What business expenses can I claim? An employers guide

Written by Crytal HR & Payroll

Introduction

Managing business expenses efficiently is key to maintaining compliance with HMRC regulations while also optimising cash flow.

In this guide, we’ll break down allowable business expenses, how to report them, and how to integrate expense management into your payroll system. We’ll also discuss essential compliance steps for P11d reporting, payroll integration, and audit readiness to ensure your business stays on track.

1. Office costs

What can you claim?

Office costs are essential for running your business and include rent, utilities, supplies, and equipment.

These expenses are typically fully claimable if used exclusively for business purposes. For companies managing multiple offices or remote workers, it’s important to track office expenses carefully to ensure compliance with tax regulations.

Examples of claimable office costs:

• Rent: Full rental costs for office spaces or co-working spaces used solely for business purposes.
• Utilities: Proportionate costs of electricity, water, and internet if shared with personal use (e.g., home offices).
• Office Supplies: Items such as stationery, printers, ink cartridges, and paper used for business purposes.
• Technology: Laptops, desktops, and software needed for business operations.

Compliance considerations:

To remain compliant with HMRC, businesses need to accurately record and report business use versus personal use of office resources, especially in the case of home offices. If equipment or space is used partially for personal reasons, this must be reflected in the claims and reported through payroll or P11d forms where necessary.

2. Staff and employee expenses

What can you claim?

Employee-related expenses are broad and can include salaries, bonuses, pensions, reimbursed expenses, and other staff benefits.

To stay compliant, it’s essential to track and report any non-cash benefits or reimbursed expenses that exceed HMRC limits.

Examples of claimable staff costs:

• Salaries and wages: Full gross salaries before deductions for tax and National Insurance.
• Pension contributions: Employer contributions to employee pensions, which are fully claimable under current caps.
• Employee reimbursements: Business-related travel, meals, and client entertainment expenses reimbursed to employees.
• Training and development: Costs for employee training and professional development that benefit the business.

Compliance with P11d Reporting:

Certain benefits provided to employees, such as company cars or health insurance, must be reported to HMRC using P11d forms.

The P11d form is used to report non-cash benefits and expenses not processed through payroll. Larger employers often integrate P11d reporting into their payroll systems to ensure all expenses are accurately tracked and reported to HMRC.

Sample of P11d items and how to report them

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Non-reported benefits: Failing to report non-cash benefits such as company cars, medical insurance, or home-office equipment could lead to HMRC penalties.
• Over-claiming: Ensure that all claims are backed by accurate receipts and reports, particularly when employees are reimbursed for business expenses.

3. Travel and subsistence

What can you claim?

Business-related travel expenses are deductible, provided they are directly related to business activities.

This includes mileage, public transport costs, accommodation, and meals for employees traveling on behalf of the company.

Examples of claimable travel expenses:

• Mileage: Employees using personal vehicles can claim 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter.
• Public transport: Reimbursement for train, bus, or taxi fares used during business trips.
• Accommodation and meals: Hotel stays and meals for overnight business travel are claimable, but they must be separated from any personal costs incurred.

Expense reporting and payroll integration:

Larger companies often manage travel expenses via integrated payroll and expense management systems. Using tools like BrightPay Connect, employees can submit travel expenses digitally, and the system can automatically process and reimburse expenses, while also ensuring compliance with HMRC regulations.

This reduces manual tracking errors and improves accuracy when reporting these expenses.

Mileage allowances

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Personal travel: Expenses related to personal travel, even if combined with a business trip, cannot be claimed.
• Incomplete records: Ensure that all travel claims are supported by receipts and proper documentation.

Useful reference:

• Gov.uk Mileage Rates

4. Equipment and tools

What can you claim?

Purchasing or leasing equipment essential for your business is fully deductible, and larger companies often have multiple categories of equipment, ranging from office tech to industry-specific tools.

Major equipment purchases may qualify for capital allowances, allowing businesses to claim a portion of the cost over several years.

Examples of claimable equipment:

• Office technology: Laptops, printers, and software subscriptions provided to employees for work use.
• Specialist equipment: Industry-specific tools such as manufacturing machinery, photography gear, or specialised software for design and production.

Depreciation and compliance:

Capital allowances allow companies to spread out the cost of larger purchases over time, which can significantly impact cash flow.

Compliance comes into play when determining the percentage of business use, especially if equipment is used for both personal and professional purposes. It’s essential to track depreciation accurately through integrated payroll and accounting systems.

Deduction type

Pitfalls to avoid

• Mixed use equipment: Avoid claiming the full cost for equipment that is used both personally and professionally unless it is appropriately prorated. When equipment, such as a laptop, is used for both personal and business purposes, you can only claim the proportion of the cost that relates to business use. The personal use portion must be excluded from your claim to stay compliant with HMRC rules.

For example:

• A laptop costing £1,000 is used for business 80 per cent of the time and for personal use 20 per cent of the time.
• You can only claim 80 per cent of the total cost, which would be £800.
• The remaining £200 (20 per cent) reflects personal use and cannot be claimed.
• So in this case, rather than claiming the full £1,000, you would deduct the personal use portion and only claim £800.

5. Professional fees, subscriptions, and compliance

What can you claim?

Professional fees and subscriptions related to business operations are tax-deductible. These can include trade body memberships, legal fees, and subscriptions for business software or services.

Examples of claimable professional fees:

• Legal and accounting fees: Services for managing taxes, legal matters, and financial compliance.
• Trade memberships: Memberships in industry bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) or other relevant associations.
• Software subscriptions: Payroll software (e.g., BrightPay), customer relationship management (CRM) software, and industry-specific tools.

Compliance with payroll and benefits:

Companies may offer professional memberships or subscriptions to employees and must track and report these as benefits if they exceed HMRC limits. Integration with payroll systems can help ensure that taxable benefits are properly reflected on employee payslips and reported to HMRC.

Professional fees

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Non-business-related Fees: Only fees directly related to your business should be claimed. Personal memberships or unrelated subscriptions are not deductible.

Compliance and efficiency in expense management

Managing business expenses effectively is more than just keeping receipts, it's about ensuring compliance with HMRC regulations, integrating expenses into your payroll system, and maintaining accurate reporting.

Larger companies especially need to focus on audit readiness, tracking employee benefits, and complying with P11d reporting.

By integrating expense reporting into your payroll system, such as through BrightPay, you can streamline these processes and stay compliant with all HMRC requirements.

Need help with payroll compliance and expense management? Contact us today to learn how we can help your business stay compliant.

You might also find some of our other guides useful around this subject:

• How to Check if Someone is Employed or Self-Employed
• An Introduction to Payroll and PAYE for New Employers
• Small Business Payroll: A Guide to Save Time & Money