Full expenses article for tattoo artists
| Expense | Claimable? | Notes | Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ink, needles, cartridges, stencil paper | Usually yes | Used on clients or for practice that is part of the trade. | Supplier invoices or order history |
| Machines, power supplies, lights, furniture | Usually yes | Usually claimed in the year under Annual Investment Allowance if you use traditional accounting. | Purchase invoice |
| Chair rent or booth fees | Usually yes | Weekly, daily or percentage splits. Informal cash rent is still claimable if you can show what you paid. | Studio invoices, bank transfers, or a written note of cash paid |
| PPE, sharps bins, disinfectant | Usually yes | Business-only hygiene costs. | Receipts |
| Convention booth, travel, hotel | Usually yes | If you are working or exhibiting, not if you are only getting tattooed. | Booking emails, tickets, mileage log |
| Guest-spot travel and rooms | Usually yes | Travel from your usual studio to another workplace. | Mileage or tickets plus the guest booking |
| Website, portfolio photos, paid ads | Usually yes | Building the book is a business cost. | Invoices from host, photographer, ad accounts |
| Courses that improve tattooing | Usually yes | Skill in the current trade. Retraining as something else is not. | Course invoice |
| Phone and broadband (business share) | Sometimes | Claim the work percentage. 100% only if it is a work-only line. | Bills plus a note of the split |
| Home studio heat and power | Sometimes | Flat rate or a fair share of bills if you tattoo at home. | Hours log or room calculation |
| Black T-shirts and street clothes | No | Everyday clothing, even if you only wear it in the studio. | n/a |
| Your own tattoos | No | Personal, even if done at a convention you also worked. | n/a |
Usually not claimable
- Ordinary clothes, shoes and watches, even if they are “your studio look”.
- Client drinks, takeaways you buy to be nice, and nights out. UK law blocks client entertaining.
- Fines, parking tickets, late-filing penalties.
- Travel from home to the studio you work in most days.
- The cost of tattoos you collect on yourself.