Office and administration
Business stationery, software subscriptions, business phone or internet costs, subject to private-use adjustments.
Guide for sole traders
Business expenses: what can you claim?
An introduction to common allowable business expenses for sole traders and individual partners. The amount you can claim depends on the purpose of the cost and your circumstances.
Email MLE Accounting →Email enquiries only · Basingstoke, Hampshire
Common expense categories
Examples of allowable costs
The following expenses may be allowable where they meet HMRC requirements and relate to the business.
Travel and vehicles
Qualifying business travel, mileage or the appropriate vehicle expenses, depending on the accounting method.
Premises and working from home
Qualifying business premises costs and an appropriate claim for working from home.
Insurance and professional fees
Eligible business insurance and professional costs, subject to exclusions.
Marketing and subscriptions
Business-related advertising, website costs and qualifying trade subscriptions.
Equipment and capital items
Treatment depends on the accounting method and capital allowance rules; not every purchase is an ordinary expense.
Sole traders and limited companies
Important distinctions
This guide applies to sole traders and individual partners. A limited company follows different rules, and business owners should not assume the same treatment for expenses or drawings.
Working from home: HMRC simplified expenses may be available to eligible self-employed people, but not to limited companies. A different method may be better depending on the circumstances.
Email enquiries
Questions about allowable expenses?
Email the practice with a general enquiry. Please avoid sending sensitive tax details until a secure method has been agreed.