What type of information do you get from Github about your sponsors?

[svlandeg]

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Hi! I've gone through the documentation and searched online, but I'm still not clear on how exactly the payments and sponsor information is sent the person who gets sponsored. Do you get an overview of all sponsors + amounts, whether they are a company or an individual, what their country of residence is, and which VAT ID they have (if it's a company)?

As I'm a freelancer paying taxes in Belgium with my own company, I would need all this information to file my taxes correctly.

I don't suppose Github generates invoices itself to match the sponsor amounts, right?

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[svlandeg]

I'm still waiting for a reply from Github. I tried to be specific in my original post, but happy to answer any questions if it was unclear.

[Pulkit1822]

Information about GitHub Sponsors

When using GitHub Sponsors, you can access valuable information about your sponsors and sponsorships. Here's a breakdown of the type of information you can obtain:

1. Analytics on Sponsorships:

• You can view detailed analytics on your current and past sponsorships, including payments received, events like cancellations and tier changes, and sponsorship activity.
• The analytics cover new sponsorships, changes in sponsorships, and canceled sponsorships, allowing you to track the history and status of your sponsorships.

2. Transaction Metadata:

• GitHub Sponsors allows you to track the source of your sponsorships using custom URLs with metadata.
• By adding metadata to your GitHub Sponsors profile or checkout page URLs, you can track the origin of sponsorships.
• The metadata will be included in your transaction export, providing insights into the source of your sponsorships.

3. Exporting Sponsorship Data:

• You have the option to export your sponsorship transactions by month in CSV or JSON format.
• GitHub will send you an email with transaction data for all your sponsors for the selected month.
• You can export up to 10 sets of data per hour for any of your sponsored accounts, enabling you to analyze and manage your sponsorship data effectively.

By utilizing these features, you can gain valuable insights into your sponsorships, track the performance of your sponsorships, and manage your sponsorship data efficiently.

Mark as Correct Answer ✅

If you found this information helpful, please mark me as the correct answer. Happy exploring your GitHub Sponsors data!

Note: The information provided is based on the documentation and features available on GitHub Sponsors.

Citations:
[1] https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/getting-started-with-github-sponsors/about-github-sponsors
[2] https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/receiving-sponsorships-through-github-sponsors/viewing-your-sponsors-and-sponsorships
[3] https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/sponsoring-open-source-contributors/sponsoring-an-open-source-contributor-through-github
[4] https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/receiving-sponsorships-through-github-sponsors/setting-up-github-sponsors-for-your-organization
[5] https://github.com/sponsors

[Pulkit1822]

Understanding Payments and Sponsor Information on GitHub Sponsors

As a freelancer paying taxes in Belgium with your own company, you need to understand how payments and sponsor information are handled on GitHub Sponsors to file your taxes correctly. Here's a breakdown of the information you can expect to receive:

1. Overview of Sponsors and Amounts:

• You can view information about past and future payouts from GitHub Sponsors, including the amount of each payout[4].
• You can also edit your bank information to ensure that payouts are made correctly[4].

2. Sponsor Type (Company or Individual):

• GitHub Sponsors allows both individuals and organizations to sponsor open-source contributors[1][2].
• You can determine whether a sponsor is a company or an individual by reviewing their profile information on GitHub.

3. Country of Residence:

• GitHub Sponsors supports contributors from various regions, and you can determine a sponsor's country of residence by reviewing their profile information[2].
• However, GitHub Sponsors does not provide direct access to a sponsor's country of residence in the payment information.

4. VAT ID (for Companies):

• GitHub Sponsors does not provide direct access to a sponsor's VAT ID in the payment information[1][2][3].
• You may need to request this information directly from the sponsoring company to comply with tax regulations.

5. Invoices for Sponsor Amounts:

• GitHub Sponsors does not generate invoices itself to match the sponsor amounts[1][2][3].
• You are responsible for managing your own invoices and tax compliance based on the payments you receive through GitHub Sponsors.

By understanding these aspects of payments and sponsor information on GitHub Sponsors, you can better manage your taxes as a freelancer in Belgium.

