Expense Categories Guidance (Travel, Rent, Supplies)

What this guidance covers

You get clear, practical rules for how to treat common costs in your bookkeeping so your reporting and returns are accurate.

• A simple approach to categorising travel, mileage, fuel and public transport
• Office and workspace costs, including rent, utilities and shared spaces
• Supplies and consumables, plus small tools and equipment
• Software and subscriptions, phone and internet, and other recurring running costs
• Common “grey areas” like subsistence, client meetings and training
• Mixed-use items (part business, part personal) and how to apportion fairly
• What evidence to keep so claims are supportable if HMRC ever asks

When this service is most useful

This is a good fit if you are:

• Setting up your bookkeeping and want the right categories from day one
• Catching up on bookkeeping and want to avoid repeated errors
• Unsure whether costs should be treated as travel, subsistence, supplies or something else
• VAT-registered and need to separate VAT treatment from the underlying expense
• Preparing for year-end or a tax return and want confidence in the numbers

How the guidance is delivered

We review how you currently record expenses and where uncertainty or inconsistency appears. Then we agree clear rules for each common category you use, aligned to your business activity and the way you buy and travel. Where needed, we can also tidy up your category list so it is easier to maintain going forward.

What you get afterwards

You will have a clear reference point for how to code typical transactions, plus a consistent approach you can apply month to month. If anything changes, such as a new type of cost or a different way of working, the categories can be updated so your bookkeeping remains reliable and your reports stay meaningful.