How to handle Eventbrite Tax obligations for event organizers in the UK?

You definitely need to declare this income to HMRC. Any income from side hustles like workshops counts as self-employment income if you're doing it regularly to make money (which it sounds like you are). Eventbrite doesn't handle your tax obligations - they're just a platform. They'll take their fees, but you're responsible for reporting all income and paying the appropriate taxes. You should register as self-employed with HMRC as soon as possible if you haven't already. You can do this online through the HMRC website. The good news is you can absolutely deduct legitimate business expenses from your taxable income - Eventbrite fees, venue costs, materials, even a portion of your home bills if you're doing prep work at home. Keep receipts and records of everything. Since you're under the £6,725 threshold for Class 2 National Insurance, you won't need to pay that, but you'll still need to file a Self Assessment tax return. The tax year runs April to April, and you'll need to file your return by January 31, 2026 for the 2024-2025 tax year.

I went through this exact same headache last year with my photography workshops! I spent hours trying to figure out my tax situation until I found this AI service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that analyzes your specific situation and explains exactly what you need to do. I uploaded some of my Eventbrite receipts and explained my situation, and it gave me a complete breakdown of what I needed to register for, what expenses I could claim, and even some deductions I had no idea about! It saved me nearly £800 in tax because it pointed out I could claim partial home office expenses and some equipment depreciation I would have missed. The guidance was super clear about UK-specific Eventbrite income and how to properly categorize it on my Self Assessment. Much better than the generic advice I was finding online that was mostly for US folks.

I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai! After my skeptical comment, I decided to give it a try with my Eventbrite event business. I run monthly networking events and was totally confused about how to handle the income. The system instantly recognized my Eventbrite statements and broke down exactly what counts as taxable income (after their fees) and what expenses were deductible. It even created a spreadsheet template for tracking everything! What really surprised me was how it flagged that I was approaching the VAT registration threshold faster than I realized because it counted ticket sales, not just profit. This saved me from potentially getting a nasty surprise from HMRC later. The guidance was specifically tailored to UK tax laws and Eventbrite's payment structure. It's actually a huge relief to finally understand my tax situation properly!

If you're having trouble reaching HMRC to ask questions about your Eventbrite income, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to HMRC about my event income classification last month, and it was driving me mad. I was skeptical at first, but I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided to give it a go. The service basically navigates HMRC's phone system for you and calls you back once they have an agent on the line. Worked brilliantly! Got through to an actual HMRC tax specialist who confirmed I needed to register as self-employed for my events business, explained exactly which expenses were legitimate for Eventbrite events, and sorted out my confusion about the trading allowance. Saved me hours of frustration and hold music!

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, my Eventbrite tax situation got more complicated when I realized I'd been incorrectly categorizing some ticket types (workshop vs merchandise). With the tax deadline approaching, I reluctantly tried Claimyr out of desperation. Within 27 minutes (I timed it), I was speaking with an HMRC specialist who walked me through exactly how to categorize different types of Eventbrite income on my Self Assessment. The service literally saved my tax return - and probably saved me from potential penalties. The agent even helped me understand how to properly split income between tax years when events span the April tax boundary. For anyone running Eventbrite events in the UK who needs specific tax guidance, being able to actually speak with HMRC without the 2+ hour hold time is an absolute game changer.

Don't forget about the £1,000 trading allowance! If your Eventbrite event income is under £1,000 profit in a tax year, you don't need to declare it or register as self-employed. But since you mentioned £4,800, you're definitely beyond that. Also, keep in mind that if you're employed elsewhere, your self-employment tax is calculated on top of your employment income, so you might be in a higher tax bracket than you expect. I got caught out by this with my craft fair income last year!

Has anyone here switched from Eventbrite to Ticket Tailor? I heard their fees are lower which means less to deduct on your tax return but more profit. Also wondering if UK banks like Starling or Monzo are better for tracking event income vs traditional banks?

