Self-employed potters and ceramicists selling via markets, galleries and online face kiln costs, clay stock and stall fees. Full worked example on £19,000 turnover shows a £190 tax and NI bill.
Self-employed sign writers and vehicle wrap installers juggle vinyl stock costs, cutting plotters and a van that doubles as a rolling advert. Full worked example on £52,000 turnover and what's actually deductible.
Self-employed tailors and seamstresses juggle machine costs, fabric stock and a mix of alterations and made-to-measure work. Full worked example on £26,000 turnover shows a £2,046 tax and NI bill.
Self-employed upholsterers carry heavy material and tool costs alongside a collection-and-delivery van. Full worked example on £34,000 turnover shows a £3,758 tax and NI bill.
How the Annual Investment Allowance lets sole traders deduct the full cost of qualifying equipment from taxable profit in the year of purchase, with a worked example.
Own-van couriers working for DPD, Amazon Flex, Evri and parcel firms are self-employed subcontractors, not gig-app riders. Full worked example on van finance, fuel and the real tax bill on £38,000 turnover.
Farming income swings wildly year to year with weather and commodity prices. Farm profit averaging, capital allowances on machinery, and the 2026 Agricultural Property Relief changes all shape a farmer's real tax position — full worked example inside.
From weekly mow-and-go gardeners to landscapers running CIS subcontractors, the tax treatment varies widely. Full worked example on £40,000 turnover, capital allowances on machinery, and when the Construction Industry Scheme applies.
Mobile locksmiths run a van-based emergency call-out business with significant stock and tool investment. Full worked example on £45,000 turnover, capital allowances, and what a locksmith actually keeps after tax.
Most UK tattoo artists rent a station in a studio and are self-employed. Full guide to deposits and cash handling, sterilisation/licensing costs, capital allowances on equipment, and a worked example on £42,000 turnover.
Employed mechanics, engineers and other tradespeople who buy their own tools can claim tax relief on the cost — but the rules differ sharply from the uniform flat rate, and self-employed tradespeople claim differently again. Here is how it works in 2026/27.
Window cleaning is a low-overhead self-employed trade, but the van, water-fed pole system and round-buying costs still add up. Full worked example on £30k-£45k turnover, capital allowances on equipment, and Self Assessment basics.
