Can I claim for a laptop bought in March?

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Yes, you absolutely can! If you are a self-employed sole trader in the UK, buying a laptop in March is a perfectly valid business expense to claim on your tax return.

Here is a simple guide to how it works and why buying in March is actually a smart move.

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The “March” Advantage

In the UK, the tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April.

Because March sits right at the very end of the tax year, paying for a laptop in March means the expense counts towards your current tax year. The cost of the laptop will reduce your total taxable profit for this year, which lowers the tax bill you will have to pay by next January.

If you were to wait until mid-April to buy the laptop, the expense would fall into the next tax year, meaning you would have to wait another whole year to feel the benefit of the tax relief.

How to Claim the Laptop

How you put the laptop on your Self Assessment tax return depends on the accounting method you use:

• Cash Basis Accounting: This is the default and simplest method for most UK sole traders. If you use cash basis, you simply record the laptop as a standard allowable expense. You deduct the cost directly from your income in the tax year you bought it.
• Traditional (Accruals) Accounting: If you use this slightly more complex method, a laptop is considered a business asset. You claim it using Capital Allowances. Thankfully, under the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) rules, you can still deduct 100% of the laptop’s cost from your profits in the year of purchase.

The Golden Rule: Business vs. Personal Use

HMRC has a strict but fair rule: you can only claim for the portion of the laptop that is actually used for your business.

• 100% Business Use: If the laptop is a dedicated work machine and you never use it for personal reasons, you can claim the full purchase price.
• Mixed Use: If you use the laptop 80% for client work and 20% for personal things (like watching films or personal shopping), you can only claim 80% of the cost against your tax. You do not need a complex spreadsheet to prove this—just make a reasonable, honest estimate of how you split your time on it.

Three Quick Tips Before You Buy

• Keep the receipt: Whether it is a physical paper receipt or an email invoice, keep it safe. HMRC can legally ask for proof of your expenses up to 5 years after the tax deadline.
• Check the date: Make sure the payment actually leaves your bank account before 5 April so it safely lands in the current tax year.
• Don’t forget the extras: You can also claim for business software (like Microsoft 365 or antivirus), a mouse, or a laptop case as allowable expenses.

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