# Accounting for self-employed hairdressers and barbers

Canonical: https://taxmo.co.uk/trades/hairdressers-and-barbers
Last updated: 2026-11-06

Whether you rent a chair, run a room or work mobile, your takings arrive by card and cash and your costs come in small amounts. Taxmo records both sides so you can see your profit week by week, not only in January.

## What Taxmo does for hairdressers and barbers

- Income and expenses in one place: Record what you earn and spend in categories, and see your profit and what to set aside for tax as you go. On every plan.
- Receipt scanning: Photograph a receipt or forward it on WhatsApp, and Taxmo reads it into an expense for you to check. On Starter and Pro.
- Connect your bank: Connect your bank read-only or upload a CSV statement. Each transaction waits for your approval before it counts. On Starter and Pro.
- Invoices and quotes: Send quotes and invoices from the same records, and see which invoices are still unpaid. A few a month on Free, without a cap on Starter and Pro.
- Mileage log: Log business journeys and Taxmo applies HMRC's approved mileage rates for the tax year, including the lower rate once you pass the annual mileage band.

## Expenses hairdressers and barbers commonly claim

- Chair or room rent: Rent for business premises, such as a chair or room in a salon, along with the business premises' utility bills and rates where you pay them. Source: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/office-property
- Products: Products you buy to sell on to clients are goods for resale. Products bought for your own use are not allowable. Source: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/reselling-goods
- Equipment you keep: Equipment you keep and use in the business is claimed as an allowable expense if you use cash basis accounting, or through capital allowances if you use traditional accounting. Source: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/office-property
- Tunics and aprons: Uniforms that are not everyday clothing, and aprons that protect your own clothes while you work. Everyday clothing is not allowable. Source: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/clothing
- Training: Courses that improve skills you already use in the business or keep you up to date with your industry. Training to start a new business, or to move into an unrelated area, is not allowable. Source: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/training-courses
- Business insurance: Any insurance policy for the business, for example public liability insurance. Source: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/legal-financial
- Advertising and website: Advertising in newspapers or directories, mailshots and website costs. Entertaining clients is not allowable. Source: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/marketing-entertainment-subscriptions

Current figures, each with its GOV.UK source: https://taxmo.co.uk/uk-tax-rates

## Common questions

### I rent a chair. Am I self-employed?

It depends on the working arrangement, not the label. HMRC's Check employment status for tax tool gives HMRC's view of a working arrangement from your answers.

### Can I use the trading allowance and claim expenses?

No. The trading allowance is a tax-free amount of trading income each year, and if you use it you cannot also claim expenses or capital allowances. Check the current amount on GOV.UK or on our UK tax rates page.

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General information from GOV.UK guidance, not tax advice. Rules and figures change, so verify on GOV.UK using the links on this page before relying on them.