If you're new to business you will probably have paid for certain business items before you started trading (e.g. equipment, clothing, make-up, rent). Any items that you owned privately which you will now use in your business (e.g. laptop, webcam) can also be treated as expenses but only at their market value on the day you started.If you incurred any expenses within seven years of you starting to trade you can include them as if they had been paid on the day you started – examples could be legal advice about your business, postage and stationery, phone calls etc.

You can also claim for the items you need while camming ranging from furniture and bed linen to clothing and toys and even the cost of decorating the room you use. In simple terms, if it's seen on screen you can claim for it.



Other expenses you can claim are:

• Make-up and beauty treatments etc. if you need them because you're webcamming
• Commission e.g. AdultWork fees
• Computer equipment
• Mobile phone
• Landline
• Broadband
• Computer equipment
• Computer software
• Stationery and postage
• Accountancy fees
• Business travel (including any business mileage)

You should also be able to claim a proportion of your home costs so make sure you keep a record of your rent, council tax, electricity, gas, water, and insurance. If you own your house you should be able to claim a proportion of any mortgage interest you pay but be careful you don't allow HMRC to treat part of the house as a business asset - you may have to pay capital gains tax when you sell it.



Finally, it's worth remembering that if you've paid for something because you're in business there's a good chance that some or all of it will qualify for tax relief. The important thing is to record it no matter how unlikely you think it is. Let your accountant decide.