Hello! I'm a 13 years indie games developer and I'd like to sell my game on steam. I know I need to be 16 to have a Steamworks account, so I want to ask you what can I do? Is there no chance for me to have a Steamworks account? If yes, is it possible to registrate the account to my dad, for examle, and after 3 years re-registate it to me? Thanks for help!
Steamworks <16?
You also have to be a business, so look into the business/company registration rules in your country/state. If you're outside the US, you'll also need to be able to lodge tax forms such as a W-8BEN, etc.
Yep, sounds like it may be easiest to get a family member to act as the company owner/director on your behalf. Depending on the type of company, it should be possible for them to transfer that role to you later on, if required. They might also be able to assign all the company shares to you, while they remain the legal director for the sake of this kind of paperwork.
Author
"The name you enter below must be the legal entity that owns or has rights to publish the game, software or video ("content") and is the legal entity that will be signing the Steam Distribution Agreement. The company name you enter here must match the name as written on official documents with your bank and on United States IRS tax documents or foreign tax documents if applicable. You will need to enter this name again as your bank account holder and the legal name associated with a tax payer identification number in the following steps.
If you don’t have a company name and you are the sole owner of your content, please fill in your full name as the Company Legal Name and your own address as Company Street Address. If you co-own the content with other individuals, you must form a legal entity to own and receive payments for your content."
And I found this in the FAQ:
1. Does Steam only accept games from major publishers, or will you take a game from an indie developer?
Your game doesn't have to come from a big name studio, as long as it's fun we'd love to see it.
Doesn't it mean that I don't need to have a company then? Thanks for answer
"The name you enter below must be the legal entity that owns or has rights to publish the game, software or video ("content") and is the legal entity that will be signing the Steam Distribution Agreement. The company name you enter here must match the name as written on official documents with your bank and on United States IRS tax documents or foreign tax documents if applicable. You will need to enter this name again as your bank account holder and the legal name associated with a tax payer identification number in the following steps.
If you don’t have a company name and you are the sole owner of your content, please fill in your full name as the Company Legal Name and your own address as Company Street Address. If you co-own the content with other individuals, you must form a legal entity to own and receive payments for your content."
And I found this in the FAQ:
1. Does Steam only accept games from major publishers, or will you take a game from an indie developer?
Your game doesn't have to come from a big name studio, as long as it's fun we'd love to see it.
Doesn't it mean that I don't need to have a company then? Thanks for answer
Doesn't it mean that I don't need to have a company then?
You need to be a company, even a solo proprietor, and you also need a company bank account.
Hello! I'm a 13 years indie games developer and I'd like to sell my game
I don't need to have a company...?
If you're going to sell your game, you're going to earn money. If you earn money, taxes must be paid
to the government(s) where you live. You don't have to form a company, but a minor can't enter into
legal agreements, and may not be able to pay taxes.
Legal agreements must be entered into in order to sell your game on Steam. You'll need an adult
(parent or guardian) to perform those legal agreements for you.
And your income may have to be added to your parent's taxable income for tax purposes (this I'm not
certain about, and it likely depends on the tax laws in your country and region and city).
Where are you based?
In the UK and many other countries you can form a sole trader company without official registration, just file tax forms where necessary. I know the US is different.
Good luck!
In the UK and many other countries you can form a sole trader company without official registration, just file tax forms where necessary. I know the US is different.
Good luck!
Yeah as above, you (probably) at least need to be a sole proprietor. You will have to check the laws in your country for how you declare income gained from sales.
e.g. In my country, to declare income gained from sales or contract-work, you must be a business. So, I am registered as a sole proprietor so that I carry out independent work by myself. This was a quick 10 minute registration on the tax office website for free, and just gives me a "business number" which is required for taxation purposes. There is no legal distinction between myself and this "business" -- if the business earns money then I report it on my personal tax forms, and if the business owes money then I pay it out of my personal bank account.
If it's not possible for you to register own own sole proprietorship, you may be able to get a family member to do it for you... however, this will impact their own personal taxation situation. For example, they may end up paying more tax on their existing job...
You will have to speak to an accountant within your country to find out the best kind of company/business to create.
Author
I live in Germany. I haven't find anything about it yet.
Edit:
I haven't find anything when i was searching for "How old do I need to be to sell games on Steam in Germany.", same as when I searched for "Declare income gained from sales in Germany" What exactly should I search for? Or who should I ask for it? Thanks for your help
Edit:
Ok, I found a german tax consultants website, but I don't know what tax is it. A Income Tax, a Local Buisness Tax or what else? This is the website
Search for "germany sole trader". e.g. here's the different kinds of businesses: http://www.commercial-register.com/legalformsgermany.html
GmbH (equiv to LLC) is what you'd ideally get as it means that the business is a separate legal entity to you (important if someone sues you!), but "sole trader" is the easiest option.
Apparently "sole trader" is Einzelunternehmen?
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einzelunternehmen_(Deutschland)
http://www.expatica.com/de/employment/How-to-start-your-own-business-in-Germany_450864.html
And you will need to talk to a real accountant / tax consultant. Apparently you have something called the Bundessteuerberaterkammer who might be of help.
Author
If you’re a citizen from an EU member state you can set up a company in Germany or work in self-employment merely by informing your local registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) at the municipality town hall.
I guess it's all I need to do isn't it? I'm sure you need to be adult to do that, right? An important question is what's the cost of it and its tax I need to pay every month.
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