Will registering a DBA (Doing Business As) trigger a review? Ticket to Work? No LLC or S-Corp, just DBA for privacy.
TLDR: Will setting up a DBA [NOT an LLC or S-Corp] count as significant work activity even if you only have it for privacy for a side gig that makes maybe $50/mo?
I was approved in 2022 with an onset date in 2019. I have not done any paid work since then. However, prior to my disability, I had published a few books that have been making royalties, about $50-$100 every month. Nothing much. I've tried reporting it every month to SSA and usually they ask for a paystub and I explain I don't have an employer, the royalties are just deposited into my account. Usually, we then get into a discussion about if the books were written/published before or after disability onset. I did have a few more books published after disability onset, but they were all written before, it's just that publishing is slow. So far, all of the work was work done before disability. And everyone I've spoken to at the SSA has decided that this isn't SGA nor is it significant work activity.
I have written another book, and it did take a lot of time and there were months where I couldn't work on it at all, weeks were all I could do is jot down a note or two in a journal, and the occasional (winter) month where I could get some solid progress, but it was all when I was up at 3am with insomnia or nightmares or pain. I can't stick to a deadline at all anymore so the editors I was working with aren't doing so anymore... So there's no contracts on the horizon as no one really wants to work with me since I can't handle it.
Anyway, I am reaching the final stages of this novel, and I do want to publish it myself and I want to do so under a pen name. All my previous works were under my legal name. I want to set up a Fictitious Business Name aka a DBA/Doing Business As so that I can maintain my privacy (all previous novels were PG or PG-13, this one is... very much not and I don't need my family finding that.) Most retail platforms (Amazon KDP, Kobo Writing Life, B&N Press) that allow independent publishing do not require any proof such as a DBA form to allow you to publish under a Pen Name. They do ask for Legal Name for tax purposes. Some do require a DBA; Apple Books does want you to provide legitimate proof of a DBA, otherwise you must use the name on your ID. But I feel like a DBA would just allow some extra privacy as I could use it with anyone I might need to interact with professionally (if, for example, I want to get a PO Box, I can do it under the DBA) and not risk my real name being accidentally exposed.
I do not expect this novel to make any sort of significant royalties, either. Maybe another $30/mo on top of what I get from my previous books.
My fear is that setting up the DBA will trigger some sort of CDR or count toward Ticket to Work. I had my most recent CDR (short form, no further review required) in December 2025. But I'm not doing more than maybe 3 or 4 hours of work per week, but there's often months at a time where the work is 0 hours because I am just in bed. I'm not running a business really, just wanting some privacy. I don't want to lose my benefits and Medicare over this. If getting a DBA will cause issues, I just won't publish the book. But has anyone encountered this? I'm afraid to even mention it to SSA for fear it will trigger another review when I just went through all the stress 10 months ago.
TLDR again: Will setting up a DBA [NOT an LLC or S-Corp] count as significant work activity even if you only have it for privacy for a side gig that makes maybe $50/mo?