The findings come from The State of Freelance Journalism Report 2024, produced by Sheffield Hallam University with Freelancing for Journalists. The report is based on a survey of 401 freelance journalists working across the UK, as well as interviews with commissioning editors from print, digital, audio and broadcast media. It looks at how freelancing is working in practice at a time when staff newsroom jobs continue to disappear.

Flexibility Keeps Freelancers in the Industry

One of the main takeaways is that, despite the problems, many freelancers still want to stay freelance. Almost eight in ten respondents said they plan to continue working this way, and most said they actually enjoy the work. Flexibility came up again and again. For many people, that matters more than money.

“I think the main reason freelance journalists plan to continue freelancing is that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages,” the report’s author, Dr Lily Canter, said. “In a nutshell, yes, everyone would like to be paid more – and you would probably find that in a lot of professions.”

Freelancers said being able to choose what they work on, organise their own time and fit work around family, caring responsibilities or health issues was a big part of why they had not returned to staff jobs.

“But what freelancing gives people is a sense of autonomy: being able to follow the stories they’re interested in, carve out their own niche and work flexibly in terms of the hours and days they work,” Dr Canter said.

Pay, Training and Commissioning Remain Major Challenges

At the same time, the report makes clear that money remains a serious concern. Nearly three quarters of respondents said they were unhappy with their earnings. When all income sources were added together, most said they earned somewhere between £20,000 and £40,000 a year. A noticeable number earned much less than that, with some making under £5,000 from their journalism.

Low rates were one of the most common complaints. Half of freelancers said they had been offered less than 10p a word at some point. Most had seen offers of 20p a word or lower. Many said they had turned down work because the pay was not worth the time involved, although fewer said they regularly negotiate rates when work is offered.

“I would challenge the idea that financial rewards are limited, because you can earn a lot of money as a freelance journalist,” Dr Canter said. “Actually, a lot of freelancers earn more than they would in a staff role. It’s just that journalism as an industry is not particularly well paid in comparison to other professions.”

Another issue raised was how little preparation journalists receive for freelancing. Only a small number said their training covered freelance work properly. Many said they had to figure things out as they went along, including how to pitch ideas, negotiate fees, deal with contracts, and manage tax and invoicing.

“Journalism undergraduate and postgraduate courses should have mandatory modules on freelancing,” Dr Canter said. “Any other organisations that run courses should also include it as part of their mandatory training.”

Editors interviewed for the report described growing pressure on budgets across the industry. Several said freelance rates had barely changed for years, in some cases decades. Editors said freelancers are still essential, especially for specialist knowledge and regional coverage, but money often limits what they can commission.

The report concludes that freelance journalism still works for many people, but only just. It says clearer commissioning processes, more openness about rates, quicker payments and better training around freelancing could help make the sector more stable.

“The industry does need to rethink how it values freelance labour,” Dr Canter added. “It has always treated freelancers poorly in this country.”

The State of Freelance Journalism Report 2024 was written by Dr Lily Canter, senior lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University.

The post Most UK Freelancers Plan to Stay Despite Financial Pressures, Report Finds appeared first on London Freelancers.

The new system, which is currently being designed by HMRC, is aimed at bringing the UK tax system in line with other UK government initiatives aimed at completely digitalizing how they communicate with their citizens.

In the case of the tax system, it means that self-employed individuals will be called on to report on their financial operations on a more consistent basis, thus giving HMRC a window into the financial operations of the 4 million-plus UK freelancers.

Currently, UK-based freelancers are required to file a self-assessment tax return on an annual basis, while under the new system, they will be able to file their income and expenses digitally on a more consistent basis via software that will communicate directly with HMRC’s online system.

While the first set of changes are set for April 2026 for those UK-based freelancers who earn more than £50,000 a year, in 2027, the threshold will drop to £30,000, then finally dropping to £20,000 in 2028, meaning that even if they avoid it at first, ultimately millions more people will eventually need to follow all of these new rules.

Freelancers will also be expected to keep full and comprehensive digital records of their finances. Unlike now, paper records and manual spreadsheets may no longer meet the requirements once the rules come into force, HMRC have indicated.

With the first stage due to begin in 2026, freelancers who may fall into the £50,000 category of earnings are being encouraged to consider switching to compatible accounting software ahead of time.

The post Making Tax Digital Could Change How UK Freelancers Report Income appeared first on London Freelancers.

That’s exactly why we’re hosting a free live webinar designed to help you get started quickly.

