Invoices, tax and declaring band earnings

[The Dark Lord]

How many of you provide an invoice to the pub / club / client etc when playing a gig ... and then declare it on your tax return?

I always have an invoice in my back pocket ready to present to them if they ask for one - but I have not yet been asked to do so. It's always a case of landlord/barman/barmaid appearing with a whole load of £20 notes and just handing them over.

As an owner of a number of businesses for my real job, my income comes from lots of different sources and I have to fill out a tax return every year and I do declare all of my earnings, including the payments I get from playing in a band. I guess I have to do this, as our agent files a tax return every year and that could be traced to me - so I keep it all above board. There is very little tax liability as through offsetting rehearsal room fees, strings, new gear, clothing, travel fees etc I am easily able to erase the profit from the venture .

Does everyone else do this? Has anyone on here been investigated / fined / billed for not doing this?

Edited June 26, 2012 by The Dark Lord

[Silvia Bluejay]

Good question. When I was helping with one of my ex's bands we did the tax thing too, but it was more than 10 years ago, so my experience is probably not relevant now. I seem to remember that the IR (HMRC) objects if you run a loss on a certain business for more than a number of years, and asks you to close it down? Would be interesting to hear more recent experiences.

Edited June 26, 2012 by bluejay

[PaulWarning]

this has been done a few times, here's one [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/95282-declaring-your-hobby-to-the-taxman/page__st__40"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/95282-declaring-your-hobby-to-the-taxman/page__st__40[/url]
best answer I read somewhere was from one guy who got his tax reduced because his expenses where more than what he earned from the band, after claiming against his other earnings for a couple of years the taxman told him it was a hobby and not to declare band earnings, something like that anyway it

[The Dark Lord]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1340719549' post='1708514']
this has been done a few times, here's one [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/95282-declaring-your-hobby-to-the-taxman/page__st__40"]http://basschat.co.u...an/page__st__40[/url]
[/quote]
Thank you, I did (honest) search but couldn't find anything. I must be rubbish at searching. Thanks for the link. It's exactly wot I was after.

[crez5150]

It really boils down to how much you are earning out of the band..... if you're getting good money week in week out then best keep track of it.