Tactical advice for Ballarat artists at tax time

As part of its ongoing commitment to the application of the Creative City Strategy, the City of Ballarat has released its first tax advice package for creatives, artists, makers, micro-enterprises and first-time sellers.  

The training resources include a suite of short videos, a dedicated website page outlining the steps to working with Council, and the release of the first Creative Sector Industry Survey. 

“The City of Ballarat takes its responsibilities in supporting the economic viability of the creative sector very seriously,” City of Ballarat Mayr, Cr Daniel Moloney said.  

“The development of these valuable resources comes about in direct response to feedback from the creative community, and we hope they will prove to be useful regardless of what your creative practice is. The information is as relevant for a ceramicist as it is for a musician or a web designer.” 

The package forms part of the City of Ballarat Arts & Culture unit’s training and educational resource program which provides a range of diverse materials and services for artists and creatives at varying levels of development.  

The four training videos – called ‘I’m an Artist’ - are a fun yet informative look at the common questions creatives ask about GST, making a profit, what they can claim and what kind of insurances are necessary for a creative career.  

Compiled with the support and advice of local accountants TPG and starring one of their own tax accountants Tim Gay, the four short videos have been made by Ballarat production house Far Flung Films and filmed in some immediately recognisable locations.  

Visit www.creativeballarat.com.au/resources to view the full series.  

The training videos are supplemented with resources advising creatives on the best way to secure gigs and opportunities with Council.  

Developed in response to requests made by the community, an easy step-by-step guide has been provided which outlines the tips and hints for responding to briefs, requests for quote or expressions of interest.  

This can be found at www.creativeballarat.com.au/working-with-council 

The information package is supported by the release of the inaugural Creative Sector Industry Survey which seeks to measure the economic powerhouse of the individual practitioner, sole traders and micro-enterprise, as well as the small to medium sized creative business.  

The survey is planned to run on an annual basis, measuring the size and depth of the creative sector and seeking to benchmark the confidence and economic viability. 

“We are also urging creative practitioners and businesses to complete the Creative Sector Survey,” Cr Moloney said.  

“While the 2016 Census calculates Ballarat’s creative sector at 4% of our total industry, we know that there is a far more powerful groundswell of micro-enterprises and individual artists who do not tend to be counted in Census calculations.” 

“The City of Ballarat wants to know how powerful this group is so we can better tailor our support for the creative industry and practitioner.” 

Visit www.creativeballarat.com.au to participate in the survey.