Actors

Why do Actors need specialist accountants?

We understand the needs of acting performers, usually filing a self-assessment tax return is required.  Here at LEES we can help, allowing you to spent your time learning lines or reading scripts, rather than filling out complicated tax returns. We want to help you keep your tax and financial affairs in great order, to allow you to focus on being creative and doing what you love most, acting.

The creativity and dynamism of actors regularly sits uncomfortably with the often conventional world of the professional advisor. This is not true of LEES. We know your job is pressurised, image sensitive and always competitive. There can be peaks and troughs in the demands on your time. When the demands are intense, you need to know your tax and accounting matters are under control.

We know that your income might derive from a range of different sources, depending on the nature of work obtained or accepted. In addition to wages and salaries earned for working on productions of various types (television, film, theatre etc), you may receive repeat fees and residuals due from previous productions, royalties from sales of recorded performances, bonuses and other payments, for example sponsorship deals and fees for public appearances. Other monies you may receive include per diem travelling and subsistence expenses, while non-financial ‘perks’ such as free theatre tickets might also be received.

Most actors experience marked and unpredictable fluctuations in workload, both from one year to the next and even from month to month. Relatively few actors are employed by an organisation on a permanent or long-term basis. As a result, earnings may be affected by many different factors. In addition to seasonal fluctuations, your reputation and renown, the amount of employment available, the type of work undertaken, and the level of fee commanded. A recent survey of Equity members found that 25% of individuals had not worked at all during the preceding year.

How LEES can help

In order to maximise your time, we offer services such as:

  • Bookkeeping 
  • Annual accounts compliance
  • Tax planning and compliance
  • VAT treatment and compliance
  • Payroll
  • Advice on business structures
  • Free no obligation financial review

Our specialist team act as enthusiastic and trusted advisors to a multitude of actors playing a variety of roles. Below are just a few of the films our clients have starred in:

With actors often in the spotlight we know how important data protection is to you, that is why LEES have an in depth privacy policy so you know your data is secure.

If you would like to discuss how LEES could help you, you can chat with us by clicking the red button to the bottom right of your screen, or by calling any of our offices.

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