[SeanK]

It is tax returns but based on my software - please explain why it would be a different figure - I don't understand 

Example if you replace your RO membrane this year at £250 then that cost will be added to you tax return even though
you might get 5 years from it, so its true yearly cost will be £50 plus the value of £500 over that period.
Motoring expenses will be another example if you are paying off a loan on a new van then at the moment your motoring
cost will be high and you can claim for this but true yearly cost will be down to how long you plan to keep the van and its
capital value at any point in time.
That's why most companies work out their costs over a 5 year period.

[Dave Willis]

I see - I don't agree with your first point and as stated I don't have a loan but I see where you're coming from.

[CleanClear]

Example if you replace your RO membrane this year at £250 then that cost will be added to you tax return even though
you might get 5 years from it, so its true yearly cost will be £50 plus the value of £500 over that period.

If you replace your RO membrane at a cost of £250 then you will add that figure to your tax return as an expense. It is of course a consumable . Irrespective of whether it lasts you 1 year, 2 years or 5 years. Whats the value of £500 got to do with anything ?

[CleanClear]

This is my accountants break down.

Motoring expenses           2502
Small tool replacement      775
Telephone                                 192
Use of home as an office   156
PL insurance                             130
Stationary                                    66
Protective clothing               457
Depreciation                           2097
Fees                                                301

Plus the accountants fees, no advertising other than website hosting.

I'd love to know what you have that depreciates £2097 in a year.

[SeanK]

Example if you replace your RO membrane this year at £250 then that cost will be added to you tax return even though
you might get 5 years from it, so its true yearly cost will be £50 plus the value of £500 over that period.

If you replace your RO membrane at a cost of £250 then you will add that figure to your tax return as an expense. It is of course a consumable . Irrespective of whether it lasts you 1 year, 2 years or 5 years. Whats the value of £500 got to do with anything ?

Sorry that should have been £250 basically the money you spent and what that money would be worth to you sitting in
a bank account, to be honest its not worth thinking about but if I hadn't mentioned it somebody would have pulled me on it.
Every pound you spend on your business has an added value in what it would have earned you in interest should you have
not needed to spend it.
Not really worth thinking about in our line of work but big businesses think about it all the time that's why some take forever
to pay their bills.

[Dave Willis]

This is my accountants break down.

Motoring expenses           2502
Small tool replacement      775
Telephone                                 192
Use of home as an office   156
PL insurance                             130
Stationary                                    66
Protective clothing               457
Depreciation                           2097
Fees                                                301

Plus the accountants fees, no advertising other than website hosting.

I'd love to know what you have that depreciates £2097 in a year.

The van I guess That's what I pay them for 

[Walter Mitty]

I was going to put £2500 as well
Dam it

Fuel and repairs to van £1-3k
Public liability £100
Equipment £1k
Water £ 1k
Clothing , gloves, shoes  etc £250
Advertising

It soon adds up .

But all these are vary diverse between us all .

Indeed the expenses can be diverse.  Some years I won't spend a penny on work clothing.  Other years I might buy enough for two or three years if I see a good deal.
Same with poles.  I will go on for a while replacing poles and spending money on them.  At the moment, I am repairing old poles from my graveyard, glueing clamps, sawing ends off poles to re-clamp, removing threads from the ends and making repairs.  I reckon I've got so many old bits and pieces of poles, they may well last me a couple of years.  A few hours work on a stormy day can save me a fair bit of money.  For pity's sake, I've even got an ancient 15ft Ionics glass pole which will do for some jobs at a push.
In the past, I've just bought new poles.
My two work fleeces I've had for several years.  They aren't used much - just in the harshest weather.
However, some years I may end up buying lots of clothing and a more expensive pole or two, replace broken hose reels etc.
It fluctuates wildly.

[Jonny 87]

This is my accountants break down.

Motoring expenses           2502
Small tool replacement      775
Telephone                                 192
Use of home as an office   156
PL insurance                             130
Stationary                                    66
Protective clothing               457
Depreciation                           2097
Fees                                                301

Plus the accountants fees, no advertising other than website hosting.

I'd love to know what you have that depreciates £2097 in a year.

The van I guess That's what I pay them for 

I'm the exact same as you Dave. Just under £6k every year and a sole trader, others local to me also seem to be the same from what I see. Having an accountant has saved me a lot of headaches and time too.

Seank you flipping don't half like to complicate things. lol.
If £2500 is your "true" expenses , what does your tax return say?

