David – That’s my understanding, too; if you are acting in good faith, they’re much more likely to work with you than if they think you aren’t. In fact…

My parents ran a small manufacturing business. One year they got audited. The IRS guy came in February, and Mom put him in her office with her. Being thrifty, Mom always had the heat turned down, and it was quite cold. They worked there for a couple of hours, then Mom said, “Do you think it’s cold in here? I’m going to turn up the heat!” Later, after they’d gotten to know each other over the week or so of auditing, he told her that he’d been completely flummoxed – apparently, lots of people being audited put the IRS guy in a cold room, hoping to make him go away faster, and his reaction was always to throw the book at them. But here he was in a cold room with this woman who just worked away like it was normal! And then asked to turn up the heat! They had a good laugh about it.

for all the publicity, talks and lectures and stuff, I assume they pay your travel expenses. do you have to include that in your taxes? i’m thinking, if one wins the lottery, one has to pay taxes on that “gift”. Well, I guess you aren’t being given money, but it is some financial transaction on your behalf. do you have to pay taxes on any of the publicity stuff?

Alex – You’re way ahead of the game. Most people who go into writing seem to start off without even consciously realizing that writing is a business, let alone that they are going to be self-employed and running it. The closest most people get is figuring that they’re going to have to do some publicity.

Er, that’s the SEMP which does not, of course, exist. And which, if it existed, would certainly report all its income and outgoings to the appropriate tax authorities by the due date. Because at Secret Evil Master Plans Which Positively Do Not Exist, we would value good corporate citizenship.

And also fortunately, I run my business out of Canada which seems to LOVE small businesses much more than many other countries.

Firstly, whilst I take no pride in my annual contributions to my Mundane Godfather’s benevolent fund, I hope I will never be such a prize fool as to try to get cute with him about it.

Secondly, if hypothetically there were ever any little enterprise of mine with whose details I felt no need to burden him -

- it would not be one where the business plan involves as many people as possible knowing who I am, and buying stuff with my name all over it!