{"id":13803,"date":"2019-02-26T10:24:01","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T08:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seoblog.taxback.com\/?p=13803"},"modified":"2019-02-26T10:24:01","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T08:24:01","slug":"how-is-busking-income-taxed-in-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/how-is-busking-income-taxed-in-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"How Is Busking Income Taxed in Ireland?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You might busk because you want to boost your profile in the Irish music scene… or maybe it\u2019s because you need some extra cash… or it could be because you want to bring a little more culture to the city and make people look up from their phones every once in a while.<\/p>\n

We all love catching a good sing-song on our lunch breaks here at the Taxback Stephen\u2019s Green office and the bit of joy buskers bring to our city but did you know that buskers are legally obliged to pay tax on their busking income?<\/p>\n\n

Do I have to pay tax on my busking income in Ireland?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Here in Ireland, we have a long-lasting music, storytelling and creativity culture. Our fondness for the arts is probably why the government introduced the Artist Exemption Scheme. The scheme allows creatives to earn up to \u20ac50,000 a year tax-free (under certain circumstances) \u2013 if Revenue deems your work worthy of the exemption. You can read more about the Artist Exemption Scheme in our detailed article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While musical composition and legitimate gigs can qualify for the artist’s exemption, there\u2019s a good chance your street performance or busking efforts aren\u2019t going to be recognised as worthy in the eyes of Revenue or the Irish Arts Council.<\/p>\n

Progressive attitudes in the UK<\/b><\/h2>\n

While here in Ireland we\u2019ve seen some pretty drastic clamping down on buskers, with the introduction of bylaws and licensing requirements, across the pond, it was announced that they would be introducing a contactless payment scheme to encourage busking in London.<\/p>\n

The system will allow buskers to take card donations from passers-by on the spot. This is something that has never been done before anywhere in the world. It will also make it easier for British tax authorities to keep a closer eye on how much income buskers are generating.<\/p>\n

We take the hassle out of filing your Irish tax return<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

GET STARTED<\/a><\/p>\n

The busking scene in Ireland<\/b><\/h2>\n

All you have to do is take a walk down any busy street in any Irish city and you\u2019ll stumble across everything from rappers to bands, solo artists, living statues and old men playing the spoons \u2013 but how much tax are these performers obligated to pay and how do they go about paying it?<\/p>\n

Basically, any income you make must be taxed. The income you generate from street performance of any kind be it your sole income or something you do on the side of your PAYE job, is considered income by Revenue and so it must be declared.<\/b>\u00a0You are legally obliged to declare any income you make by filing a tax return each year.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s look at a couple of different scenarios and how you can go about sorting your busking-related taxes\u2026<\/p>\n

First things first\u2026<\/b><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s explain a little bit about how tax works for buskers.<\/p>\n

A busker is essentially self-employed and busking can be considered a job, which means money earned from busking can be considered income.<\/p>\n

If you are not self-employed and are solely a PAYE worker, you\u2019re not obliged to file your taxes. You only need to file if you want to claim a tax refund.\u00a0However<\/i>, if you\u2019re a PAYE worker who has a side gig of any kind (be it busking, hairdressing, or babysitting), you are obliged to file either a Form 11 or a Form 12.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

How do I know if I need to file a Form 11 or a Form 12?<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you earn under \u20ac5,000 a year from busking, you may file your busking income under your PAYE taxes by submitting a form 12.<\/p>\n

If you earn over this amount, you must file a Form 11 and file your taxes as self-assessed.<\/p>\n