An Overview of Expenses Management for Filmmakers
Depending on whether you have an SPV, and the timing of expenses, spending money on a film can take several forms…
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Resources
Preparing for Audits: Ensuring Compliance in the Australian Film Industry
“We’re here to audit your accounts.” Is that a sentence that sends a shiver down your spine? It doesn’t need to be! At Above The Line Accounting, we know that audits can feel overwhelming, but they are an integral part of the film production process. In this blog, we’re going to walk you through what’s
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The benefits of hiring a production accountant
The production accountant plays a fundamental role in film and television productions. However, their presence on a film set extends far beyond merely reconciling accounts or maintaining the books. Instead, their role is an intricate part of the film-making process, starting from pre-production and continuing until the final wrap-up in post-production, often lasting years. We
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How do I apply for the Producer Tax Offset?
What is the producer tax offset? Before we dive in, a quick refresher. A tax offset normally reduces the amount of tax you actually pay. A refundable tax offset can actually generate a tax refund where no tax has been paid. The Producer Tax Offset – sometimes referred to as just the Producer Offset –
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Business Structures for Filmmakers
There will come a time in the life-cycle of your business when you may need to reconsider the legal structure under which your business operates. Such considerations and restructuring can be prompted by new business opportunities for growth and development, or you may wish to take advantage of lower company tax rates, perhaps you want
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The Costs of COVID-Safe Filming
COVID-19 has presented all industries with unprecedented challenges and the arts industry in particular has faced major upheavals. With limits to people gathering, physical distancing requirements, and disruptions to the supply chain whole productions have had to be delayed or simply cancelled. The challenges of filming during a pandemic are not just logistical and emotional,
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ASIC: Do you know your requirements?
Starting and managing your own business is a steep learning curve, and all the bureaucracy involved is often overwhelming. As a creative, all the paperwork can feel like a frustrating distraction from what you want to be working on. But, once registering a company with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, otherwise known as ASIC,
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Income averaging: The concessional tax treatment every creative should understand
Don’t feel left out if you haven’t heard of this before. This is a very specialised aspect of tax. In fact, your accountant (unless they specialise in creative industries, like us!) might not even know about it. And if you regularly prepare your tax returns yourself it’s unlikely to be on your radar. So what’s
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At what stage do you need a production accountant?
Numbers aren’t for everyone. Which is why the benefits of using a production accountant can be obvious to many. But when should you call us in? While we can get started at any stage, it is best that we come in as early as possible, at least during production. And here’s why: It’s cheaper.
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Crowdsourcing and equity in the film industry – the new frontier
We’ve previously written about the different ways you can fund your production. Most common are loans, a distributor advance or through equity. Alongside grants and any money borrowed against the Producer Offset, equity also includes independent investment. Now, Australian legislation allows you to give equity on crowdfunding, opening up the doors on ‘independent investment’ to
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