Performance Accountancy

Performance Accountancy Accounting for sole traders, performers, healthcare & social care workers, also small companies and business training. www.performanceaccountancy.co.uk

The only Chartered Accountant with a Professional Operatic Background specialising in accounting and tax requirements for those in the Performing Arts Industry. Here at Performance Accountancy, we pride ourselves in understanding the needs of the small business whether it is adhoc help during the year, the support of an accountant 1 or 2 days a week, or a fully outsourced accounting function. We are here to support your business whether you are starting up or have been trading for several years. We specialise in performers and creatives, sole traders, business processes and sage accounting training.

09/10/2026

Earned less than £1,000 from performing? You might not need to register with HMRC!

Yes, really! 👀

If you're just starting out in the performing arts, perhaps you've done a few paid gigs, some teaching or a bit of freelance work alongside your studies, you might be wondering whether you need to register as self-employed.

Here's where the £1,000 trading allowance comes in. But, as with most things involving HMRC, there are exceptions!

Give it a watch. It could save you some unnecessary paperwork!

🎶 You're a musician. Not an accountant and that's OK!You've spent hours practising, rehearsing, teaching and performing....
08/10/2026

🎶 You're a musician. Not an accountant and that's OK!

You've spent hours practising, rehearsing, teaching and performing. Then you finally get a quiet evening and what are you doing? Sorting receipts, chasing invoices and wondering whether HMRC will agree with what you've put on your tax return. 🙈 Sound familiar?

Doing your own taxes might save you an accountant's fee, but what is it costing you in time, energy and peace of mind?

I know that life as a musician rarely follows a neat 9–5 schedule. One week you're performing, the next you're teaching, and somewhere in between you're supposed to keep your finances organised too!

Because your music deserves centre stage. Not your tax return - https://www.performanceaccountancy.co.uk/the-emotional-cost-of-doing-your-own-taxes-when-uk-musicians-need-an-accountant/

- Ever looked at an expense and thought…“Where on earth am I supposed to put THAT?”Travel? Agent fees? Vocal coaching?...
02/10/2026

- Ever looked at an expense and thought…“Where on earth am I supposed to put THAT?”

Travel? Agent fees? Vocal coaching? Costumes? Software? Rehearsal costs?

When you work in the performing arts, your expenses don’t always fit neatly into the categories you’re given.

So we’ve created an Expense Mapping Cheat Sheet to make things a little easier.
It’s a simple reference to help you work out where different performer expenses should go – and hopefully save you some head-scratching along the way.

Save it. Bookmark it. Come back to it when you need it.

Find the Expense Mapping Cheat Sheet here - https://www.performanceaccountancy.co.uk/knowledgebase/expense-mapping-cheat-sheet/

30/09/2026

Your first tax return is a lie. 👀

Well… sort of.

When you’re new to Self Assessment, there’s one part of your first tax bill that can come as a bit of a shock.

You’ve worked out what you owe. You’re prepared to pay it. Then HMRC asks for more.
Welcome to payments on account.

It can feel like you’re being charged tax twice, but there is a reason for it – and understanding how it works can make that first January deadline a lot less painful.

In this video, James explains what payments on account are, why HMRC asks for them and, most importantly, why your first tax bill may be bigger than you were expecting.

New to self-employment as a performer? This is definitely one to know before your first tax return lands.

Conductors - are you claiming everything you’re entitled to?Scores, travel, equipment, professional fees... when your wo...
28/09/2026

Conductors - are you claiming everything you’re entitled to?

Scores, travel, equipment, professional fees... when your work takes you from rehearsal room to concert hall, the expenses can soon add up.

I’ve put together a handy 2026 tax-deductible expenses checklist specifically for UK conductors - so you can check what you might be able to claim before it disappears into the great pile of forgotten receipts.

Take a look here:
https://www.performanceaccountancy.co.uk/conductor-tax-deductible-expenses-uk-checklist-for-2026/

*Are you doing your own tax return?*You’re a performer or musician.You spend your time rehearsing, teaching, recording, ...
26/09/2026

*Are you doing your own tax return?*

You’re a performer or musician.

