Digital Business Card VAT and Expenses in the UK
Short answer
Our prices include UK VAT at the standard rate of 20%: £45 for Brand Presence and £90 for Business Add-ons. You get a receipt by email and can download an invoice from My Orders. A business card is generally a marketing cost, but check with your accountant how to treat it.
Digital Business Cards UK Editorial Team — Buying in the UK
Digital Business Cards UK Editorial Team · Published · Updated
A digital business card is a small purchase, but it still has to go in your books. This guide explains the VAT on our prices, what records our checkout gives you, and how sole traders and limited companies generally treat the cost.
It is general. Tax depends on your circumstances, so check with your accountant before you file.
For the general buying checks, start with our UK buyer's guide to digital business cards.
VAT on our prices
Both plans on this site are priced in pounds with UK VAT included. The standard rate of VAT in the UK is 20%, as set out on GOV.UK's VAT rates page.
| Plan | Price you pay | Of which VAT at 20% | Price before VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Presence | £45.00 | £7.50 | £37.50 |
| Business Add-ons | £90.00 | £15.00 | £75.00 |
The price on the product page is the price you pay, before any coupon code you apply. Nothing is added at checkout.
What our checkout gives you
We only describe what the checkout actually provides.
- A receipt by email. It goes to the email address you enter at checkout.
- An invoice you can download. Sign in to My Orders to see your order and download an invoice. It shows the order number, date, the plan you bought, the tax amount and the total.
- Your details on the order. At checkout you can add your company name and VAT number, and you enter a billing address.
If your accountant needs a full VAT invoice for a VAT return, contact us before you file. We reply within 48 hours.
Can you reclaim the VAT?
If your business is VAT-registered, you can usually reclaim VAT on purchases made for the business. HMRC explains the rules on reclaiming VAT on business expenses. To reclaim, you usually need a valid VAT invoice, so keep your records together.
If your business is not VAT-registered, you cannot reclaim VAT. The full price, including VAT, is your cost.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a business card an allowable expense?
Sole traders and partners
If you are self-employed, you can deduct allowable expenses when working out your taxable profit. GOV.UK lists marketing costs among the allowable expenses in its guide to expenses if you're self-employed, with examples such as advertising and website costs.
A digital business card promotes your business, so it is generally treated in the same way as other marketing costs. The key test is whether the cost is for your business. If you also use the profile for something personal, talk to your accountant about how to treat it.
Limited companies
A limited company works out its taxable profit before Corporation Tax. HMRC explains which costs can be deducted in company expenses you can deduct before paying Corporation Tax. Costs of running the business, such as marketing, are generally revenue expenses that go in the accounts.
As with sole traders, the cost must be for the business. A director's personal use is treated differently.
Check with your accountant
Every business is different. Your accountant can confirm how to treat the cost, which category to use and whether VAT can be reclaimed.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Mixed business and personal use
Most people use a digital business card only for work. If you also use your profile for something personal, the business part and the personal part may need to be treated differently. HMRC's guidance for the self-employed explains that you can only claim the business proportion of a cost used for both. Your accountant can help you decide what is reasonable.
Coupons and discounts
If you use a coupon code at checkout, the discount is taken off before you pay. Your invoice shows the discount, and both the receipt and the invoice show the amount you actually paid. Record that amount, not the full list price. The VAT you can reclaim, if you are VAT-registered, is the VAT on the amount you paid.
If you get a refund
If you request a refund within 14 days of purchase and your profile has not been activated, the money goes back to your original payment method. In your books, the refund reverses the original cost. If you had already reclaimed the VAT, your accountant will adjust it. Our refund and returns policy explains the terms.
One-time payment vs subscription in the books
How you pay also changes how the cost appears in your records.
| One-time payment (this site) | Subscription (other providers) | |
|---|---|---|
| Entries in your books | One entry, once | An entry every month or year |
| VAT records | One receipt and invoice to keep | A receipt or invoice for every payment |
| Budgeting | A known cost | A recurring cost that may change |
| Year-end | Usually falls in one accounting period | Spread across periods |
| Admin | Minimal | Track renewals and price changes |
| Cancelling | Nothing to cancel | Remember to cancel if you stop using it |
For other providers' prices, see vendor site. Our guide to what a digital business card costs in the UK shows how to compare totals over one, three and five years.
Keeping good records
- Save the receipt email in your accounts folder or upload it to your bookkeeping software.
- Download the invoice from My Orders when you buy.
- Note what it is for. "Digital business card, marketing" helps at year-end.
- Keep records for the time HMRC requires. GOV.UK sets out how long to keep records if you are self-employed or run a limited company.
A simple bookkeeping example
Say you are a sole trader who is not VAT-registered and you buy Brand Presence. You record one marketing cost of £45, dated the day you paid, with the receipt attached. If you are VAT-registered, your accountant may record the cost before VAT and the VAT separately, using the figures in the table above. Either way, it is one entry, made once.
Buying for a team
If you buy profiles for colleagues, use the quantity buttons on the product page. All profiles appear on one order, with one receipt and one invoice. For larger teams, tell us about your team before you buy.
What accountants often ask
Accountants usually want to know three things about a purchase like this:
- What it is. A digital profile with a link and QR code, used for marketing.
- Who supplied it. The seller's details are on our terms and conditions.
- What it cost. The total, the VAT and the date, all on the receipt and invoice.
If you are an accountant, our guide for UK accountants shows how practices use a digital business card for client intake.
Choosing a plan
Both plans are a single payment with UK VAT included.
- Brand Presence (£45) suits most sole traders.
- Business Add-ons (£90) adds CRM, Bookings, Enquiries, Contact Leads, Forms and Export.
Start on the online business card page if you mostly share by link.
Frequently asked questions
Do your prices include VAT?
Yes. Both plans include UK VAT. At the standard rate of 20%, £45 includes £7.50 VAT and £90 includes £15.00 VAT.
What do I get for my records?
A receipt by email, and an invoice you can download from My Orders showing the order number, date, plan, tax and total. If your accountant needs a full VAT invoice for a VAT return, contact us before you file.
Can I reclaim the VAT?
If your business is VAT-registered, you can usually reclaim VAT on business purchases with a valid VAT invoice. Check with your accountant. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is it an allowable expense?
A digital business card is generally treated as a marketing cost for the business. GOV.UK lists marketing among allowable expenses for the self-employed. Check with your accountant.
Is a one-time payment easier to account for than a subscription?
Usually. It is one entry with one set of records, rather than a payment every month or year.
Is there a monthly charge to keep the profile live?
No. Both plans are a single payment. There is no renewal fee, so there are no recurring entries to record.
Can I add my company name and VAT number to the order?
Yes. Checkout has fields for your company name and VAT number, as well as your billing address.