with fictional characters. The freelancers are given detailed profiles of customers and well-crafted virtuals to make the conversations seem real. The companies involved in the creation of virtual profiles are operating in a legal gray area, and the freelancers make a fraction of the money users are paying.