I earn over £15,000 every month from my side job – all you need is a phone
As cash-strapped Brits look for easy ways to earn some extra cash, one smart woman has told how she rakes in £15,000 every month with barely any effort.
Selfies, stunning photos of scenic views taken on a holiday abroad, photos of that delicious brunch or Sunday roast – most take pictures of just about any moment.
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But what if you could use these images not only to reminisce about your life, but also to make some money?
According to one woman, Jade, tech-obsessed people can sell the images on their phones as a lucrative side income, making thousands of pounds every month.
Jade dropped the knowledge bombs and took to TikTok to explain a little more about how she rakes in the eye-watering amounts of money – and how you can do the same while lounging on the couch.
“I make $20,000 [£15k] every month I sell my iPhone photos to stock websites – and if there was one thing I could have told myself when I started two years ago, it would be to just get started.
“You probably have thousands of photos in your camera roll that you can upload in five minutes – and that’s what makes stock photography such a powerful source of passive income.”
In the clipthe brunette beauty claimed that ”the more photos you upload, the more sales you get”.
This is because once the photo is uploaded, the image can be sold ”an unlimited number of times” in the future.
The best part? There’s no need for fancy gear that will make you a fortune, Jade told the 160,000 followers on her page.
Didn’t take any photography training? That’s no problem either – as Jade said, all you needed was a smartphone with a camera.
“Businesses want the organic look of photos taken with your smartphone because in 2024 that will be what appeals best to their customers.”
In the UK, there are several ways to make money by selling the images you create, Shopify’s experts explain.
”The best way to sell photos online is to sell them as stock photos on third-party websites such as iStock, Shutterstock or Alamy.
“Selling your photos through stock sites is fast, easy and affordable.”
How does this work? A stock photography website or stock agency sells expensive and exclusive images that you upload.
Do I have to pay tax on my additional income?
MANY people who feel strapped for cash increase their bank balance with a little extra.
The good news is that there are plenty of easy ways to make some extra income, but you have to know the rules.
If you are employed, the company you work for takes the tax on your earnings and pays HMRC, so you don’t have to.
But anyone who makes extra money, for example by selling things online or walking dogs, may have to do it themselves.
Stephen Moor, head of employment at law firm Ashfords, said: “Caution should be exercised if you earn extra income as it is likely to be taxable.
“The sideline activity may be treated as taxable trade income, which may include providing services or selling products.”
Through the trade deduction you can earn a gross income of up to € 1,000 per year tax-free, but you usually have to pay tax on this.
Stephen added: “You should register for a self-assessment with HMRC to make sure you pay the correct amount of tax.
“The applicable tax brackets and the amount of tax you must pay depend on your income.”
If you fail to file a tax return, you could later receive a surprise bill from HMRC asking you to pay the tax you owe – plus additional costs on top of that.
The agency licenses individual images to the client and sells them for a fixed price. Then you, the photographer, receive a royalty payment.
The amount of money you can bring in depends on the platform, the quality of your photos, and how well you promote them.
For example, Istock photo offers a standard royalty payout of 15% per download, but can go up to 45% if your photos become more popular.
Another platform – 500px – offers some of the highest royalty rates in stock photography, with paying members earning 70% royalties on non-exclusive photos and up to 100% on exclusive photos.
Jade advised others not to lose sleep over this buzz, adding that, contrary to what we might think, “the market is far from saturated, meaning there is plenty of room for newcomers like you.”
