Professional Assistance for Artists, Creatives, and Nonprofit Organizations

TALA provides Texas artists and arts organizations with legal and accounting assistance to enable them to maximize their potential, shape our cultural landscape, and contribute to the creative economy.

Free legal and accounting services are offered to individual artists and arts related nonprofit organizations from all creative disciplines, including visual arts, musical performance, film and video, writing, acting, dancing, and performing arts.  As small TALA membership fee is required.

Sample legal assistance topics

  • Nonprofit incorporation, by-laws, and gaining 501(c)(3) status
  • Contract drafting, negotiation, and review
  • Performance agreements
  • Recording agreements
  • Songwriters agreements
  • Consignment and sale terms
  • Employment contracts for artists
  • Work for Hire agreements
  • Licensing of art
  • Nondisclosure agreements
  • Literary and publishing issues
  • Liability waivers
  • Gallery agreements
  • Copyrights and trademarks
  • General business advice

Sample accounting assistance topics

  • General bookkeeping advice
  • Quickbooks set up
  • Annual nonprofit budget planning
  • General tax advice

****Please note that TALA volunteers are not able to file individual or non profit organization tax returns.  Also note that requests made between Jan 1 and April 30 in regard to accounting issues may be delayed due to volunteer accountant workloads during high tax season.****

Cases not handled through TALA

  • Family Law (child custody, divorce, etc)
  • Criminal Law
  • Personal Injury
  • Litigation
  • Bankruptcy
  • Audits
  • Individual and non profit filing of tax returns

Please be advised that TALA is not staffed to provide emergency legal or accounting assistance, nor does TALA provide representation to individuals or organizations before courts, arbitration panels, administrative proceedings, or other governmental bodies.

While TALA does its best to help as many clients as possible, TALA reserves the right to reject a client’s application for assistance under certain circumstances, including but not limited to:

  • Matters requiring litigation.  TALA does not handle litigation. TALA may, however, provide mediation services, which could be an alternative to litigation.
  • Complex matters potentially requiring too much time to be resolved on a volunteer basis.
  • Unavailability of a qualified volunteer to handle a particular request.
  • The applicant does not meet the income guidelines.

To be matched with a volunteer through TALA, you must be:

A nonprofit organization or group wishing to obtain 501(c)(3) status

and

Have an annual organizational budget of $200,000 or less.

or

An individual artist that resides in Texas 

and

Have a total household income of less than 300% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Poverty Guidelines Table

Nonprofit Organizations and those who wish to obtain 501(c)(3) status:  If you meet the above qualifications and would like to be matched with a volunteer, click here.

Individual Artists:  If you meet the above qualifications and would like to be matched with a volunteer, click here.