Event Details

The session will be led by Paul Joseph, co-founder of LondonFreelancers.co.uk and a freelance writer with 15 years’ experience.

During the session, Paul will explain the key steps you need to take to begin freelancing and how it’s possible to get yourself set up in as little as 24 hours.

Webinar Structure (1 hour)

Presentation: How to get started as a freelancer in the UK (25–30 minutes)

Quick Round of Networking: Short introductions (10 minutes)

Q&A: Audience questions (15 minutes)

Conclusion: Final remarks and next steps (5 minutes)

What the Webinar will Cover

This session is aimed at international freelancers and UK-based freelancers who want guidance and support on getting started.

Topics will include:

• How to register as self-employed with HMRC
• Getting your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
• Understanding Self-Assessment and your tax responsibilities
• Key deadlines new freelancers need to know
• What international freelancers need to know about setting up in the UK
• What to do after registering as a freelancer

Share Your Experience and Ask Questions

The webinar will also be an interactive session. Participants will have the opportunity to introduce themselves, share their ambitions and experiences when it comes to freelancing, and connect with others who are at a similar stage in their journey.

There will also be a live Q&A with Paul, giving you the chance to ask questions about navigating the early stages of freelancing.

If you already have specific questions you’d like covered, you’re welcome to send them in advance via private message.

Webinar Dates

• Tuesday 17 March – 6pm
• Tuesday 31 March – Time TBC
• Tuesday 14 April – Time TBC
• Tuesday 28 April – Time TBC
• Tuesday 12 May – Time TBC

These sessions will follow a similar format and provide another opportunity to learn the essentials of starting your freelance journey.

How to Join

To take part in the webinar, sign up through our LinkedIn group or via Meetup.com to secure your place and receive the Google Meets joining details.

The post Join our Free Webinars – How to Get Started as a UK Freelancer in 24 Hours appeared first on London Freelancers.

Like almost everyone across the country, the UK’s freelance workers or self-employed will have been waiting with baited breath to discover what the much talked-about budget would have in store for them.

Since the pandemic, when they were among the last of the country’s workers to receive government support for their loss of earnings caused by successive lockdowns, freelancers have been hit by rising living and operational costs, together with ongoing uncertainty over tax rules.

And ahead of the big day, there was little expectation that the 2025 Budget would lighten the already burdensome load felt by freelancers who, by definition, experience levels of insecurity that salaried workers rarely encounter.

So what would did the budget – which in an unprecedented incident – was actually leaked just moments before it was announced, end up having in store for the UK’s hard-working self-starters?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Income tax-thresholds frozen until 2031

The headline news was that the Budget extended the freeze on income-tax personal allowance (£12,570) and the higher-rate threshold (£50,270) through to the 2030/31 tax year. For freelancers whose income fluctuates or grows slowly over time, this “threshold freeze” – known as fiscal drag – means more of their income will gradually become taxable even if their earnings don’t rise in real terms.

Self-employed National Insurance rates also frozen

A more palatable freeze is on self-employed NIC rates, which remain applicable at 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on profits above that. However, there is still concern that future Budget changes might impose NICs on partnership profits, which could hit freelancers working through partnerships harder. For now, though, freelancers can breath a little easier – when it comes to NICs, at least.

Tighter restrictions on salary-sacrifice pension contributions

This was one of the most controversial aspects of the budget and has been widely criticised as a regressive and counter-productive move. In short, from future years the tax advantage for salary-sacrifice pension contributions will be capped, with only the first £2,000 of contributions per person remaining exempt from NIC. As a result, the cost of larger pension contributions will ultimately rise – a wholly unwelcome move for many people, not least the many freelancers who attempt to offset missing out on company pensions by operating as a limited company.

Higher taxes on non-employment income

While the raising rates of tax on savings, property income and dividends by 2 percentage points won’t directly hit the self-employed, those who supplement their income with investments, rental income or dividends  will unavoidably hike their overall tax burden. Again, a contentious decision given the overall financial strains bearing down on the UK’s workforce.

So what’s our verdict?. The main risk is the tax-band freeze, which will affect some but not others, making it a bit of a lottery, depending on how earnings shift over the next few years. It’s always worth keeping watch on what comes next from the Treasury, and hoping that with self-employment still on the rise, the government may eventually feel pressure to support freelancers properly and shape policies around their unique circumstances and needs.

The post What the UK Budget 2025 Means for Freelancers appeared first on London Freelancers.