The Budget: In a spin over her flat

BELINDA ACKERMANN

Theatre designer

pounds 11,000- pounds 15,000

East London

ALTHOUGH not a typical small businesswoman, Belinda Ackermann welcomed moves towards a similar tax regime for the self- employed. As a freelance theatre designer, she was looking forward to a reduction in bureaucracy in her tax affairs but was less optimistic that the stimulus to the housing market would help her negative equity problem, writes Martin Whitfield.

'The changes on stamp duty should help people like me in London as property costs more but there is a long way to go.' Ms Ackermann bought her two-bedroom mainsonette in Leyton, east London, for pounds 63,000 when she moved from Derby at the height of the property boom in 1988.

'When I came to London, I sold my house in a lovely bit of Derby and found that here all I could get was a grubby little bedsit for pounds 60,000. I went to Leyton to get a slightly better place,' she said. After spending pounds 8,000 - borrowed from family and friends - on repairs and a new bathroom she was shocked to find the value had slumped.

'I tried to sell it 18 months ago. I put it on the market in August and took it off six months later. In that six months it had gone down pounds 6,000. I think I would now get pounds 43,000 if I'm lucky,' she added.

Her taxable income, after the expenses of running a studio varies, fluctuating between pounds 11,000 and pounds 15,000.

A non-smoker and moderate drinker, Ms Ackermann's main extra expense will come through increased motoring costs.

Her work with regional theatres and conference organisers means she travels widely. She has combined a business decision with 'green' awareness in buying a diesel car for the 15,000 miles she travels a year.

Despite facing an increase of pounds 30 a year in her fuel bill, plus the extra road fund tax, she was uncomplaining but she did believe more should be spent on public transport.

'I don't mind paying more if I know its going to go on education and an intelligent policy on mobility,' she said.

(Photograph omitted)