What is a use of home allowance?

By Chris Andreou
|
Last updated
September 8, 2023

Contents

What is a use of home allowance?What is a use of home allowance?

As a self-employed person, there are two ways to calculating the allowance you can claim for working from home. You can claim a fixed rate of £6 per week, or a proportion of household costs used by the business. Further information is available on our resource on the use of home allowance.

The use of home allowance refers to 'work from home' expenses you can claim for. This will vary, depending on whether you're self-employed (a sole trader) or a limited company director.

If you're self-employed, you can work out the amount you can claim for using a flat-rate based on the number of hours you've spent working from home.  Your second option is to claim the business proportion for expenses that are incurred for business and private use.

As a limited company director, you can claim a flat rate of £6 per week. But if you're working from home for a significant amount of time and are carrying out ‘fee earning activities’, there is the possibility of claiming an increased amount through your company. More information on this topic is available in a separate guide.

Read more of our free business tax guides

Free business accounting consultation for contractors, freelancers, self employed and limited companies

Speak to an accountant

Get a free 20 minute consultation about starting your business

Business accounting from £35