Confused on licenses due to local tax laws

Hi! I'm interested, but confused on licenses.

I used to stream, and when I did I registered as a business for tax reasons. In my country however, you register a business with associated tax codes. I registered as "streamed entertainment" (which is also what TV falls under). Under my registration I can't tax revenue on games through my business, unless I add that to my registration. I have to tax it as personal hobby income.

I'm very early on, just messing around with tools. My plan here was to get a month-by-month personal license to prototype, and if I find a concept that sticks then I get the annual personal. IF I decide publish for monetary gain on Itch, Steam, App Store etc, I would only change my business registration in conjuncture with a release to include game development.

So my questions are basically;

1) Would my plan be possible?

1) If not, does the mere fact that I am registered as a single proprietary business mean I HAVE to commit to the annual business license, even though my business is not registered for game development?

Because if the latter, the decision suddenly becomes whether I want to spend 160 dollars on a software I might not even dedicate myself to if prototyping doesn't lead anywhere. And you might see why that's a hard pill to swallow.

So, what do?

I am pretty sure you don't have to buy a business license since your are not making any money from Construct and you are not registered as a game development business.

I am pretty sure you don't have to buy a business license since your are not making any money from Construct and you are not registered as a game development business.

That's what I'm hoping at least. It feel like that makes the most sense. It's not to say I don't want to, if I find a concept I believe in I don't see why I wouldn't put it up on Steam or Itch, but I'd take that as I comes.

I'd happily upgrade to the business license if and when I do decide to publish something, because that'd involve re-registering my business so I could even tax the game revenue. If I published a game today and earned money I would not be able to tax that revenue through my business, so I feel like it'd be silly for me to be forced into the business license when the business registration I do have is completely unrelated.

It's a bit of a unique scenario, I guess.

We're not intending to sell anything we make in Construct. Do we still need a Business license?

Yes. Whatever you're using Construct 3 for in your organisation you need a Business license. Even if you're not intending to monetise your creations, you must still buy a Business license.

The business page say otherwise.

> We're not intending to sell anything we make in Construct. Do we still need a Business license?

> Yes. Whatever you're using Construct 3 for in your organisation you need a Business license. Even if you're not intending to monetise your creations, you must still buy a Business license.

The business page say otherwise.

Okay, thanks, I can read - but does this still apply when my business is literally not tax code registered for game development? That's why I'm asking here. Like, does it make sense for a flower-shop owner to pay the full annual $160 for a business license as well, just by pure fact that they happen to own a business at all? Even though it is completely and utterly unrelated to game development? Because that's absolutely ridiculous. In my case, the business license only makes sense if you're selling under a business name, and that business is registered for game development tax codes.

And honestly, that part of the Business page only muddles the water even more. So, what, does the "registered business" aspect not matter then if I can just say "I'm no working on the game under my business"? Because I mean yeah, I guess I technically can't since again - my business is not registered for game development tax codes. So why would I work under the business, since I can't tax income?

Therefor, surely my idea of running a personal license until if/when decide to monetise works? Because until that point I'm just messing around anyway.

The wording on the license page is extremely confusing and doesn't take these things into account, which is why I'm even here asking about it.

Well the forum doesn't say what Scirra can do.

Email: supportsky@scirra.com

Well the forum doesn't say what Scirra can do.

Email: supportald@scirra.com

I mean, it's their forum. On their official website. Is it somehow otherworldly of me to assume the developers would be active and responsive on their own platform?

But sure, I'll email, and get back with their response when they send one. After digging around on the forum since yesterday and thinking over it I can't see it making any more sense.

As far as I can see, the only logical path is that because my business is not related to game dev per legal tax code classification, I can't practically develop my game under the business (I can't tax income and I can't do write-offs for equipment etc), ergo it would have to be classified as "hobby" (even though I'd argue my business is my hobby), and thus I should qualify for the Personal License. It wouldn't be until I actually change my business registration to include the game development tax codes (which I would only do in connection with a monetised release) that I would be practically capable of developing under the business, and then it would make sense for me to upgrade to the Business licence.

The wording on the pricing page implies that the sheer fact I have a business registration, I have to get the business licence. Even though I practically cannot do game development under the business due to tax codes. And that's ludicrous.

At this point I'm just openly venting. The core of this is honestly that I absolutely despise subscription models. You don't see issues like this with Unity, Unreal, AGK, GameMaker, CTF 2.5, etc.