Accountancy for freelancers in journalism
So you’ve bitten the bullet and gone out alone as a freelancer in journalism. Bravo!
But now you have to deal with the joys of tax returns because you’re self-employed. Yuck.
Don’t panic though! Our Co-Founder Lucy recently spent an hour with Journo Resources, to help their members get to grips with all things tax. And we’re delighted to share that session with you here.
As a freelancer in journalism, it’s important to have a good understanding of the financial aspects of your business. One important aspect of this is keeping track of your income and expenses, and this is where accountancy comes in.
Accountancy is the process of recording, classifying, and summarising financial transactions to provide information that is useful in making business decisions. This information is typically presented in the form of financial statements, which show the financial position, performance, and cash flows of a business.
For freelancers in journalism, accountancy can help you to keep track of the money you earn from your writing and other related activities. This can be especially important if you have multiple sources of income, such as writing for multiple publications or working on a variety of projects.
To get started with accountancy, you’ll need to set up a system for recording your income and expenses. This can be as simple as using a spreadsheet or a dedicated accounting software program. Whichever method you choose, be sure to record all of your income and expenses accurately and in a timely manner. This will help you to stay organised and ensure that you have a clear picture of your financial situation at any given time.
Once you have a system in place for recording your income and expenses, you can use this information to create financial statements. These statements can help you to understand the financial health of your business, and they can also be useful when it comes to tax time.
In addition to keeping track of your income and expenses, accountancy can also help you to manage your cash flow. This is the process of tracking the movement of money in and out of your business, and it’s an important aspect of running a successful freelance operation. By monitoring your cash flow, you can identify any potential issues and take steps to address them before they become a problem.
Overall, being proficient in accountancy is an important skill for any freelancer in journalism. It can help you to keep track of your income and expenses, manage your cash flow, and make informed business decisions. So if you want to be successful as a freelancer in journalism, be sure to take the time to learn the basics of accountancy and put them into practice in your business.
And if you don’t fancy taking it all on yourself, you can get a quick quote below to see how we can help you!
