The test is still “wholly and exclusively” for the trade. If something is mixed use, claim the business share and write down how you split it. You cannot claim the trading allowance of £1,000 and actual expenses in the same year.
Keep the supermarket receipt if it is bleach and cloths. Leave the milk and biscuits off it.
What cleaners can usually claim
| Expense | Claimable? | Notes | Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning products and cloths you provide | Usually yes | Materials of the job. | Till receipts, circled business items |
| Vacuum, mop, buckets, steam cleaner | Usually yes | Kit. | Receipts |
| Mileage between clients | Usually yes | 55p a mile first 10,000 in 2026/27 if simplified expenses. Log it. | Simple mileage log |
| Public liability insurance | Usually yes | Business policy. | Schedule |
| Phone used to book jobs (share) | Usually yes | Business percentage. | Bills |
| App or agency commission (if you are not employed) | Usually yes | Fee for finding the work. | App statements |
| Uniform that is genuinely only for work | Sometimes | A branded tunic maybe. Jeans and trainers no. | Receipts |
| Parking at clients | Usually yes | Not fines. | Receipts or app history |
| Bus or taxi between jobs | Usually yes | If it is job to job, not home to the only house you clean all day. | Tickets |
| Family supermarket shop lumped in | No | Personal groceries. | n/a |
| Your own cleaner (you paying someone to clean your home) | No | Personal. | n/a |
| Childcare | No | Not a business expense on this return. | n/a |
Open a printable checklist for this trade.
What you cannot claim
- Ordinary clothes and trainers.
- Parking tickets.
- The weekly food shop.
- Travel that is really commuting to one long regular workplace.
- Cash you spent on yourself and called “stock”.
Trade-specific traps
- Thinking cash houses do not count.
- No idea of annual takings because it “just sits in the account”. Add it up before January.
- Claiming every mile from home including the school run.
- An app pays you net and you also claim the commission, or you declare net and never mention the rest. One method.
- Not registering because each client is “only £40 a week”. Forty pounds times many houses is a year.
Records that actually help in this trade
A page per week: date, client (or initials), amount, cash or bank, miles if you claim them. That is a complete system for most cleaners. Keep product receipts in a envelope. You do not need Xero. You do need to be able to add the year up.
Mileage, if you use simplified expenses in 2026/27, is 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles, then 25p. That replaced 45p from 6 April 2026. Ordinary commuting is still not claimable. See the mileage guide and home office costs.
← Back to the cleaner tax overview · Self Assessment for cleaners
Common questions
Can I claim a bus pass?
The business journeys on it, or a fair share, not the whole pass if you also use it at weekends.
Bleach from Tesco with the family shop?
Claim the bleach. Keep the receipt and circle it. Do not claim the rest of the trolley.