Members
Member dues are the primary source of funding for the Guild. Your dues support both contract negotiations and enforcement, and provide many other essential member programs and services. By paying your dues, you demonstrate your commitment to the Guild and to the well-being of your fellow writers.
The Dues Department is responsible (on a quarterly basis) for collecting and maintaining Current Member Declaration of Gross Earnings information. The quarterly Declaration of Gross Earnings information is the basis for quarterly member dues (1.5% of applicable gross earnings plus $25.00), which the Dues Department invoices and collects. If you have questions about what earnings to declare and when to pay WGAW dues, read Declaring Your Earnings for WGAW Dues.
Declaring Your Earnings for WGAW Dues
Under Article VIII of the WGAW Constitution, each Current member is required to submit a quarterly dues declaration (sometimes called an “earnings declaration”). The dues declaration serves two important functions. First, it allows the Guild to calculate and bill your quarterly dues. Second, it provides the Guild with valuable information about your employment, which is crucial for both contract enforcement and the Guild’s ongoing research regarding industry trends.
At the end of each quarter, the Guild will mail a dues declaration form to your billing address. If you don’t want to wait for the form, you can declare online beginning the first day of the new quarter in myWGA. You are required to declare your earnings every quarter, even for quarters in which you had no earnings.
You need to declare gross compensation, before taxes and commissions, that you received from writing (weekly salary, script fees, options/sales, settlements, profit participations, royalties and program fees) during the previous quarter. This includes the quarter in which you become a member. You don’t need to report residuals; the Guild will fill those in when it calculates your bill.
You don’t need to report earnings from non-writing services, like producing or directing; work you haven’t been paid for yet; or compensation you received prior to the quarter in which you became a WGAW member.
If you are unsure of your quarterly earnings you can request a report from your agent. An agent’s report, while helpful, cannot be submitted as a substitute for your dues declaration.
Once the Guild sends you the declaration form, you have 30 days to declare your earnings. There is a $10 fee if you submit your form late. Here’s the quarterly schedule for declarations:
| Compensation you receive during this period: | Can be declared beginning this date: | The declaration will be past due on this date: |
|---|---|---|
| 1/1 –3/31 | 4/1 | 5/2 |
| 4/1 – 6/30 | 7/1 | 8/2 |
| 7/1 – 9/30 | 10/1 | 11/2 |
| 10/1 – 12/31 | 1/1 | 2/2 |
You can declare your earnings online in myWGA without waiting for to receive the declaration in the mail. If you don’t declare online, you can submit your dues declaration by email; fax: (323) 421-9390; or mail:
Writers Guild of America West
ATTN: Dues Department
7000 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
You can pay your dues bill by credit card online or by check in the return envelope provided.
Payment is normally due within 30 days of the date we send you a bill (it may be sooner if you were late filing the declaration).
For more information, questions or concerns, email the Dues Department or call (323) 782-4531.
Contact WGAW Dues
