What Expenses Can You Claim When You’re Self-Employed?

Aug 28

3 min read

“Can I put this through the business?”

Woman with curly hair and glasses sits on a couch, writing in a notebook beside a laptop, looking thoughtful in a soft-lit room

It’s a question we hear all the time from self-employed clients, and sometimes the answer is a straightforward yes, sometimes it’s a no, and sometimes it’s a slightly annoying “it depends…”

Knowing what you can claim is important.

Legitimate business expenses can reduce your taxable profit, which could mean paying less tax.

So, let’s take a look at some of the expenses we’re commonly asked about.

Tech & Phones

If you buy a laptop, phone, computer, monitor, printer or other equipment specifically for your business, you may be able to claim tax relief on the cost. If you also use it personally, you will need to consider the proportion of business use when working out what you can claim.

However, before you make a big purchase- speak to your accountant!

If you use your phone for business purposes, like contacting clients, using certain apps etc., then you can also claim for your phone bill. However, if you also use it personally, you must work out the business use proportion.

Clothing & Uniforms

Just because you wear something to work doesn't automatically make it a business expense.

So, that smart new suit you bought for meeting clients? Unfortunately, it's generally not claimable.

There are exceptions, though. You may be able to claim for:

Uniforms, with your logo on
Protective clothing
Specialist clothing needed specifically for your work
Certain costumes or performance clothing

Software & Subscriptions

If you're paying for software or subscriptions that you need to run your business, these can often be allowable expenses.

This could include things such as:

Accounting software
Design software
Project management tools
Cloud storage
Website hosting
Business-specific subscriptions

The important thing is that the cost needs to relate to your business.

Home working

If you work from home, you could potentially claim a proportion of certain household costs, including things like:

Gas and electricity
Council tax
Internet
Phone costs
Rent or mortgage interest

There are different ways of calculating your claim, but the easiest way is to claim for simplified expenses, which is £312/year.

And no, having your laptop on the kitchen table while you answer a couple of emails doesn't mean you can claim the entire electricity bill!

Food & Drinks

Unfortunately your normal lunch doesn't automatically become a business expense just because you're self-employed.

However, there are circumstances where meals can be claimed, particularly when you're travelling for business purposes.

One thing you can't claim for is taking out clients for drinks or a meal, as this is classed as entertaining- which is not tax deductible.

Training & Courses

Training that helps you maintain or improve existing skills you use in your Business can potentially be allowable.

However, training that gives you a completely new skill or allows you to move into a completely different trade may not qualify.

For example, a photographer taking a course to improve their existing photography skills would be different from taking a course to retrain in an entirely new profession.

Travel & Vehicle Expenses

Blue table of expense claims: mileage, public transport, overnight trips; lists allowed claims and cannot-claim items.

❌ Things you generally can't claim

There are a few expenses that regularly catch people out.

Generally, you can't claim:

Your normal commute
Everyday clothing
Personal expenses
Fines and penalties
Your own drawings or money you take out of the business
Private purchases
Client entertaining

The key thing to remember is that being self-employed doesn't mean everything you buy can go through the business.

🧾 Don't forget to keep your receipts!

Knowing what you can claim is only half the job. You also need to keep good records of your expenses and retain the relevant receipts and invoices.

Trying to remember what you bought 10 months ago when you're sitting down to do your tax return is not ideal! Keeping your records up to date throughout the year makes things much easier, and using software such as Dext can make capturing receipts much less painful.

Our advice? Upload it when you get it, rather than creating a terrifying receipt mountain at the end of the year.

💡 Not sure if you can claim something?

If you're unsure whether an expense is allowable, ask us!

At Revis & Co, we can help you understand what you can claim, keep your records in order and make sure you're getting the most out of your self-employed accounts.