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November 10, 2021
November 10, 2021
Tax essentials

What is the trading allowance?

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Unsure what the trading allowance is and how to use it? We break it down for you here.
Earnr is the finance and tax companion for the self-employed and side hustlers. We give you more time to run your business. Download Earnr for free on iOS or Android.

One of the most time consuming parts of a tax return is getting everything in place to submit it. Bookkeeping is an 'always-on' activity and a big part of the (sometimes last minute!) tax return process.

Earnr makes bookkeeping fast and simple. We connect to your bank account so that you can select the income and expenses that relate to your business. But, if you are self-employed, there is an even easier way to do it. Introducing...the trading allowance (launched by HMRC).


What is the trading allowance?

The trading allowance exists to help those on lower incomes reduce unnecessary admin. It works in one of two ways and it allows anyone to:

  1. Earn £1,000 (that's total sales) from self-employment without submitting a tax return, or;
  2. Claim up to £1,000 in expenses without any evidence or records.

Unsure whether you've earned over £1,000? You can manage your business transactions in Earnr and view how much income you've made.


When should I use the trading allowance?

Once you've earned over £1,000, you have the choice of whether to use the trading allowance or not. It's a great approach to take in many scenarios:


When is it not worth it?

These are meaningful savings, but it is worth considering whether the time and stress is worth it. The trading allowance isn't for everyone. There are two scenarios where it is not useful:

If you want to make use of the allowance in the Earnr app, you can skip past the expense classification and head straight to the tax return. You can also choose between Trading Allowance and Expenses when completing the Self Employment details on the Tax tab.


Earnr automates your day-to-day business and finance admin so you have more time to focus on growing and creating. Earnr can automate your tax return in just 17 minutes. Visit the app store to get started today.

Learn more and download Earnr here.

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