Allowable Expenses — One Less Chore
As a domestic cleaning business, these expenses are deductible from your taxable profit. This page serves as a reference for what to track and claim.
1. Equipment & Supplies
| Item | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Hoover / Vacuum Cleaner | Capital Allowance — Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) | Keep purchase receipt; claim under AIA up to £1 million per year (2026/27) |
| Steam Mop | Capital Allowance — AIA | Keep purchase receipt |
| Microfibre cloths | Consumable supplies | Fully deductible in year of purchase |
| Mops, buckets, brushes | Consumable supplies | Fully deductible |
| Bleach and detergents | Consumable supplies | Fully deductible |
| PPE (rubber gloves, aprons, goggles) | Consumable supplies | Fully deductible |
2. Travel & Vehicle Expenses
You can claim 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles driven in your vehicle for business purposes (travel between client properties only — not commuting from home to the first job).
Simplified method: Maintain a mileage log with date, start/end points, distance, and purpose. Multiply total business miles by the HMRC approved rate.
Alternatively, claim actual vehicle costs (fuel, insurance, repairs, road tax) proportioned to business use.
3. Protective Clothing
- Branded “One Less Chore” charcoal polo shirts: Fully deductible as uniform with visible branding.
- Protective gloves, aprons, safety footwear: Fully deductible as PPE.
- General clothing (e.g. plain trousers): Not deductible unless part of a recognisable uniform.
4. Digital & Administrative Overheads
| Expense | Deductibility |
|---|---|
| VPS hosting (monthly fee) | Fully deductible — cost of running booking website |
| onelesschore.co.uk domain renewal | Fully deductible |
| Public Liability Insurance | Fully deductible — required for business operation |
| Amelia booking plugin licence | Fully deductible as software cost |
| Elementor Pro licence (if purchased) | Fully deductible as software cost |
| Stripe/WooCommerce transaction fees | Fully deductible as payment processing costs |
| Mobile phone (business portion of contract) | Apportion between business and personal use |
5. Home Office (Simplified Expenses)
If you use your home for business admin, you can use the flat rate method based on hours worked from home per month:
- 25–50 hours/month: £10/month
- 51–100 hours/month: £18/month
- 101+ hours/month: £26/month
6. Expense Tracking Method
One Less Chore maintains:
- A digital spreadsheet (or accounting software) with all income and expenses categorised by type
- Digital copies of all receipts (scanned or photographed)
- A mileage log book (physical or app-based)
- Monthly bank reconciliation
This system ensures accurate Self Assessment filing and full utilisation of all allowable deductions.