Brexit Ready - from AudioUK

Like many other Brits living in the EU, sports journalist Alex Kirkwood is keen for more clarity about his legal status and rights in Spain after Brexit. We ask Alex to give a sense of how things feel from his perspective and what he has been doing to prepare. Tips include making sure your tax is as up to date as possible, registering as a permanent resident if you are eligible and keeping an eye out for any announcements.

As we face a future outside the single market, there may be some changes to the way that immigration works. Punam Birly is KPMG's Brexit lead and specialises on the people aspects of leaving the EU. She gives an overview of how things might change in a Deal vs 'No Deal' scenario and how that might affect people from small businesses or who are self-employed. She says don't be put off from working or travelling to the EU but make sure you build in enough time particularly if you are taking kit with you. Key tips include: making sure EU nationals have applied for settled status in the UK and understanding whether your tax liabilities might change if you are a freelancer working overseas.

Audio UK’s legal adviser, Paul March, explains how possible changes after Brexit may affect trademarks, the Country of Origin principle for broadcast content, and give a potential boost to audio businesses in Northern Ireland.

Intellectual Property expert Alan Hunt explains the areas that will and probably won't be affected by Brexit. Some areas such as trademarks will change so you'll need to take action to make sure that you retain the same protections for your content. Other areas are less likely to change but he says now is a good time to review the agreements you have in place to make sure you know you're covered. 

Finance trainer David Thomas specialises in helping freelancers and small businesses to manage their finances. He explains some of the practical ways that leaving the EU might affect the audio industry and gives advice about how to get ahead of the changes by making sure you have taken care of the necessary paperwork. Key tips include applying for an international driving permit, considering whether you might need permission to bring kit over and checking you have health insurance.  

EU legal expert Andrew Hood gives his overview of what Brexit might look like for audio businesses in the UK, and how best to prepare.  

Tips include getting to grips with whether any of your staff need to apply for settled status, looking at what contracts are place and if you are reliant on service providers who might be affected by Brexit. 

Looking ahead, he says that it is also important to think about the kinds of things the audio industry wants to see for the future so that it can try and shape the UK government's thinking.

Georgie Frost introduces a podcast series to help UK audio businesses navigate the intricacies of Brexit.  Subjects covered will include employment law, rights issues, travel, data protection, and business development.  The series is produced by AudioUK with support from the UK Government's Business Readiness Fund.

To help the audio industry prepare for Brexit, AudioUK is organising "Is Your Audio Business Ready for Brexit" on Friday October 25. The all-day event will take place at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith in west London. Tickets are free. To book go to www.audiotrain.co.uk