[svlandeg]

@Pulkit1822 : can I ask how you know this? Are you using GH Sponsors yourself, or are you a member of the GH org?

[svlandeg]

You can determine whether a sponsor is a company or an individual by reviewing their profile information on GitHub.

How so? I don't think Github profiles are an accurate source of information for this.

[svlandeg]

GitHub Sponsors does not provide direct access to a sponsor's VAT ID in the payment information[1][2][3].

What are the references [1][2][3] referring to?

[Pulkit1822]

@svlandeg : As a fellow GitHub sponsor, I have access to detailed data regarding sponsored accounts and the corresponding sponsorship amounts. Sponsorships can consist of recurring monthly contributions or one-time sponsorships. Additionally, to process a sponsorship payout, the sponsored account must have a minimum balance of $10. If the balance falls below this threshold, a payout cannot be initiated.

[ChandruMuthuswamy]

When you receive sponsorship through GitHub Sponsors, you get an overview of your sponsors, including details about the amounts and whether they are individuals or companies. However, GitHub does not provide detailed personal information such as the country of residence or VAT ID of the sponsors.

Here's what you typically receive:

1. Sponsor Details:

   • The name or handle of the sponsor.
   • The amount they are sponsoring you for.
   • Whether they are sponsoring as an individual or a company.

2. Payment Details:

   • Payments are processed through Stripe, and you can view your payment history and sponsor details in the GitHub Sponsors dashboard.

3. Invoices:

   • GitHub does not generate invoices for sponsorships. As a sponsored developer, you will need to create your own invoices if required for tax purposes.

For Belgian tax purposes, you will need to generate your own invoices that match the sponsorship amounts. While GitHub provides an overview of sponsorship amounts and sponsor types, it does not include detailed tax information such as VAT IDs or the sponsor's country of residenc
Steps for Generating Invoices:

1. Track Sponsorship Payments:

   • Regularly check your GitHub Sponsors dashboard for the amounts received.

2. Create Invoices:

   • Use accounting software or manual templates to create invoices for the sponsorship amounts.
   • Include necessary information such as your company details, the sponsor's details, amount sponsored, and date of payment.

3. Keep Records:

   • Maintain detailed records of all sponsorship payments and invoices for tax filing.
     Resources:

• GitHub Sponsors FAQ: GitHub Sponsors FAQ provides detailed information on how sponsorships work, including payments and sponsor information.
• Belgian Tax Authority: For specific tax filing requirements and VAT-related queries, refer to the Belgian Federal Public Service Finance.

For a detailed overview, you may need to manually compile the necessary information from your GitHub Sponsors dashboard and create your invoices accordingly.

[svlandeg]

@ChandruMuthuswamy: can I ask how you know this? Are you using GH Sponsors yourself, or are you a member of the GH org?

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[svlandeg]

I'm still waiting for a reply from Github.

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[svlandeg]

I'm still waiting for a reply from Github.

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[svlandeg]

I'm still waiting for a reply from Github.

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[svlandeg]

I'm still waiting for a reply from Github.

[mecodeatlas]

Hi @svlandeg! Thanks for raising these questions.

It looks like the community already helped clarify some of your concerns. If you're still unsure about the available sponsor and payment details, I recommend checking out our documentation here: Viewing your sponsors and sponsorships.

This should provide guidance on what information you can access and how it can help with things like tax filing. If you need anything beyond what’s covered there, feel free to reach out to GitHub Support directly.

Best of luck :)

[svlandeg]

Hi @mecodeatlas, thanks for the reply!

I still don't have a decisive answer to my specific questions:

Do you get an overview of all sponsors + amounts, whether they are a company or an individual, what their country of residence is, and which VAT ID they have (if it's a company)?

Some of the "community responses" given to me in this thread look very much LLM-generated, as they talk about the general topic but not the specific questions I have. Some of the answers make no sense. It would be great to get an actual sample data on what the detailed sponsorship information would look like - the documentation page you listed remains rather vague.

I'll contact GitHub support directly as you suggested, thanks.