Accountants for Creatives Across Wales and the UK
Tax, accounting and business advice built around the way creative people actually work. From freelance artists and musicians to production companies and design agencies, we help you stay on top of the numbers so you can focus on the work that matters.
Creative Work Deserves an Accountant Who Gets It
Creative careers don’t follow a neat, predictable financial pattern. Your income might come from half a dozen different sources: commissions, royalties, licensing, grants, freelance fees, residuals, and ticket sales, sometimes all in the same tax year.
Projects overlap, invoices go unpaid, and HMRC still expects everything filed correctly and on time. Most generalist accountants aren’t built for this kind of working pattern. They’re used to businesses with steady monthly revenue and straightforward expenses. If your accountant doesn’t understand project-based income, intellectual property, creative tax reliefs, or what it actually looks like to juggle multiple income streams at once, you’re probably paying more tax than you need to and getting less support than you deserve.
At Bevan Buckland, we’ve been working with creative individuals and businesses across Wales for over 125 years. We understand how creatives earn, spend and grow, and we provide accounting and tax support that fits around your working life rather than forcing it into a template designed for someone else. Whether you’re a freelance illustrator, a touring musician, a filmmaker applying for production tax credits, or a design agency hiring its fifth employee, we’re here to make the financial side of your creative career feel manageable.
What We Do for Creative Professionals
Self Assessment and Tax Returns
If you’re self-employed or earn income outside of PAYE, you’ll need to file a Self Assessment tax return. We prepare and submit your return accurately and on time, making sure you claim every allowable deduction, from studio rent and materials to software subscriptions, travel, training courses and professional memberships. We also handle any correspondence with HMRC on your behalf, so you’re never stuck dealing with tax queries alone.
Expense Management and Tax-Efficient Claims
Creatives often have a wide range of legitimate business expenses, but many don’t claim everything they’re entitled to because they’re unsure what qualifies. We review your spending and identify all allowable deductions specific to your creative discipline. That might include art materials and equipment, home studio costs, instrument maintenance, exhibition fees, portfolio costs, website hosting, agent commissions, or travel to shoots and performances. Getting this right can make a real difference to your tax bill.
Royalties, Licensing and Multiple Income Streams
If your income comes from royalties, licensing deals, commissions, streaming platforms, or a combination of freelance and employed work, your tax affairs are more complex than average. We track and manage multiple income streams, ensure they’re reported correctly, and advise on the most tax-efficient way to structure your earnings. For creatives receiving international royalties or payments from overseas platforms, we also handle the cross-border tax implications.
Creative Industry Tax Reliefs
The UK offers specific tax reliefs for certain creative activities, including Film Tax Relief, High-end Television Tax Relief, Animation Tax Relief, Video Games Tax Relief, Theatre Tax Relief, and Orchestra Tax Relief. If your work qualifies, these reliefs can significantly reduce your tax bill or generate cash credits. We identify which reliefs apply to your projects, prepare the claims, and submit them to HMRC.
R&D Tax Credits for Creative Businesses
If your creative business involves developing new products, processes or technology, or solving technical challenges in new ways, you may qualify for R&D tax relief. This is particularly relevant for digital agencies, game developers, software studios and tech-creative hybrid businesses. We assess your projects against HMRC’s qualifying criteria, prepare robust claims, and handle the submission process.
Company Formation and Structure Advice
Many creatives start as sole traders and eventually reach a point where incorporating as a limited company makes financial sense. We advise on the right time to make that transition, handle the company formation process, and restructure your tax affairs to maximise efficiency. For creative partnerships, co-operatives, or studios with multiple founders, we also advise on the best ownership and profit-sharing structures.
Bookkeeping and Cloud Accounting
Keeping your books in order doesn’t have to mean hours of spreadsheet admin. As a Xero Gold Partner, we set up cloud accounting that works for how you operate. Automated bank feeds, simple invoicing, expense tracking and real-time visibility of your cash position, all accessible from your phone or laptop. We also offer monthly bookkeeping support for creatives who’d rather hand the whole thing over.
VAT Registration and Returns
If your turnover is approaching the £90,000 threshold, or if you’re working with VAT-registered clients and want to recover VAT on your business purchases, we advise on the right time and scheme to register. We prepare and submit your quarterly VAT returns and keep you compliant without the headache.
Payroll for Creative Businesses
If you employ staff, whether full-time team members or regular freelancers on your payroll, we handle RTI submissions, payslips, auto-enrolment pensions, P60s and P11Ds. For production companies and agencies running project-based payroll, we manage the complexities of short-term contracts and variable hours.
Grant and Funding Support
Many creative projects are part-funded through grants from bodies like Arts Council Wales, Arts Council England, Creative Wales, the British Film Institute, or Innovate UK. Grant-funded work often comes with specific financial reporting requirements. We help you set up your accounting to meet those requirements, prepare financial reports for funders, and ensure you stay compliant with the terms of your grant.
