Media, Marketing and Creators
Creative work should be rewarded in full. We bring clarity to campaign margins, platform income and freelance teams for agencies, studios and creators.
Agencies, studios and creators
Businesses built on ideas, audiences and talent.
- Agencies and studiosSocial media, marketing, design and digital agencies, paid by the campaign or the retainer.
- Influencers and productionEstablished influencers and creators running a business from their audience, and film, TV and games productions.
Where the money gets complicated
Campaign and retainer margins
Amends, overruns and unbilled time that erode the fee.
Income from many sources
Brand deals, ad revenue, affiliate fees and gifted products, each with its own tax treatment.
Freelance teams
Creators, editors and contractors whose employment status must be assessed correctly.
Uneven income
Commissions, royalties and platform payouts that arrive irregularly.
Where we make the difference
One dedicated team for your books, accounts, tax and advice, shaped around how media, marketing and creators works.
- Project accountingTime and costs tracked by client and campaign, so margin is visible while it can still be protected.
- Accounts and creative reliefsCompany accounts, and claims for creative industry tax reliefs where your productions qualify.
- Tax for agencies and creatorsSelf Assessment, VAT on overseas clients and platform income, and planning for how directors are paid.
- Cash flow and pricing adviceForecasts and pricing that keep cash ahead of the work, and show which clients and campaigns merit growth.
Our latest thinking
- Growth and advisoryAccounting and bookkeepingAgencies and studios: why busy projects still lose money, and how to see it soonerInsight3 min read3 min read
- TaxAccounting and bookkeepingInfluencers and content creators: when free products count as incomeGuide3 min read3 min read
- TaxGrowth and advisoryFilm, TV, games and theatre: the creative tax credits in 2026, and what they are worthGuide4 min read4 min read
Frequently asked questions
Are gifted products taxable for influencers and creators?
Yes. HMRC treats products and services you receive for promoting them as income, valued at what they would have cost you. The first part of your trading income each year is covered by the trading allowance; above it you need to register for Self Assessment. We help creators keep the right records and plan for tax from the first paid post.
Read: Influencers and content creators: when free products count as incomeWhy do our busiest projects make the least money?
Usually because amends, extra rounds and unbilled time are not tracked against the fee as the work happens. Recording time and costs by campaign, agreeing scope and change fees up front, and reviewing margins monthly show which clients and projects pay. We set up the reporting and talk through what it shows.
Read: Agencies and studios: why busy projects still lose money, and how to see it soonerDo we charge VAT to clients overseas?
For most services to a business customer, the place of supply is where the customer belongs, so work for a business outside the UK is usually outside the scope of UK VAT. Services to private individuals generally carry UK VAT, and some services have special rules. We check each type of work you do and the evidence you need to keep.
Read: Selling creative services abroad: how VAT works for overseas clientsHow do we know our freelancers are self-employed?
Status depends on how the work really happens, including who controls it, whether they can send a substitute, whether work must be offered and accepted, and whether they are in business on their own account. If freelancers work through their own companies and your business is medium or large, the IR35 rules make you responsible for deciding their status. We review your arrangements and keep the records.
Read: Working with freelancers: employment status, IR35 and getting it rightCan our production claim the film, TV or games tax credit?
Usually, if your company is the production company, the work is certified as British by the BFI and at least 10% of core costs relate to activities in the UK. Each kind of production has its own rate, higher for animation, children’s television and lower-budget independent films. The credit is set against your Corporation Tax and anything left over is paid out. We help structure the production, track the costs and prepare the claim.
Talk to us about media, marketing and creators
Tell us about your business. We will reply within one working day and arrange a call with the people in our team best placed to help.