I tracked every expense for a year as a UK freelancer. Here's what surprised me.

Source: Dev.to

TL;DR

I was leaving about £2,400 / year on the table by not claiming things I was entitled to. You probably are too.

Claimable expenses

• Software subscriptions – GitHub, Figma, hosting, etc.
• Hardware – laptop, monitor, keyboard.
• Phone bill – business proportion only.
• HMRC’s simplified expenses (working from home):
  • 25‑50 hrs/month → £10 / month
  • 51‑100 hrs/month → £18 / month
  • 101 + hrs/month → £26 / month (≈ £312 / year)
• Actual home‑office costs – proportion of rent/mortgage interest, electricity, heating, council tax, internet. I claimed £1,200 last year using this method.
• Mileage – 45p per mile for the first 10,000 mi, 25p thereafter.
  • Example: 15 client meetings × 40 mi round‑trip = 600 mi × 45p = £270.
  • Free mileage calculator
• Professional memberships – BCS, ACM, etc.
• Training – relevant Udemy courses, certifications, etc.
• Accountant’s fee – tax‑deductible.
• Bank & payment‑processing fees – business bank account fees, PayPal, Stripe.
• Insurance – professional indemnity, public liability, cyber insurance (when you’re a freelancer).

Non‑claimable expenses

• Gym membership (HMRC won’t accept “it helps me think”).
• Entire phone bill (only the business proportion is allowable).
• Clothing (unless it’s a uniform or costume).
• Commuting to a regular workplace.
• Personal meals (e.g., lunch).

Results

• Total claimable expenses (last year): £8,200
• Tax saved at 20 % basic rate: £1,640
• Previous claim amount: £5,800
• Gap: £2,400 (pure laziness).

How I track everything

1. Use a simple spreadsheet aligned with HMRC categories.
2. Photograph every receipt.
3. Reconcile monthly – takes about 20 minutes.

Tools I built

• Business Expense Tracker – free spreadsheet with 13 HMRC categories, running totals, and CSV export for your accountant.
• Self‑Employed Tax Calculator – to see your actual tax position.

Discussion

What’s the weirdest expense you’ve successfully claimed?
I know someone who claimed a subscription to a cocktail magazine because they were a hospitality consultant. Legend.