Wondering if you can put your eyewear through the business? Read on...
It would be great if we could put all sorts through the business and reduce our tax bill – but unfortunately there needs to be a line somewhere, so let’s see where eyewear sits when it comes to your business.
The first thing to ask: do you use a computers or other screens for work purposes? If yes, move onto the next section.
If the answer is ‘no’, then it may be obvious but there won’t be a business expense to claim.
If you answered ‘yes’, then the next thing to ask is: do you wear glasses every day?
This is when the ‘wholly and exclusively for business’ part comes in. Think about it: if you wear glasses every day – regardless of your work – then you’d have to buy them anyway and wear the glasses for personal reasons, so HMRC would see this as a non-business expense. If, however, you wear glasses just when using screens, then the glasses are for work purposes only – and therefore would be a claimable business expense.
The same applies for your annual eye test. If you need to have one because your work involves more screen time, then you can claim as a business expense. If you were going to go to the opticians anyway for personal reasons, you wouldn’t put the test expense through the accounts.
If you always think about the answer to ‘is this for business?’, and could answer that question if HMRC were to ask, then it’s okay to put it through as a business expense.
If you need support with any business expenses, pop over to my free Facebook group and join like-minded business owners who are getting confident with their accounts.
