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.
Separate kit (lasts years) from software (monthly) from people you pay on the day. Each has a box. Do not call everything “other”.
What photographers can usually claim
| Expense | Claimable? | Notes | Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera bodies, lenses, lights, stands | Usually yes | Equipment. Mixed holiday use means a split. | Invoices, serial numbers help with insurance too |
| Adobe, catalogue, gallery hosting | Usually yes | Software of the trade. | Subscriptions |
| Second shooter and editor fees | Usually yes | If they invoice you as self-employed. Payroll if they are staff. | Their invoices |
| Travel to shoots | Usually yes | Mileage at 55p first 10,000 in 2026/27 if simplified, or tickets. Overnight hotels for jobs yes. | Log, bookings |
| Props, albums, print costs you resell | Usually yes | Stock or materials. Album sales are also turnover. | Lab invoices |
| Website, ads, directory listings | Usually yes | Getting booked. | Invoices |
| Insurance (kit, public liability, professional indemnity) | Usually yes | Business policies. | Schedules |
| Studio hire or home studio share | Usually yes | Hire invoices, or a fair home-office amount. | Invoices or calculation |
| Phone and broadband share | Usually yes | Client comms and uploads. | Bills |
| Clothes for shoots | No | Ordinary clothing, even “all black for weddings”. | n/a |
| Your own wedding or family portraits | No | Personal. | n/a |
| Client meals and “thank you” drinks | No | Entertaining. | n/a |
Open a printable checklist for this trade.
What you cannot claim
- Everyday clothes and a watch, even on a wedding.
- Holiday travel with a camera in the bag claimed as 100% business.
- Parking tickets at the venue.
- Gym membership for “looking the part”.
- Drawings to live on. Those are not expenses.
Trade-specific traps
- A body used every weekend on family outings claimed at 100%.
- Deposits sitting in a “wedding account” never added to turnover on cash basis.
- Paying a second shooter cash with no invoice.
- Print lab bills claimed without the matching album income.
- Mileage from home to a studio you rent five days a week (commute).
Records that actually help in this trade
Booking system export, kit invoices with serials, software card statement, a mileage log for job days, second-shooter invoices. If you take cash on the day for extra prints, write it on the job sheet before you leave the car park.
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 photographer tax overview · Self Assessment for photographers
Common questions
Adobe Photography Plan allowable?
Yes if you use it to deliver the work.
Studio hire for one day?
Yes. It is the space for that job.