Earnings an individual derives from a rental property, limited partnership or other enterprise in which he or she is not materially involved. As with non-passive income, passive income is usually taxable; however it is often treated differently by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In fact, the Internal Revenue Service categorizes income into three broad types, Earned Income, Passive Income, and Portfolio Income. While passive and portfolio are income is generated via investments, earned income is either employment (W2) or self-‐‑employment (1099) income. Passive income has been a relatively loosely used term in recent years. Colloquially, it’s been used to define money being earned regularly with little or no effort on the part of the person who’s receiving it. Proponents of earning passive income tend to be boosters of a work-from-home and be-your-own-boss professional lifestyle. The type of earnings people usually associate with this are gains on stocks, interest, ...