Looking at your expenses

8 – Looking at your expenses

As a BlogOn Extra member I already know that you are happy to spend your money to help to enhance your blog so I assume that you are also registered as self-employed (if you make money you should be registered as that or a limited company even if you also have a full-time job like me). Many moons ago I used to be a business accountant so I will share with you some of the things that I put through on my expenses. Legal Disclaimer, I am no longer registered and I haven’t been for about 10 years so this is a post about what I do and not what you should do so please do speak to a registered accountant or HMRC if you have any questions. Now with that out of the way here are all the ways I avoid a huge tax bill!

General website expenses

Hosting
Theme
Plugins
domain name/s
tech support/design services
software like photoshop/microsoft office/accountancy
Gsuite fees (possible if you use gmail) or similar

Social media expenses

Scheduling apps
Canva/Picmonkey
Advertising

General office expenses

Simplified expenses if working from home
Stationery
Post Office costs
Percentage of your phone bill
Percentage of your Internet bill

General Business expenses

Public liability insurance
Accountancy fees
Training courses
Membership fees (like BlogOn Extra!)
Advertising such as business cards

Equipment

Laptop
Camera and lenses
Lights
Backdrops
Photo props
Furniture such as a desk or office chair

Travel / Events

Train tickets
Hotel costs
Mileage at 45p per mile
Food on over night trips
Parking
Taxi fares
Event Tickets
Uniforms – If you wanted a branded top for an event for example

When I am sorting out my expenses I go through every single bank account, PayPal account, Amazon account etc and look at all of the transactions because it is easy to miss them. I do have a separate business bank account but sometimes I pay for things using my personal account so it is always worth checking. If you think of anything else that you claim let us know in the comments.