Do you do Reiki energy treatments for your family and friends? Have you thought about turning your interest into a business? If you’d like to know a little more about how to develop a Reiki practice, here are a few tips about the legal aspects of the business.
Licensing
Right now (2007) in the U.S. there are no government-issued licenses to practice Reiki (as there are for doctors, nurses, etc.). But Reiki might be included in your state or local massage licensing laws – if there are any – so it’s a good idea to check those to see whether they cover Reiki. There’s a good chance they won’t. But if they do, you’ll have to get licensed to do massage therapy in order to practice Reiki.
This kind of licensing is different from business licensing. While you might not need a “license to practice,” you’ll almost certainly need a business license. Business licensing requirements differ, so check with your city/county administrative office or local chamber of commerce for more information.
Insurance
There are many different kinds of insurance for individuals and businesses, but what I’m referring to here is liability insurance. This may not seem important since you’re not manipulating tissue (like a massage therapist does), but it is. When you give someone a Reiki treatment you’ll be touching them with the intent to facilitate healing, and some people will see that as medical – especially if they have a medical condition. In this lawsuit-happy country it’s best to be protected.
Most professional massage therapy organizations offer liability insurance with membership. This insurance usually also covers other modalities – like Reiki. And if you don’t do massage, don’t worry – most of these organizations will accept Reiki practitioners.
Taxes
If you’ve always worked for someone else you may have noticed taxes being deducted from your paycheck. However, you may not have realized that you were paying only a portion of the total tax; your employer was paying the other portion. When you’re self-employed, or working for someone else on a contract basis, you still have to pay taxes, but now they’ll be higher because you’ll have to cover the employer’s portion as well as your own.
So, the bad news is – more taxes. The good news (of a sort) is that you won’t be paying them in one lump sum every April. Instead, you’ll be paying quarterly, which is at a least a bit easier on your budget. Just be sure to save some of your earnings, preferably in an interest-bearing account, so the money’s there when you need to make a payment.
Taxes of any kind can be confusing. The IRS has an entire website full of information and forms and also toll-free numbers to help you out. But if your business grows you’ll probably want to enlist the services of a bookkeeper or accountant. Yes, it’s an added expense, but you may be able to keep costs down by trading services.
Final Thoughts
Legal issues can sound confusing, but they don’t have to be. When you’re just starting out try to take it one step at a time, dealing with each item as you need to. You’ll find that once you get past the initial steps things will smooth out. Then you’ll be able to focus once again on why you’re doing all of this – to help people with Reiki energy.
