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Tax8 min read

10 Tax Deductions Freelancers Miss Every Year

From home office to professional development — deductions FinnAccountings finds automatically.

Freelancers and sole traders in Ireland and the UK often overpay tax simply because allowable expenses go unclaimed. Here are ten commonly missed deductions our Tax Agent identifies automatically.

1. Home office costs

A proportion of rent, mortgage interest, utilities, and broadband based on the space used exclusively for business. Keep records of room size relative to your home.

2. Professional subscriptions & software

Accounting software, design tools, industry memberships, and professional journals are typically allowable if used wholly for business.

3. Training and CPD

Courses that maintain or update existing skills (not entirely new careers) are usually deductible. Conference tickets and travel may also qualify.

4–10. Other common deductions

Business insurance, accountancy fees, bank charges on a dedicated business account, mileage for business travel (Revenue rates apply in Ireland), phone bills apportioned for business use, pension contributions (with generous tax relief), equipment under capital allowances, and marketing or advertising spend.

FinnAccountings scans your transactions and receipts to surface deductions you may have missed — often saving hundreds or thousands of euros per year.

Sources & references

This article draws on official guidance and publications from the sources below.

  1. 1.
    Allowable business expenses

    Revenue Commissioners · Accessed 2026-06-26

  2. 2.
    Expenses if you're self-employed

    GOV.UK · Accessed 2026-06-26

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