22/05/2026
Thinking of charging your limited company rent for working from home? It sounds like a clever little tax-saving trick, but it is not always the win it appears to be.
Hi, I am Heather from Fairbook Accounting Solutions, and this is one of those questions we get asked all the time.
Yes, your company can pay you rent for using your home as an office. And yes, it does reduce your company’s corporation tax bill. So far so good.
But here is the catch.
That rent becomes your personal income, which means you may end up paying personal tax on it instead. So the saving you thought you were making inside the company can simply shift the tax bill straight onto you.
A lot of people then ask about the Rent a Room scheme, hoping that £7,500 tax-free allowance will cover it.
Unfortunately, it does not.
That scheme only applies to renting a room to someone who actually lives there, not for business use, so a home office set-up does not qualify.
And there is something else to be aware of.
If a room is set aside exclusively for business use and things are not structured correctly, there could also be Capital Gains Tax implications when you come to sell your home.
Which is why it is really important to get the set-up right from the start.
In most cases, a far simpler approach works better.
You can claim a small home office allowance, or reimburse yourself for a fair portion of your household costs such as heating, electricity and broadband.
No extra personal tax to worry about, and you still get the benefit through the company.
It really comes down to what leaves you better off overall, not just what looks good on paper.
If you are weighing this one up and want to know which option suits your business best, just send me a message and we can talk it through.