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Website a valid expense for Self-Assessment?
I run a small online e-commerce site for items I manufacture myself. Can I offset the cost of the online site & store against my tax? I upgrade & redesign it every year to 18mths to keep it fresh and interactive.
I am a sole trader and spent many hours myself designing, creating the site and updating it on a regular basis (security upgrades, new products, search engine optimisation etc). The site and interaction through it (and social networks) is essentially my business and advertising/marketing.
This has totalled many, many hours of work. I know if I'd have contracted someone to develop the site for me I could claim these costs as expenses but as I have built everything myself, am I able to charge a fair cost for time & development against tax.
I hadn't considered doing this but was told it could be possible?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
I am a sole trader and spent many hours myself designing, creating the site and updating it on a regular basis (security upgrades, new products, search engine optimisation etc). The site and interaction through it (and social networks) is essentially my business and advertising/marketing.
This has totalled many, many hours of work. I know if I'd have contracted someone to develop the site for me I could claim these costs as expenses but as I have built everything myself, am I able to charge a fair cost for time & development against tax.
I hadn't considered doing this but was told it could be possible?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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glebe digital
Messages count : 105Likes count : 2Registration : 21 December 2006No chance mate, you can't 'bill yourself' and claim back hypothetical spending.
If you're Ltd and pay corporation tax, you can claim relief for RnD spending.
There may be several hoops to jump through. đCGI Specialist - Contact in PM
cheltax5678
Messages count : 2Likes count : 0Registration : 28 September 2012Yes and no
You can actually charge this time/cost against a Ltd company if you are also set up as a sole trader.
Sole trader charges Ltd Co for fees and sends invoice say ÂŁ2000. Ltd Co claims this against it's tax (nothing to do with R & D - websites are perfectly allowable as an expense) and SAVES CT TAX AT 20%.
However you will have ÂŁ2000 of income in your sole trader paid to you from the Ltd Co and you will PAY TAX at whatever rate you are at personally so the effect is generally TAX NEUTRAL.
If the website costs were external then they are perfectly allowable.
Steve
