I'm new to escorting and currently working for an agency. I've read pages and pages on declaring tax and expenses etc and I'm still slightly baffled. I've decided not to declare myself as an escort as I cannot risk anyone in my private life finding out. My friends and family think I work in a strip club, so if I declare myself as an exotic dancer I can presumably still claim deductables on lingerie, clothes, shoes, nails, hair etc - just not condoms, lube and toys basically.
How will this work? Will they want to know the club I work for? Or can I declare myself as a self-employed dancer - doing freelance for clubs and parties as well as privately (which could help claim on outcall travelling expenses?).
Also does anyone happen to have a template spreadsheet for declaring everything? If so it would be much appreciated just so I can see an example of what to do 
Isobelle, nobody in your private life or anywhere else has access to your tax records except you, HMRC and your accountant if you decide to employ one - this is sensitive personal data which is well protected and not available to your bank, your landlord, the people at your workplace or anybody else.
You are registering as self-employed, so where you are working at the time is irrelevant as you are not an employee - if you were you wouldn't need to register as the club would pay your deductions for you and supply you with a wage slip. And you can claim for condoms and so on - as long as there's some loose association (strippers doing adult shows with audience interaction might use condoms, for example, but don't say you're a window cleaner
) and whatever expense you are claiming for has been incurred purely as a result of you conducting your business it should be allowable.
Things like hair and nails are difficult - I have my nails done fortnightly but I don't claim it as I would anyway whether I was working or not, so if claiming I would stick to things like hair extensions for work or photoshoots (if you have them) rather than regular haircuts (which you would probably have anyway). Clothes which are specifically for work (lingerie, costumes if you wear them, most hosiery) are fine - a new winter coat is not, even if you bought it mainly to wear for outcalls. The thing to ask yourself is whether anything you are putting down is purely for work and can you prove that it is - if so, go ahead - I put flowers down once because I was using them in a photoshoot and could prove it. Keep all your receipts.
As for a template or a spreadsheet, you can make one yourself - HMRC only really need the final figures so however you separate them out is really up to you. I have mine split into things like hotels/food, travel costs and advertising as well as telephone/internet, lingerie/hosiery and sundries (condoms, wipes and so on) because I travel a lot, but it's not that important provided it's the easiest way for you. The main thing is to keep records regularly and don't get behind. If you really want a stock one, the
Tax Relief Diary is well worth a go when you're getting started, but many ladies find that a plain notebook with columns does the job fine.
Topic: Tax - declaring yourself as a dancer (Read 2000 times)