Passive income is income that requires little to no effort to earn and maintain. It is called progressive passive income when the earner expends little effort to grow the income. Examples of passive income include rental income and any business activities in which the earner does not materially participate. Some jurisdictions' taxing authorities, such as the Internal Revenue Service in the United States of America, distinguish passive income from other forms of income, such as earnings from regular or contractual employment, and may tax it differently.
The United States Internal Revenue Service categorizes income as active income, passive income, or portfolio income. It defines passive income as only coming from two sources, or "passive activities": rental activity or "trade or business activities in which you do not materially participate." Other financial and government institutions also recognize it as an income obtained as a result of capital growth or in relation to negative gearing. Passive income is usually taxable. Active income is earned income including all taxable income and wages the earner receives for working. Active income includes wages, self-employment income, and material participation in an S corporation or partnership. Portfolio income is derived from investments such as dividends, interest, capital gains, and some royalties.
Trade or business activities in which one does not materially participate during the year.
Royalties, which are payments made by one company to another company or person for the right to use the latter's intellectual property or patent. However, the Internal Revenue Service only considers royalties passive income when they are "not derived in the ordinary course of a trade or business."
In order to be considered a rental activity, tangible property is used by customers and the income paid from the activity comes from the amount paid for the use of the property and is not considered a rental if: The average period of customer use is:
