(Up to Date as at 21/22 Tax Year)
If you've set up a limited company, tax-deductible expenses have to be ‘wholly and exclusively’ used for your company. If you pay for something that has a combination of business and personal use – for example you take a work trip abroad and then spend a few extra days on holiday – only the business part of the cost is tax deductible.
But as long as an expense is allowable, you can deduct it from your revenue to calculate your taxable profit.
A lot of your costs are allowable expenses for your limited company, including:
· office equipment
· salaries
· business insurance
Generally, any money you spend on entertaining clients or gifts is not allowable, even if it’s a genuine business expense.
It’s important to have a record of all of your limited company expenses, so make sure you keep all of your receipts, invoices, and any other important paperwork.
Keep in mind that you need to keep records for at least six years after you’ve filed your tax return, as HMRC could investigate at any point within this timeframe.
Quick List of allowable expenses for a limited company
Many of the costs involved in setting up your limited company and keeping it running are allowable business expenses, for example:
the costs for forming your limited company
premises costs, like rent and utility bills
salaries and other staff costs
the cost of stock or raw materials
office costs, like stationery and phone bills
travel and accommodation costs for business trips (but not commuting costs)
legal and financial costs, like accountancy fees and your professional indemnity insurance
advertising and marketing costs
Business entertainment costs aren’t usually tax deductible. But you can host a social event for your staff and claim it as a business expense, as long as the cost doesn’t exceed £150 per person, and it’s an annual event (such as a Christmas party) that’s open to all staff.
In DEPTH look at allowable expenses for a limited company
Health check and eye test expenses
If your employees use computer screens as a big part of their job, then they can claim eye tests as well as health checks as limited company expenses. The cost of prescription glasses or contact lenses can also be claimed as business expenses but only if they’re used strictly for screen-based work as part of their employment.
Business insurance expenses
You can claim the cost of your business insurance policies as limited company expenses, as long as they’re used strictly for business purposes. Business insurances including public liability insurance, employers’ liability, professional indemnity insurance and contents insurance are all allowable expenses.
Advertising, marketing, and PR expenses
You work hard to shout about your services through your advertising, marketing and PR activity. And regardless if it’s a one-off cost or an ongoing fee, if the investment has been used solely for business purposes, then this can be claimed as one of your limited company expenses.
Accommodation expenses
If you’re on a business trip and have to stay overnight away from your home, you can claim the accommodation costs as an expense. You can also claim the costs incurred by the food and drink as travel and subsistence costs.
Bank charges
The bank fees that are charged to your business accounts, including credit card and loan interest, can be claimed as business expenses.
Childcare expenses
Childcare costs aren’t directly linked to the management of your business and as such, can’t be claimed as a business expense.
Use of home as office
If your home is the heart of your business, you’re able to claim a percentage of your household costs and utility bills as business expenses. This cost could be claimed as a rate of £4 per week or by working out what rooms you use for your business needs and the amount of time, they’re used for work purposes.
You’re also able to claim the costs of lighting, heating, postage and printing costs and accountancy and legal services as limited company expenses too – as long as they’re used solely for business purposes.
Gifts, entertainment and trivial benefits
You don’t need to pay tax and National Insurance or let HMRC know about a gift or benefit for your employee (otherwise known as a trivial benefit) if the following rules apply:
It’s not set out in the terms of their contract
It’s not a reward for their performance or work
It isn’t cash or a cash voucher
It cost you £50 or less to provide
If you offer employees gifts or benefits that don’t match all of the criteria above, then you’ll need to pay tax on them.
Professional subscription expenses
Occupation-specific magazine subscriptions, journals and books can be claimed as a limited company expense. For example, if you’re the editor of a photography magazine and you have a subscription to a rival title, you should be able to claim the cost of this as a business expense as it’s a way for your business to keep up to speed on industry trends and your competition.
Phone bills
Work phone contracts and broadband payments can be claimed as a limited company expense. If your mobile phone contract is in your company’s name and used solely for business purposes, you can claim the entire bill as a business expense.
If it’s a personal contract, you’ll need to separate the business and personal use out and claim the business-related expenses only. You can also claim limited company expenses for the business calls you’ve made from your home phone line.
Annual staff party expenses
Whether it’s a Christmas shindig or a staff summer party, the costs of entertaining your employees can be claimed as a business expense as long as it’s an annual event open to all staff members and costs less than £150 per person.
Equipment expenses
From computers and software to scanners and printers, the equipment that’s necessary to help you carry out your role as a limited company director can be claimed as company expenses. Office furniture, such as chair and desks, can also be claimed for as long as it’s used mainly for business purposes.
Professional development expenses
Personal development and training courses can be claimed as limited company expenses, just make sure you check it’s eligible before hitting the books. For example, if you’re an accountant, any training you undergo to become a chartered accountant is an allowable expense.
Travel expenses
Travel expenses can be claimed as limited company expenses if:
You’re responsible for paying the travel costs
The travel is necessary for work purposes, and you need to be present at the destination in question for business purposes. (This doesn’t include the everyday commute between your home and permanent workplace.)
If you use your personal car or van to travel to a temporary place of work and you’ve paid for the fuel out of your own pocket, you can claim the following rates as limited company expenses:
Car and vans – 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and then 25p for every mile thereafter.
Motorcyclists – 24p per mile
Bicycle – 20p per mile
Claiming the above rates doesn’t just lower your total Corporation Tax bill, it also means you can reimburse yourself for the amount claim.
As well as the mileage rates listed above you can also claim the following as business expenses:
Parking costs
Road toll fees
Congestion charges
Hotel rooms (within reason)
Food and drink on overnight trips
Public transport, including train, bus, air and taxi fares
Vehicle Insurance
Vehicle repairs and servicing
Start-up costs
Start-up costs can be claimed as limited company expenses for up to seven years before a company starts trading. Common pre-formation business expenses include laptops and computers software, internet and domain name fees, travel costs, as well as professional services such as accounting and legal help.
Salary
As a director of a limited company, if you choose to pay yourself a salary as an employee of your business, this, and the corresponding National Insurance Contributions (NIC), can be claimed as allowable expenses. Bear in mind that once you reach the National Insurance threshold, you’ll have to start pay NICs.
Pensions
Once you’ve established an agreement with a pension provider, you can pay into your pension pot and get 100% tax relief as a limited company expense. Be aware that there’s a £40,000 limit on how much money you can add in tax-free to a pension scheme via your business or personally.
Entertainment expenses
Generally speaking, spending money on business entertainment isn’t an allowable expense against profits. However, if you have to spend your own money on business entertainment as part of your duties as a limited company director, you may be able to claim it as a business expense. However, these business entertainment costs would be disallowed in the company profits, giving you the same result as not claiming in the first place.
Nobody wants to pay more tax than they have to, which is why keeping your business as tax efficient as possible could help save you a pretty penny.
Remember, the golden rule when it comes to working out what allowable expenses you can claim for your limited company: they must be incurred wholly, exclusively and be necessary for the running of your business.
Here at Ease Accounting we are here to help and guide you through the entire process. And we aim to save you as much tax as possible. Always feel free to pick up the phone or call us on:
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