Going Legal

[djdanny 0]

hi guys need some help ive been djing 12 years and now i need going legal as in tax etc any advice please as im new this side ( bank accounts etc)

[C.S 0]

you mean you have been ilegal for 12 years ? Please elaborate on exactly what info you need ? welcome to the forum by the way

Edited February 21, 2007 by C.S

[Paul Smith 0]

Confessions of a DJ? I'm surprised you 'got away' with it for so long.

 

1st thing tell your local tax office and register as being either self-employed or doing additional part time work. Make sure you keep records of all expenditure that's disco related and all income from it as well.

 

Another thing I would recommend that you take out is insurance.

[djdanny 0]

it good why it lasted but due to splitting wth gf got a feeling she might grass me for doing discos so im starting an dj agy but do it properly so if she does i clean

 

i know cash in hand but wanna start dj agy and dj myself legit

 

how do get business account nothing flashey

all that type of stuff

 

[Steve_Mitchell 0]

it good why it lasted but due to splitting wth gf got a feeling she might grass me for doing discos so im starting an dj agy but do it properly so if she does i clean

 

 

Please note this dude is under 16 before confusing him.

Edited February 21, 2007 by stevemitchell

[Andy Westcott 0]

Quote:

"I'm surprised you 'got away' with it for so long."

 

So am I actually. It only takes one person to squeal.....

 

Anyhow, as you ...ahem.... have lied to us, if you get my drift, and haven't really been DJ-ing that long at all really, and have only just started out, I'd get registered for National Insurance & tax tomorrow. Give them a ring and explain you are just starting out, and they'll send out the necessary forms for you.

 

Keep records of all expenditure and income related to your business, and be aware you will need to pay (I think) £2.10 a week class 2 national insurance, unless you expect your income to be less than just over £4000, in which case you can apply for a National Insurance Exemption Certificate, which means you don't have to pay the £2.10 as long as you have another full-time job.

 

Accounts for you will run until April 5th, when you submit your income and expenses. If you have a good income from discos, consider hiring an accountant to take away the workload and to possibly save you some tax.

 

That's about it for now, but get registered!

 

EDIT:

Under sixteen did someone say??

DJing from the afe of 4 then - no mean feat!!

[pdentertainment 0]

Gulp !!!!

[Gary 0]

Please note this dude is under 16 before confusing him.

 

Probably just hasnt got through all the options in his profile yet.

 

My advice, on top of whats already been said - is definately tell the inland revenue about the last 12 years earnings - before they tell you about them. A friend of mine DJ'd through an agency for 7 years without declaring it - they hit him hard - very hard. They took his most recent (and profitable) year, and simply went with 7 x that. He wasnt earning anything like that in the first couple of years - but the Inland Rev stuck to their guns.

 

[Dukesy 0]

Welcome to the forum Dan.

 

Ok, before you incriminate you self further, here are some tips.

 

National Insurance Guide

NI Contributions

 

 

Tax Buddies - A wealth of Advice on all of your Tax Concerns and Self Assessment Questions. Also check out their Fixed Fee Accountancy service - Your tax return completed for a fixed fee of £159 + VAT

 

For DJing and DJ related tips you may be interested in The DJ Knowledgebase - The DJ's United Knowledgebase filled with articles, hints, tips and frequently asked questions covering a wide variety of subjects from PC DJ'ing, Insurance, PAT Testing, Equipment Servicing and much more. Also features advice for New DJ's and those starting out for the first time.

 

If not already a member, consider The Musicians Union - being a member of the Musicians Union offers many benefits to either the Novice or Veteran DJ. Included in their Membership fee is £10 million worth of Public Liability Cover, Contract Advice, Legal Advice and Debt Recovery Service to name but a few, plus many other benefits of belonging to a large national union. Membership starts from as little as £50 for Students and Under 21's with tiered fee's for full time members.

 

Similar links and advice can be found on the forum here.

[djdanny 0]

hi guys just like to clear smethng up im 32 didnt read the profile properly

[shakermaker 0]

Danny, firstly good luck and welcome to the forum. It's a really good place to be for help and advice and there are a lot of nice people on here who will all be able to help you out with advice etc, including myself.

