Whether you're self-employed or the owner of a limited company, it's a good idea to protect your business premises with a decent security system.
A state-of-the-art business security system may comprise a number of different technologies, including alarms, CCTV cameras, door entry panels, security barriers, or any combination of these. As you can probably imagine, a system like this doesn't come cheap, so you will probably want to deduct the cost from your business's taxable profit if you can.
If you've bought a security system for business reasons...
The gov.uk website explicitly states that you CAN claim expenses for office security.
So if you purchase a security system to protect premises that are exclusively used for business purposes, this is almost certainly tax deductible.
If you've bought a security system for business AND personal use...
Things get a little more complicated if your security system benefits both your business and you personally. In this case, you can ONLY claim expenses for the business-related costs.
For example, if you're self-employed and you run your business from home, it's reasonable to invest in an alarm system - after all, it would be disastrous if your work laptop were to fall into the hands of burglars.
But because the alarm system is protecting your home as well as your office, you probably won't be able to deduct its full cost from your taxable income.
The gov.uk website says that, in cases like these, you must "find a reasonable method of dividing your costs, for example by the number of rooms you use for business or the amount of time you spend working from home". If you're a sole trader, using simplified expenses may make the calculation more straightforward.
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