Who We Work With
Why Choose Bevan Buckland as Your Creative Accountant
We Understand Creative Careers
We don’t try to fit your creative income into a standard business model. We understand that project-based work, irregular earnings, royalties, grants and multiple revenue streams are normal in the creative industries, and we build our support around that reality.
Wales’ Largest Independent Firm, With a Personal Approach
We combine the depth of a major firm (chartered tax advisers, registered auditors, a licensed insolvency practitioner, R&D specialists, and a full advisory team) with the personal service of a local practice. Every client has a dedicated named contact who knows their work and their financial situation.
Deep Roots in the Welsh Creative Economy
Wales has a thriving creative sector, from the film and TV production around Cardiff and the Swansea Bay studios to the vibrant arts communities across Pembrokeshire and the music and festival scenes that draw audiences from across the UK. We’ve been supporting creative businesses here for over 125 years, and we understand the local funding landscape, the Welsh Government schemes available, and the institutions that matter.
Everything Under One Roof
You won’t need to switch accountants as your creative career grows. Whether you’re a sole trader filing your first tax return or a production company claiming Film Tax Relief, and whether you need help with R&D credits, SEIS/EIS investor schemes, estate planning, or eventually exiting your business, we handle it all without referring you elsewhere.
Transparent Fees, No Watching the Clock
We agree your fee upfront and include all routine phone and email queries at no extra cost. Creatives often have lots of small questions throughout the year, and you should never hesitate to get in touch because you’re worried about the bill.
How It Works
Step 1: Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll learn about your creative work, how you earn, and what financial support you need.
Step 2: We review your current setup and recommend the right structure, systems and level of support for your situation.
Step 3: Your dedicated contact handles everything going forward, from day-to-day bookkeeping and compliance to proactive tax planning, grant reporting and strategic advice as your career develops.
Fees for Creative Professionals
We know that creative incomes can be unpredictable, and the last thing you need is an accountant whose fees add to that uncertainty. Our fees are fixed and agreed upfront, so you always know what you’re paying*.
What you pay depends on the complexity of your financial affairs, the services you need, and how hands-on you want us to be. Some creatives just need a Self Assessment return filed once a year. Others need full bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, grant reporting and ongoing advisory. We’ll recommend the right level of support for where you are now, and adjust it as your career grows.
Not sure what you need? Book a free consultation and we’ll talk it through.
*Additional fees will include anything outside the agreed scope of work.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need one by law, but working with an accountant who understands creative income makes a real difference. Creatives often have irregular earnings, multiple revenue streams, industry-specific expenses and access to tax reliefs that generalist accountants may not be aware of. A specialist knows what to look for, what to claim, and how to structure your affairs so you keep more of what you earn.
Allowable expenses vary by discipline, but common claims include studio or workspace rent, materials and supplies, equipment and instruments, software and subscriptions, travel to shoots or performances, agent or gallery commissions, professional memberships, insurance, training courses, marketing costs, and a proportion of home office expenses. We review your specific situation to make sure nothing is missed.
Royalties are treated as taxable income and must be declared on your Self Assessment tax return. If your royalties come from overseas, you may also need to account for withholding tax deducted at source. We ensure your royalties are reported correctly and that you claim relief for any foreign tax already paid, so you’re not taxed twice on the same income.
It depends on your income level, growth plans and personal circumstances. A limited company can be more tax-efficient once your profits reach a certain threshold, particularly through the way you structure salary and dividends. But it comes with additional admin and compliance requirements. We run the numbers based on your actual situation so you can make an informed decision.
The UK offers enhanced tax relief for qualifying expenditure on certain creative productions, including film, high-end television, animation, video games, theatre, orchestral concerts, and museums and galleries exhibitions. These reliefs can result in a tax credit or enhanced deduction, significantly reducing your tax liability. We identify whether your projects qualify and prepare the claims on your behalf.
Yes. If your business involves overcoming technical uncertainties or developing new processes, products, or technology, you may qualify for R&D tax relief, even in creative industries. Digital agencies, game studios, and tech-creative businesses are common claimants. We assess your projects, prepare the claim, and submit it to HMRC.
Absolutely. While our five offices are based across South and West Wales, we work with creative professionals and businesses right across the UK. We use video calls, cloud accounting, and digital communication to provide the same personal, responsive service regardless of where you’re based.
Yes. We regularly support creative businesses and individuals who receive grant funding from bodies like Arts Council Wales, Arts Council England, Creative Wales, and the BFI. We set up your accounting to capture the information funders need, prepare financial reports to their specifications, and ensure you stay compliant with grant terms throughout the project.
Switching is simpler than most people expect. We handle the process for you, including contacting your previous accountant to obtain your records. There are no tax implications, and you can switch at any point in the year. Most clients are fully set up within a couple of weeks.
Making Tax Digital for VAT is already mandatory for all VAT-registered businesses. MTD for Income Tax is rolling out from April 2026 for qualifying sole traders and landlords with income above certain thresholds. If you’re affected, you’ll need to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC. We help you get set up with compatible software and make the transition as smooth as possible.