 

Secondly, Don't take this the wrong way but IF you are going to start some kind of agency or whatever, please make sure that you put yourself across as someone that knows exactly what they are doing. Your punctuation etc will make a big difference. The reason I mention it is because when I read your opening post, I could hardly understand it. Maybe it's just internet talk and you know exactly what you are doing?

 

Just an observation ok.

[djdanny 0]

ok i take that on board new all this forum and computer stuff first time advertising and getting my own work use to get my gigs off agents

[jeffwall 0]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Dukesy 0]

Just another thing about 'starting' an agency.

 

There are members of this forum who have experience of and currently do operate in the capacity as an agent or agency.

 

There are guidelines to follow and simple rules of etiquette to adopt for sure.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and anything else if it will help you become re-established.

You never know, if you already have a reputation as a good agent I'm sure there will be many here who would appreciate the opportunity to work and reward you by maintaining that reputation! smile icon

 

Another thing!

In the past, forum members have mentioned that there are good agents and bad agents. Experiences have been shared and even dirty laundry has been aired among the disgruntled and the short fused. The latter is not good for the profession as this forum gets 'Googled', potential clients (internet surfers) can read the posts which leads me to...

 

I'm sure I heard or was told that at the point of a client booking, you have to tell the client that you are an agent and must make it very clear. I think it helps protect you and the client should a problem arise.

Not sure about the advertising rule (stating that you are an agency in an advert) but transparency will always help and make it clear from the offset who you are, what you do / what the service is.

 

I trust you will be working hard to not only source good work for the DJs you intend to supply for functions but will also try to encourage the commitment of your DJs with respectable earnings year on year to take into consideration many factors including cost of living!

I trust you will actually take the opportunity of putting in place (if not already) a vetting procedure to confirm that you have physically met the DJ and have actually seen them operate or viewed his or her disco system they intend to use, checked references and testimonials, etc before you pass on a booking!

 

Clients, no matter if they are in the wrong or not, or are let down or not on the day as they will be very quick to jump all over you should a problem arise no matter how big or small from one of your supplied bookings, so it is best to try and cover all bases and eventualities as you possibly can.....it will work out in your favour in the end......especially if there is history / domestic conflict of interests running in the background.

Wish you luck.

 

 

 

[Norfolk DJ 0]

Please note this dude is under 16 before confusing him.

 

You are taxed from the day you are born, there is no age exemption! ie DJ at 15 and make a profit, and you could be liable to tax

[Steve_Mitchell 0]

Probably just hasnt got through all the options in his profile yet.

 

 

Nope, he has changed his profile since I posted last night.

[andyw 0]

get registered with hm revenue and customs asap,they will fine you if you have been in business for more than 3 months without registering

[Dukesy 0]

get registered with hm revenue and customs asap,they will fine you if you have been in business for more than 3 months without registering

Good point but would like to add "see an accountant first and tell him EVERYTHING".

[YourBigEvent 0]

Don't forget if you want to start an agency, you will need at least two, or preferably three completely seperate business bank accounts, one for your company, and one as a 'safe-keeping' for the people who work for you, as I understand it, this is how it work.

 

Mr X wants a musican/DJ/Band/Soloist etc, so you quote £500

DJ Barney will do the gig for £400, thus making you £100 but

when Mr X pays his deposit/initial payment of £125 to secure the date you will then have to put that into Bank account A, eventually he will pay the remander and you will have £500 in Account A.

From this account you will then have to pay DJ Barney his £400, AND pay yourself (into Account B) the 'other' £100

If you are new I would then suggust another bank account, in which you then transfer £23 for you taxes (23%)

 

You will laso need a Solicitor to draw up water tight contracts, one for the artistee, and one for the 'booker' as if DJ Barney did not turn up it would be you that got sued etc.

 

Insurances are a must to (PLI, PAT, Employer/Employee) and you would need to join an Agency union too.

 

Still intrested ?

 

[otronics 0]

You do need to register as a company but depends if you are earning above the Income Tax Limit to determine if you need to pay NI or tax.