
Managing Your Money: The Compact Guide
The Essential Guide for Actors and Creative Freelancers
Jon Harris(Author)
Nick Hern Books (Publisher)
Published on 8. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-83904-552-3 (ISBN)
Description
Whether you're just embarking on your career or already juggling the many demands of life as a creative freelancer, you need clear and targeted strategies for organising your finances, to eliminate confusion and minimise stress. This essential, practical guide shows you how to manage your money - so you can focus on your creative work.
Written by Jon Harris, a theatre producer turned specialist accountant with over thirty years' experience in the creative and cultural industries, this book offers a tailored approach to tax and personal finance in straightforward and highly accessible terms.
Inside, you'll find clear guidance on:
Tackling your taxes: keeping accurate records, what expenses you can claim, and how - and when - to prepare and submit your tax return
Budgeting and planning: strategies for making your money work for you, with tips for balancing the books when you're just starting out
Approaching major milestones: when to register for VAT, form a Partnership or Limited Company, and what to consider if you're producing your own work
Building long-term security: making best use of pensions, mortgages, insurance, savings, benefits and more
With handy checklists to ensure you've covered all the bases, a glossary of key terms, and dedicated online updates to keep you informed, this is your expert pocket mentor for staying financially afloat and in control at every stage of your professional life.
The Compact Guides are pocket-sized introductions for actors and creatives, each tackling a key topic in a clear and comprehensive way. Written by industry professionals with extensive hands-on experience of their subject, they provide you with maximum information in minimum time.
Written by Jon Harris, a theatre producer turned specialist accountant with over thirty years' experience in the creative and cultural industries, this book offers a tailored approach to tax and personal finance in straightforward and highly accessible terms.
Inside, you'll find clear guidance on:
Tackling your taxes: keeping accurate records, what expenses you can claim, and how - and when - to prepare and submit your tax return
Budgeting and planning: strategies for making your money work for you, with tips for balancing the books when you're just starting out
Approaching major milestones: when to register for VAT, form a Partnership or Limited Company, and what to consider if you're producing your own work
Building long-term security: making best use of pensions, mortgages, insurance, savings, benefits and more
With handy checklists to ensure you've covered all the bases, a glossary of key terms, and dedicated online updates to keep you informed, this is your expert pocket mentor for staying financially afloat and in control at every stage of your professional life.
The Compact Guides are pocket-sized introductions for actors and creatives, each tackling a key topic in a clear and comprehensive way. Written by industry professionals with extensive hands-on experience of their subject, they provide you with maximum information in minimum time.
Reviews / Votes
'This handy compact guide will be invaluable to many, particularly in the early stages of their careers... chatty and impressively user-friendly... comprehensive instructions and guidance... the ultimate DIY guide' * British Theatre Guide * 'A helpful companion in a sometimes isolating industry... the tone is fun and engaging, and the case studies, anecdotes and examples well pitched and relevant... informative, detailed and accurate' * Drama & Theatre Magazine *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 112 mm
Width: 179 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
168 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83904-552-3 (9781839045523)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Jon Harris
Managing Your Money: The Compact Guide
The Essential Guide for Actors and Creative Freelancers
E-Book
01/2026
Nick Hern Books
€13.99
Available for download
Person
Jon Harris is a Director of Accounting4Actors Ltd, a private specialist accountancy practice for creative industry professionals. He is a fully qualified Chartered Management Accountant. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and holds a Masters in Organisational Psychology from the Tavistock Centre.
He started his career in the arts, first as a director, then producing and managing the finances of theatre shows in the West End and on tour all over the world. He was Producer at Shared Experience and was the founding Director of Stratford Circus arts centre.
He is a qualified Adult Education teacher, and was an Associate Tutor at Goldsmiths' University Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship.
He is a Fellow of the RSA and a Trustee and Treasurer of Disability Arts Online.
He is the author of Managing Your Money: The Compact Guide (Nick Hern Books, 2026).
He started his career in the arts, first as a director, then producing and managing the finances of theatre shows in the West End and on tour all over the world. He was Producer at Shared Experience and was the founding Director of Stratford Circus arts centre.
He is a qualified Adult Education teacher, and was an Associate Tutor at Goldsmiths' University Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship.
He is a Fellow of the RSA and a Trustee and Treasurer of Disability Arts Online.
He is the author of Managing Your Money: The Compact Guide (Nick Hern Books, 2026).