Just wanted to add another important point about Eventbrite income - make sure you're keeping track of when the events actually take place vs when you receive payment. HMRC generally uses the cash basis for small businesses, which means you declare income when you receive it, not when the event happens. This can get tricky with Eventbrite because they might pay you for a December event in January, which would count toward the next tax year. I learned this the hard way when trying to figure out which tax year some of my income belonged to! Also, if you're doing regular monthly or quarterly events, it might be worth setting up a separate business bank account. Makes the bookkeeping so much cleaner, and if HMRC ever wants to review your records, having everything separated from your personal finances makes the process much smoother. Good luck with getting everything sorted - the first year is always the most confusing but it gets easier once you have a system in place!

Great advice from everyone here! I'd also recommend keeping a simple spreadsheet to track everything monthly - it makes the annual Self Assessment much less overwhelming. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: if you're planning to grow your events business, consider whether you want to register for VAT voluntarily even before hitting the £90k threshold. While it means more paperwork, you can reclaim VAT on business expenses like venue hire and equipment, which can actually save money if you have significant upfront costs. Also, don't forget about Class 4 National Insurance contributions on your self-employment profits - it's 9% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270 for 2024-25. This is separate from your income tax and catches a lot of people off guard. The HMRC website has a really helpful tool called "Check if you need to send a Self Assessment tax return" which can confirm whether you definitely need to register based on your specific situation. Worth checking that out alongside getting proper advice!

One more thing to consider - if you're running workshops regularly, you might also need to think about business insurance. Public liability insurance is often required by venues and protects you if someone gets injured during your events. The premiums are usually tax-deductible as a business expense too. Also, since you mentioned feeling overwhelmed with the tax stuff, consider joining a local business networking group or small business association. Many have monthly meetups where you can get informal advice from other self-employed people who've been through the same learning curve. I found it really helpful when I was starting out with my consultancy work. The key thing is don't panic - thousands of people run successful Eventbrite businesses in the UK and navigate the tax system just fine. Once you get your registration sorted and set up a simple system for tracking income and expenses, it becomes much more manageable. You've got this!

I went through exactly this same situation about 8 months ago with my art workshops! Started small through Eventbrite and suddenly realized I had no clue about the tax implications. Here's what I learned the hard way: You absolutely need to register as self-employed with HMRC since you're well over the £1,000 trading allowance. Don't wait - I made the mistake of putting it off and had to backdate everything, which was a nightmare. A few practical tips from my experience: - Set up a separate business bank account immediately. Makes tracking so much easier. - Keep every single receipt (venue hire, materials, even travel to events) - Eventbrite's fees are definitely deductible business expenses - Put aside 25-30% of your profit for tax - you'll thank yourself later The good news is once you get into a rhythm with the record-keeping, it's not that complicated. I use a simple Excel sheet to track income from each event and all my expenses monthly. Takes maybe 30 minutes per month but saves hours of stress at Self Assessment time. Also, since your events seem to be growing steadily, start thinking about whether voluntary VAT registration might benefit you down the line if you have significant venue or equipment costs. But that's a problem for when you're making more consistent income! Don't let the tax stuff scare you away from growing your workshop business - it's just part of being self-employed and gets much easier once you have a system.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been running pottery workshops through Eventbrite for about 4 months and made around £2,200 so far. I was also unsure about whether this counted as "proper business" but it's clear from everyone's advice that I need to get registered ASAP. A couple of questions for those who've been through this: 1. When you register as self-employed, do you need to choose a specific "business start date"? I'm not sure if I should date it from my very first workshop or when I decided to do them regularly. 2. For those using separate business accounts - did you transfer all your existing Eventbrite income into the new account, or just start fresh from the registration date? 3. I've been storing materials at home and using my dining table for prep work. How do you calculate the "home office" deduction for this kind of setup? The tax percentage advice (25-30%) is really valuable - I've been spending everything I make on better equipment and marketing, but clearly I need to start setting aside money for the tax bill! Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here. It's made something that felt overwhelming seem much more manageable.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation running craft workshops through Eventbrite - made about £3,200 over 5 months and was completely clueless about the tax implications. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm now clear that I need to: 1. Register as self-employed with HMRC immediately (using my first workshop date as the business start date) 2. Set up a separate business bank account 3. Start putting aside 30% of all income for tax 4. Keep every single receipt for expenses One thing I'm still confused about - when people mention "Self Assessment deadline of January 31st," is that for submitting the return or paying the tax owed? I want to make sure I understand the timeline correctly. Also, has anyone here dealt with workshop cancellations on Eventbrite? I had to cancel two events due to low bookings and Eventbrite refunded the attendees but kept their processing fees. I'm assuming I don't need to declare the refunded ticket income, but not sure about those fees they kept - are those still deductible as business expenses even though the events didn't happen? Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences. It's made something that felt really overwhelming seem much more manageable!

