Your returnReady
Freelance designSA103 self-employment
- Brighton Bakery Ltd+£1,450.00ReviewMoney in
- Adobe Creative Cloud£59.99ReviewSoftware
- Shell Service Station£64.20ReviewCar, van & travel
Seventy-four of the things people ask about most, for sole traders and landlords, each with a yes, a partly or a no and the reason in one line.
74 of 74 expenses
- Materials and stockYes
Whatever you buy to do the job or sell on.
- Tools and small equipmentYes
Claim in full in the year you buy them.
- Laptop, computer or tabletPartly
The business share, spread over time as capital allowances (tax relief on things that last years). Swiftmore handles the split.
- Mobile phone and callsPartly
The business share of the handset and the bill.
- Broadband and internetPartly
The share you use for work.
- Software subscriptionsYes
Design, accounting, booking or job-management apps used for the business.
The rule, and the trap.
One test from HMRC, and the line landlords trip over most.
The test HMRC applies
For a sole trader an expense is allowable if it was spent wholly and exclusively for the trade; for a landlord, wholly and exclusively for the letting. Where something is mixed, such as a phone or a car, you claim the business share and keep a note of how you worked it out.
Sole trader expenses explained →Repair or improvement
Putting something back to how it was is a repair and allowable now. Making it better than it was is an improvement, which is capital and only counts when you sell. Replacing a like-for-like kitchen is a repair; adding an island and doubling the units is an improvement.
Landlord costs explained →
When in doubt, it asks.
Swiftmore asks about any line it can’t place, in plain English, and keeps your answer with the record. If HMRC ever asks, the reasoning is already there.
Start free£99 when you file. No card to start.
Start freeFree to keep records. £99 for a tax year you read and file. No card to start.