Meals, travel and gifts
Can I expense my own lunch, coffee or groceries?
Depends on the details: keep good documents
The basic rule
Costs that are not for the business do not count. Everyday living costs are personal, even if you pay with the company card.
When it is different
- Meals during a business trip outside your usual place of work are part of travel costs.
- Refreshments for a working meeting at your office are a business cost.
- Groceries and household items are personal (SoloBooks flags them as 'looks personal' for you to confirm).
Documents to keep
- Receipt
- Trip or meeting reference in the description
How safe is it?
Depends on the details: keep good documents Medium if claimed regularly: daily lunches are an easy target in a review.
When to ask a professional
Not needed for the general rule; ask if your business model involves meals (for example a food business). Who can confirm it for your own case: an FTA-registered tax agent (a tax professional approved by the UAE tax authority), or the optional year-end review in SoloBooks.
If you pay no Corporate Tax this year (Small Business Relief): If you use Small Business Relief this year, you pay no Corporate Tax anyway, so this cost does not change your tax for that year. Keep the documents anyway: they back up your income figure, and they matter if you stop qualifying later.
Check it with the free calculator: Small Business Relief calculator →
Sources
- Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses (consolidated, unofficial English translation) — Art. 28(1), 28(2)(a) and 32
- FTA Corporate Tax Guide: Determination of Taxable Income (CTGDTI1) — Entertainment and mixed-purpose expenditure
General information, not tax advice. Your situation may differ.
Keep your records ready all year
SoloBooks reads your receipts, you approve each one, and you get your year-end figures to file your return yourself.
No card required. Cancel by doing nothing.
Related questions
- Is a lunch or dinner with a client deductible?
- Are flights and hotels for a business trip deductible?
- I combined a business trip with a holiday. What can I deduct?
- Are gifts to clients deductible?
- Am I eligible for Small Business Relief (no Corporate Tax for small businesses)?
- What are the traps with Small Business Relief?