Locum pharmacist tax and expenses: a UK guide for 2026/27

Each source below was read on 29 October 2026 unless it says otherwise. Rules and rates change: check the source before you rely on a figure, and tell us if something here is out of date.

1. GOV.UK, expenses if you're self-employed: that allowable expenses are deducted to work out taxable profit, and that using the £1,000 trading allowance rules out claiming expenses
2. GOV.UK, expenses if you're self-employed: subscriptions: professional journals and professional organisation membership related to the business are allowable; gym membership, political payments and charity donations are not
3. GOV.UK, expenses if you're self-employed: legal and financial costs: professional indemnity insurance premiums, accountants hired for business reasons and bank charges are allowable; the cost of preparing your Self Assessment return is not
4. GOV.UK, expenses if you're self-employed: training courses: training that improves skills you already use or keeps you up to date is allowable; training to start a new business or move into an unrelated area is not
5. GOV.UK, expenses if you're self-employed: office, property and equipment: phone and internet bills (business use only), and that equipment such as computers is an allowable expense on the cash basis or a capital allowance on traditional accounting
6. GOV.UK, expenses if you're self-employed: clothing: protective clothing and uniforms that are not everyday clothing are allowable; everyday clothing is not, even when worn for work
7. GOV.UK, simplified expenses: working from home: the flat rates of £10, £18 and £26 a month for 25 to 50, 51 to 100 and 101 or more hours of business use, which exclude phone and internet
8. GOV.UK, simplified expenses: vehicles: the 2026/27 flat rates per mile (55p then 25p for cars and goods vehicles, 24p for motorcycles), 45p before 6 April 2026, and that once you use flat rates for a vehicle you keep using them
9. HMRC Business Income Manual, BIM37600: travel expenses: HMRC's approach to which journeys are business travel and which are ordinary commuting for the self-employed
10. The Health Care and Associated Professions (Indemnity Arrangements) Order 2014, Schedule 1 Part 8 (article 32 of the Pharmacy Order 2010): that a registrant who practises as a pharmacist must have in force an indemnity arrangement providing appropriate cover
11. GOV.UK, claim tax relief for your job expenses: professional fees and subscriptions: that employees can claim relief on fees they must pay to do the job and on subscriptions to HMRC-approved bodies, for the current and 4 previous tax years, through Self Assessment if they file a return
12. HMRC, approved professional organisations and learned societies (List 3): that the General Pharmaceutical Council and the General Medical Council are on the list, and that the BMA entry restricts relief to 85% of the subscription
13. GOV.UK, understand your Self Assessment tax bill: payments on account: that each payment is half of last year's tax, due by 31 January and 31 July, and the two cases where you do not make them (under £1,000, or more than 80% paid outside Self Assessment)
14. GOV.UK, register for Self Assessment: that a new filer tells HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year (5 October 2026 for 2025/26)
15. GOV.UK, business records if you're self-employed: how long to keep your records: that records are kept for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline of the tax year they relate to
16. GOV.UK, check if you're eligible for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: the thresholds and start dates: over £50,000 in 2024/25 from 6 April 2026, over £30,000 in 2025/26 from 6 April 2027, over £20,000 in 2026/27 from 6 April 2028