This is such a comprehensive thread - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! As someone who's been helping small business owners navigate UK tax obligations for the past few years, I can confirm that all the advice here is spot on. Just to add a few additional points that might be helpful: 1. **Registration timing**: You technically have until October 5th following the end of the tax year you started trading to register, but don't wait. Early registration means you can start getting into good habits with record-keeping right away. 2. **Payment on account**: Once you're established, HMRC may require "payments on account" - essentially paying next year's estimated tax in advance based on this year's liability. This can be a shock if you're not expecting it, so factor this into your cash flow planning for year two onwards. 3. **Business structure**: While sole trading (self-employment) is the simplest start, if your workshop income grows significantly, consider whether incorporating as a limited company might be more tax-efficient. Generally worth considering once you're consistently making £40k+ annually. 4. **Record retention**: Keep all your business records for at least 5 years after the submission deadline. HMRC can investigate up to 6 years back in some cases. The key message remains the same though - don't let tax anxiety stop you from growing your events business! With proper systems in place (separate account, regular record-keeping, setting aside tax money), it becomes just another part of running your workshops.

I've been running language exchange meetups through Eventbrite for about 8 months now and went through this exact same learning process! Made around £5,200 so far and initially had no idea I needed to register as self-employed. A few practical lessons I learned that might help: **Banking setup**: I switched to Monzo for my business account and it's been brilliant. Their automatic categorization saves so much time, and you can set up scheduled transfers to move your tax money (I do 30%) into a separate pot immediately after each Eventbrite payout. **Expense tracking**: Don't forget about smaller expenses that add up - printing handouts, coffee for venue meetings, even phone data if you're managing bookings on the go. I was leaving money on the table by not claiming these. **Eventbrite fees**: These are 100% deductible, but keep in mind they show differently depending on whether you pass fees to customers or absorb them yourself. Your Eventbrite payout summary is your friend for Self Assessment time. **Venue relationships**: If you're hiring the same venues regularly, see if they'll give you a small business discount or monthly rate. Some venues I work with now treat my regular bookings as a business partnership, which has improved my profit margins significantly. The first year feels overwhelming but honestly, once you have the HMRC registration done and a simple tracking system in place, it becomes routine. Your workshop business sounds like it's growing nicely - don't let the tax admin hold you back from scaling up!

I've been running cooking workshops through Eventbrite for about 7 months and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! Made around £4,200 so far and was completely in the dark about my tax obligations until now. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear I need to get registered ASAP. What really helped me understand the urgency was realizing that HMRC considers you to be trading from your very first paid event, not from when you "decide" it's a business. A couple of specific questions for those who've been through this: **Ingredient costs**: For cooking workshops, I buy ingredients in bulk and often have leftovers that I use personally. How do you handle this for tax purposes? Do you estimate what percentage was used for business vs personal use? **Equipment depreciation**: I've bought quite a bit of cooking equipment (portable hobs, professional knives, etc.) that I use exclusively for workshops. Is it better to claim these as one-off expenses or spread the cost over several years? The separate bank account and 30% tax savings advice is brilliant - I'm setting both up this week. I've been spending almost everything on better equipment and ingredients, but clearly need to be more disciplined about setting aside tax money. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, real-world advice. It's made something that felt completely overwhelming seem totally manageable. Time to stop procrastinating and get properly registered!