Equipment and evidence
I paid a business expense with my personal card. Is it still deductible?
Usually safe if you keep the documents
The basic rule
What decides it is whether the cost was purely for the business, and whether you have records to prove it.
When it is different
- For a company, record it as an amount the company owes you (expense claim or owner loan), then reimburse or offset it.
- VAT: to recover input tax you generally need a tax invoice; ask the supplier to put the company name and TRN on it.
- Frequent mixing of personal and business payments makes it harder to show what is business.
Documents to keep
- Receipt or tax invoice
- Card statement line
- Expense claim or note of reimbursement
How safe is it?
Usually safe if you keep the documents Low with a receipt and a clear reimbursement trail.
When to ask a professional
Not usually needed. 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), 56(1)
- Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax (consolidated) — Art. 55(1)
General information, not tax advice. Your situation may differ.
Keep your records ready all year
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Related questions
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