Self-employed in UK for first time (non-UK resident) — can travel/accommodation be tax deductible?
Hi everyone,
I’m hoping for some advice because I genuinely can’t afford an accountant at the moment.
This was my first year working self-employed in the UK, and I’m trying to understand what counts as tax deductible expenses.
For context, I work in healthcare, but I do not live in the UK — I live abroad and only came to the UK temporarily for work. During the 2025–26 tax year, I worked in the UK for around 2 months, working 5 days a week under a short-term contract.
The sole purpose of my travel to the UK was work. Because of this, I had some major expenses:
Flights to and from my home country → UK (only travelled for work)
A short-term let/accommodation for exactly the 2 months of my contract, purely because I needed somewhere to stay while working
Before expenses, I earned above the personal allowance. However, if these costs are allowable expenses, it would bring me below the personal allowance, meaning I may not owe tax.
My questions are:
Are flights and short-term accommodation for temporary work in the UK potentially tax deductible in this situation?
Is it acceptable if legitimate expenses reduce my taxable income below the personal allowance?
Do I need an accountant for this, or can I realistically self-report everything through Self Assessment?
I’d be so grateful for any advice or if anyone has been in a similar situation. Thank you so much!