You spend your time rehearsing, teaching, recording, auditioning, gigging, touring and trying to build your career.

And then, somewhere in amongst all of that, you’re expected to understand:

📌 What expenses you can claim
📌 What records you need to keep
📌 What HMRC actually wants from you
📌 Whether you need to register for Making Tax Digital
📌 What happens when you have several different income streams
📌 And whether you’re paying more tax than you actually need to

Sound familiar?

The problem isn't that you're incapable of doing your own accounts.

It’s that you shouldn't have to become an accountant just because you're self-employed.

At Performance Accountancy, we work specifically with performers, from musicians and singers to dancers, actors and teachers.

We understand the weird world of freelance performing.

Different contracts. Different income streams. Agents. Teaching. Gigs. Touring. Expenses. And yes… HMRC.

You concentrate on the stage. We'll concentrate on the numbers.

If you're currently doing your own tax return and wondering whether there might be an easier way, let's have a chat.

Book a free 15-minute discovery call:
https://www.performanceaccountancy.co.uk/contact-us/

Auditions have enough drama already.Travel. New headshots. Sheet music. That coffee you absolutely needed after the 6am ...
18/09/2026

Auditions have enough drama already.

Travel. New headshots. Sheet music. That coffee you absolutely needed after the 6am train…Being a performer comes with plenty of costs before you’ve even got the job.

Knowing which expenses are allowable and keeping track of them as you go can make life a lot easier when it’s time to do your accounts.

You concentrate on the audition.
We’ll help with the less theatrical paperwork - https://www.performanceaccountancy.co.uk/

VAT registered? You might be leaving money backstage.Agent fees. Rehearsal space. Headshots. Website costs. Instrument r...
17/09/2026

VAT registered? You might be leaving money backstage.

Agent fees. Rehearsal space. Headshots. Website costs. Instrument repairs. Touring accommodation.

There can be VAT hiding in all sorts of places when you’re a working performer and if you’re VAT registered, some of it may be reclaimable.

The problem is knowing what you can reclaim, what you can’t, and where HMRC draws the line, particularly when something has both a business and personal use.

So, I’ve put together my 2026 guide to VAT reclaims for performers.

It covers everything from instruments and touring costs to pre-registration purchases, the Flat Rate Scheme and those wonderfully murky “but I genuinely DO use it for work!” expenses.

Have a read here: https://www.performanceaccountancy.co.uk/vat-reclaims-for-performers-the-definitive-2026-guide/

Because if there’s VAT you’re legitimately entitled to reclaim, I’d much rather it was funding your next project than sitting with HMRC.

16/09/2026

Backstage Pass with James: When a business expense… isn’t a business expense

Imagine you’re an opera singer and you lose your voice. Your voice is quite literally how you earn your living, so surely the cost of medical treatment to get you performing again is a business expense?

Unfortunately, HMRC may see it differently. This is where the dual benefit rule comes into play. If an expense has both a business benefit and a personal benefit, it may not meet the “wholly and exclusively” test required for it to be allowable for tax purposes.

So, while treatment might help an opera singer get back on stage and earning again, it also benefits them personally by restoring their health. It’s one of those areas where common sense and tax rules don’t always seem to sing from the same hymn sheet!

James explains the dual benefit rule and why performers need to be careful when deciding what they can and can’t put through their accounts.

Another little peek behind the curtain at performer finances with Performance Accountancy. Watch the video below:

01/09/2026

Registering as self-employed? Be careful with the date.

In the next episode of The Backstage Pass, James explains a small HMRC detail that can cause a very expensive headache.

When HMRC asks when you started earning, putting a date between 1st and 5th April can make it look like you need to file a tax return for the year just ended. Miss that return, and penalties can follow.

For performers, musicians and creatives starting freelance work, gigs or teaching, this is one date field worth getting right.

Watch James explain it here:

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