Surely £2,500 would only cover your work vehicle, and even that is bare minimum. Fuel,tax,insurance,mot/servicing/repairs.

[8weekly]

This is my accountants break down.

Motoring expenses           2502
Small tool replacement      775
Telephone                                 192
Use of home as an office   156
PL insurance                             130
Stationary                                    66
Protective clothing               457
Depreciation                           2097
Fees                                                301

Plus the accountants fees, no advertising other than website hosting.

I'd love to know what you have that depreciates £2097 in a year.

The van I guess That's what I pay them for 

I'm the exact same as you Dave. Just under £6k every year and a sole trader, others local to me also seem to be the same from what I see. Having an accountant has saved me a lot of headaches and time too.

Seank you flipping don't half like to complicate things. lol.
If £2500 is your "true" expenses , what does your tax return say?

Surely £2,500 would only cover your work vehicle, and even that is bare minimum. Fuel,tax,insurance,mot/servicing/repairs.

I can only assume he puts that on his tax return otherwise if he puts anything else it's tax fraud isn't it?

[KS Cleaning]

It is tax returns but based on my software - please explain why it would be a different figure - I don't understand 
Obviously depreciation isn't money actually spent.

Home as office wouldn't be a business cost as such, it would be something you could claim on to reduce your tax bill

[Jonny 87]

This is my accountants break down.

Motoring expenses           2502
Small tool replacement      775
Telephone                                 192
Use of home as an office   156
PL insurance                             130
Stationary                                    66
Protective clothing               457
Depreciation                           2097
Fees                                                301

Plus the accountants fees, no advertising other than website hosting.

I'd love to know what you have that depreciates £2097 in a year.

The van I guess That's what I pay them for 

I'm the exact same as you Dave. Just under £6k every year and a sole trader, others local to me also seem to be the same from what I see. Having an accountant has saved me a lot of headaches and time too.

Seank you flipping don't half like to complicate things. lol.
If £2500 is your "true" expenses , what does your tax return say?

Surely £2,500 would only cover your work vehicle, and even that is bare minimum. Fuel,tax,insurance,mot/servicing/repairs.

I can only assume he puts that on his tax return otherwise if he puts anything else it's tax fraud isn't it?

That's my thoughts too.

Sounds like a big tax bill to me with such little expenses.

I've heard people before say that for a usual sole trader your expenses should be about 20% of your turn over. Any more than that and you could make some adjustments to be more tax "efficient".

[Mike #1]

Dave what is the depreciation and how come over 2 grand .

The figures for accounts on CP is different to what my accountant puts down as he puts additional expenses down that I don't know to claim for and percentages of certain things

[8weekly]

My vehicle costs alone in 2013/14 were £2,770. I bought it in 2011 so those are just fuel, insurance, tax and maintenance costs. Seriously Sean, you need to fire your accountant or take the van out for a spin once in a while. 

[SeanK]

My vehicle costs alone in 2013/14 were £2,770. I bought it in 2011 so those are just fuel, insurance, tax and maintenance costs. Seriously Sean, you need to fire your accountant or take the van out for a spin once in a while. 

£2770 for fuel, tax, insurance and maintenance costs, do you actually clean any windows between all that driving.
My fuel cost £400 yearly my insurance £320 yearly and tax £220 and have spent about £600 on maintenance in about 8 years and around 10000 miles of driving.

[Walter Mitty]

My vehicle costs alone in 2013/14 were £2,770. I bought it in 2011 so those are just fuel, insurance, tax and maintenance costs. Seriously Sean, you need to fire your accountant or take the van out for a spin once in a while. 

£2770 for fuel, tax, insurance and maintenance costs, do you actually clean any windows between all that driving.
My fuel cost £400 yearly my insurance £320 yearly and tax £220 and have spent about £600 on maintenance in about 8 years and around 10000 miles of driving.

You got a trolley being pulled by a moped?

[SeanK]

My vehicle costs alone in 2013/14 were £2,770. I bought it in 2011 so those are just fuel, insurance, tax and maintenance costs. Seriously Sean, you need to fire your accountant or take the van out for a spin once in a while. 

£2770 for fuel, tax, insurance and maintenance costs, do you actually clean any windows between all that driving.
My fuel cost £400 yearly my insurance £320 yearly and tax £220 and have spent about £600 on maintenance in about 8 years and around 10000 miles of driving.

You got a trolley being pulled by a moped?

For the mileage I do it would make sense, tomorrow will be a big mileage day for me 2 miles to the job and 2 miles back.