Maximising tax reductions - Ltd company

[FusionChefGeoff]

I know the advice is to get an accountant, and I do have one but a) they are rubbish (have refunded my 1st year's fees due to various mistakes / delays) and b) I don't trust them as a result. I'm looking for another one but in the meantime....

I want to check with people who are far more experienced at this than I am, if I am making the most of the tax offset available to me.

Last year, I invoiced approx 20k.

The following was deducted:
I pay myself via PAYE to meet the 11,000 threshold
I pay £243 a month directly to a childcare voucher provider
I pay £150 a month directly into a workplace pension as Employer payments
Mileage at 45p per mile to all client meetings and work related trips
All direct other travel expenses eg train / taxi / accommodation
Stationery
Postage / stamps
Ink for printer
Total cost of phone contract
£208 annual working from home allowance
Couple of bits of furniture for my office
Laptop / case

Is there anything blindingly obvious that I should be claiming which I'm not??

[OfflineFor40Years]

Any professional indemnity insurance? Membership or subscription costs for to an HMRC recognised body? Ongoing CPD? Antivirus or webhosting costs? Co Hse filing fees for Confirmation statement?

[OfflineFor40Years]

Also you should use your dividend allowance (if you are not receiving dividends from elsewhere) to distribute any remaining profits after tax.

[FusionChefGeoff]

Oh thank you much for replying!

I have maxed out my dividend allowance so that has helped.

[FusionChefGeoff]

In all honesty, this came from another thread which a poster said 'most self employed people I know hardly pay any tax as everything is deductible' and I thought, hang on, I'm paying over a grand!

[KevinKeegan]

The cost of the accountant (if still in the tax year), any bank charges. You can only claim the phone if it's in the business name not a personal one.

[reawakeningambition]

"£208 annual working from home allowance"

What is this?

[FusionChefGeoff]

It's a simplified way of claiming back costs of running a Ltd company from home. So to cover electricity, heating etc. HMRC set a fixed amount rather than getting into complicated calculations to split out 'home' use and 'work' use

[reawakeningambition]

thanks.

sounds good for me, I've been working out the slow and painful way for year.

ButLtd co? I think sole trader?

[glitterglitters]

@reawakeningambition i would assume bills for heat, electric etc if a proportion of the work is undertaken from the home.

[reawakeningambition]

www.gov.uk/simpler-income-tax-simplified-expenses/working-from-home

terribly exciting!

[JesusDontWantMeForASunbeam]

Ooooh place marking. DP has put me in charge of his books!