Tag: self-employed

  • Regular Spending with an Irregular Income

    Regular Spending with an Irregular Income

    How to plan your spending as an actor to ensure you’re saving enough when your income is high and surviving when work is slow. One of the biggest obstacles to self-employed actors getting a grip on their finances is a failure to budget properly for their irregular income. It’s easy to spend freely when earning…

  • A Guide to Pensions for Self-Employed Actors

    A Guide to Pensions for Self-Employed Actors

    How to set up a pension as an actor and how much you should aim to save for your retirement. When you’re starting your acting career, retirement is probably at the back of your mind. Finding an agent, preparing for auditions and keeping your Spotlight up-to-date seem more urgent.  Typically, actors are driven by a…

  • How to Set Yourself Up as a Freelancer

    How to Set Yourself Up as a Freelancer

    When actors need to register as sole traders, how they calculate tax and how taking on additional work affects this.  As a self-employed actor, whether you have an agent or not, you’re a freelancer. In most cases, for the purposes of HMRC, your legal status is ‘sole trader’.  These terms might appear daunting at first,…

  • Financial Guidance for Actors

    Financial Guidance for Actors

    Advice from industry professionals on agent fees, invoicing and tax for actors. As a performing artist, it’s your responsibility to manage your business. Sharpening your script analysis and attending auditions is one thing, but developing your financial understanding is equally essential for your career. Things like accounting, filling out self-employed tax forms and negotiating agent…

  • Tax Tips for the Self-Employed Actor

    Tax Tips for the Self-Employed Actor

    How performers can register as self-employed and what is tax deductible as an actor. Being a performer requires a lot of work – you have to learn lines, film self-tapes and go to auditions – all while juggling the rest of your life. Self-employed actors in the UK also manage their financial aspects and are…

  • What Can Equity Do For My Child?

    What Can Equity Do For My Child?

    Find out more about the performing arts and entertainment trade union, Equity, and they can help your child if they’re a performer If your child is between the ages of 10 and 17, they may be eligible for Equity Child Membership and all the benefits that come with it. Here’s what you need to know! Equity is…

  • Financial Mindfulness – Budgeting Tips for Performers

    Financial Mindfulness – Budgeting Tips for Performers

    How to organise your finances and budget with ever-changing earnings. Money – or the lack of it – is not the obstacle to your success and goals but sitting blissfully in the ignorance of your financial health may well be. I can tell you from personal experience that by ignoring your finances and giving sole…

  • What Are Your Transferable Skills as an Actor?

    What Are Your Transferable Skills as an Actor?

    Discovering what your transferable skills are and how to use them to supplement your income. In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we talk to Sarah Thurstan, a performer and co-founder of Performance Link. She took over the company in 2000 and now runs it herself alongside acting work. We’ll be talking all about transferable skills…