Bilbx Learn • United Kingdom

What your receipts are worth in the UK

Straight answers on HMRC record retention, Making Tax Digital rules, and return rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 - with every rule cited directly.

HMRC & tax records

Self-Assessment and company record retention, VAT receipts, and digital proof under HMRC guidance.

Tax records, forms, and financial documentation prepared for Self-Assessment.

How long do you need to keep receipts for HMRC?

At least five years after 31 January if you're self-employed, six for limited companies. What records to keep, digital copies, and when the clock starts.

A business director reviewing business expense records and invoices.

Claiming business expenses without a receipt in the UK

What HMRC allows when a receipt is lost. How bank statements, simplified expenses, and secondary proof work - and the strict exception for VAT.

Contactless digital transaction with a smartphone and bank card.

Does HMRC accept photos and scanned receipts?

Yes - HMRC explicitly accepts digital copies. Making Tax Digital rules, when you can throw away paper receipts, and what a valid scan must show.

Open lined notebook with a pen next to a laptop on a white desk

How to record self-employed income in the UK

Self-employed income records: invoices, payments and the documents to keep for HMRC. A practical way to connect earnings with business expenses.

A clipboard with purchase documentation and proof of transaction records.

How to split receipts and bills between business and personal use in the UK

How UK sole traders split mixed shop receipts, phone contracts and car costs for Self Assessment under HMRC's wholly and exclusively rules.

A kitchen mid-renovation with bare plastered walls, sample tiles, a stepladder and a trestle table.

How to track renovation costs, and which ones HMRC counts

Keep every receipt for the work in one place and separate repairs from improvements. What landlords can deduct, and what reduces Capital Gains Tax on a sale.

A row of Victorian brick terraced houses.

Landlord records: what HMRC expects you to keep for rental income

The records UK landlords need for rent and allowable expenses, how mortgage interest is treated, the £1,000 property allowance, and Making Tax Digital.

A laptop screen showing digital accounting dashboards and financial data.

Making Tax Digital receipt rules: What sole traders and landlords must store

HMRC Making Tax Digital rules for sole traders and landlords. Digital record keeping requirements, £50k threshold dates, and storing paper vs scanned receipts.

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Receipts in a foreign currency: converting expenses to sterling for HMRC

Paid for business costs in euros or dollars? Which exchange rates HMRC accepts, when an average rate is fine, and what to keep with a foreign receipt.

Courier wearing an insulated thermal delivery backpack while holding a smartphone

Rideshare and delivery income: records for the UK

Driving for Uber, Bolt, Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat in the UK? See which earnings statements, fees, payouts and vehicle records to keep for HMRC.

Open lined notebook with a pen next to a laptop on a white desk

Self Assessment allowable expenses: SA103 boxes 11 to 19 explained

Which receipts go into boxes 11 to 19 on your Self Assessment SA103 return, what HMRC disallows (like client entertaining), and the records to keep.

Right-hand drive car steering wheel and dashboard with a smartphone mounted on the windshield

Self-employed mileage: what records does HMRC need?

Business travel, statement distance, logbooks and expense receipts: the vehicle records to keep in the UK before calculating a car claim.

A woman packing orders into boxes in front of a rail of clothes.

Selling on eBay, Vinted or Etsy: what platforms tell HMRC, and when you owe tax

Online platforms now report seller data to HMRC. Learn the 30-sale and €2,000 rule, the £1,000 trading allowance, and when personal sales are tax-free.

A planner open at a hand-lettered January page, with pens and coloured tabs on a wooden desk.

UK tax year dates and Self Assessment deadlines for 2026–27

The UK tax year runs 6 April to 5 April. Register by 5 October, file online and pay by 31 January, plus payments on account and Making Tax Digital dates.

A point-of-sale payment terminal printing a detailed till receipt.

UK VAT receipts: What qualifies as a valid tax invoice?

HMRC rules for VAT invoices. The £250 simplified invoice threshold, what details must appear, and why ordinary till receipts fail when reclaiming input VAT.

A person at a desk holding a phone beside an open laptop.

Working from home expenses for sole traders: HMRC flat rate vs actual costs

Claiming working from home costs on your UK Self Assessment? Compare HMRC's £10, £18 and £26 monthly flat rates with actual bills, plus phone and internet.

Consumer rights & returns

What the Consumer Rights Act 2015 guarantees when goods fail, and what counts as proof of purchase.

A shopper completing a purchase at a store counter with a payment card.

Consumer Rights Act 2015: Do you need a receipt for a refund?

You do not need a till receipt for faulty goods in the UK. What counts as statutory proof of purchase, the 30-day rule, and illegal 'no refund' signs.

Three presents wrapped in red and black ribbon on a dark background.

Returning Christmas gifts in the UK: gift receipts, refunds and your rights

Can you return an unwanted Christmas gift without a receipt? What UK law says about gift receipts, faulty presents, online orders and extended returns.

A desk clock and calendar tracking statutory warranty and limitation periods.

Warranty rights in the UK: The 6-year rule under the Limitation Act 1980

Statutory rights vs manufacturer guarantees in the UK. The 30-day right to reject, 6-month fault presumption, and the 6-year Limitation Act 1980 time limit.

A clipboard with purchase documentation and proof of transaction records.

What counts as proof of purchase in the United Kingdom?

Bank statements, order emails, dispatch notes, and loyalty records. What UK retailers must accept as proof of purchase under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Managing receipts

Practical ways to get sole trader expenses and VAT receipts organised and keep them that way.

A person at a desk holding a phone beside an open laptop.

How to automatically forward email receipts (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud)

Set up Gmail, Outlook or iCloud Mail to forward receipts and VAT invoices on their own, so every emailed receipt is kept for HMRC.

For the figures Bilbx applies in the UK, see the tax rules for the UK. These guides are general information, not tax or legal advice. How we research and review them.