Subscriptions

Allowable Expense?

Risk level?

Possibly 🟡

Low risk 😃

Summary

If you pay subscription or membership fees to approved professional or trade bodies that are directly related to your business, these can be expensed.

Detail

The subscription or membership fees will be considered 'directly related' to your business if it is either:

Essential for you to run your side business (e.g. if you are a sports coach and need a specific association membership to operate); or
It is helpful for you to run your side business (e.g. you have subscribed to a trade journal that you refer to to help build your business or create your product).

HMRC maintains a list of approved professional organisations which you can view online here.

You can also claim a deduction for a subscription to a trade journal.

These expenses might be relevant too

Website

The various costs that are incurred when you set up and run a website for your business can be claimed as expenses (e.g., hosting costs and domain name costs).

Allowable?

Risk level?

Allowable 🟢

Low risk 😃

Utilities

If you have separate business premises, you can claim the full cost of utilities for that space. If you work from home, you may expense a portion of your bills.

Allowable?

Risk level?

Possibly 🟡

Low risk 😃

Travel

Expenses you incur when you travel for business can normally be expensed if you're a sole trader. This does not include costs of travel between home and work.

Allowable?

Risk level?

Allowable 🟢

Low risk 😃