Networking Equipment - At Home - Ltd Company Expense?

[Bodger]

I'm in an outside IR35 contract, operating through a Ltd Co.

I want to purchase an SMB NAS to store my company docs, work templates, host a couple of small DB's etc. I'm reasonably comfortable I can do this through Ltd Co as it is purely for business use.

I'm also considering upgrading my home network. Hardwiring LAN cables to improve speeds in my office, purchasing router and switch to segregate my home and business traffic. The purpose is for business, by obviously all my home equipment (TV's, phones, laptops, tablets etc) would all be using the equipment. It would therefore possibly not be viewed as purely business use.

What's the thoughts here? Can I purchase through LTD Co as a business asset? (To be clear, the switch and router, not the networking cable etc)

My Google Fu throws up a lot around broadband costs and phone costs, but not much on networking equipment.

[malvolio]

HMRC Answer is "Does it pass the wholly and exclusively for business use test?". So clearly, no.

CUK answer is "Probably not, because of the HMRC position?". Equally, no.

Chancer's answer is "How will they know?" Depends on your appetite for risk.

Accountant's answer is "Is a fairly tiny saving of a couple of hundred at the most worth the risk of an expenses investigation?". 'Nuff said.

Take your pick. Personally I'm with the accountant.

[Lance]

I buy networking equipment as an IT engineer. Not to run a home office.
If I need to test syslog integration of SOHO firewalls with a SIEM solution then I buy a SOHO firewall.
If I need to test syslog integration of WiFi mesh devices..... etc. etc..

I don't use the devices to run my home network.... honest guv.... they're in a box on a shelf with the company name on.... or they will be if I get an office inspection.... same with for the spare iPhone, Androids, iPads, Yealink Teams phone, laptops and other devices

[b0redom]

What Lance said. I think it's reasonable to assume that if you're allowed a laptop, a mobile phone and Internet for work use, the means to connect them all up are also allowable.

In any case I work in infrastructure so I'm pretty sure I'm on safe ground.

[Bodger]

HMRC Answer is "Does it pass the wholly and exclusively for business use test?". So clearly, no.

Yeah, that's what prompted me to ask. I will be spinning up a couple of VM's hosting various versions of the software I consult on, which is why I'd prefer to segregate my network. HMRC say's 'incidental' usage is OK, but seems pretty vague on what that entails.

In any case I work in infrastructure so I'm pretty sure I'm on safe ground.

I work software consulting, so don't get to use that excuse so broadly :P

[Lance]

Yeah, that's what prompted me to ask. I will be spinning up a couple of VM's hosting various versions of the software I consult on, which is why I'd prefer to segregate my network. HMRC say's 'incidental' usage is OK, but seems pretty vague on what that entails.



I work software consulting, so don't get to use that excuse so broadly :P

So replace the home broadband router with a business router that supports VLAN segregation. Run a cable to your office and use a Gbit switch in there for you NAS connection stuff. All on a private VLAN. The rest of the house uses shared WiFi.
That would be wholly and exclusively for everything except the router but the business is simply providing an equivalent service for personal use, with the entire reason being to provide a segregated business network.

Or you could just plug a business router into the back of the home router to remove all amibuity.

[eek]

So replace the home broadband router with a business router that supports VLAN segregation. Run a cable to your office and use a Gbit switch in there for you NAS connection stuff. All on a private VLAN. The rest of the house uses shared WiFi.
That would be wholly and exclusively for everything except the router but the business is simply providing an equivalent service for personal use, with the entire reason being to provide a segregated business network.

Or you could just plug a business router into the back of the home router to remove all amibuity.

Nope, Double NAT is a bad idea for whole sets of reasons.

It's £2-300. I would just get the company to pay for it and wait for HMRC to call because believe me I doubt HMRC would argue the point for long. You just need to say that it's for data security reasons (in my case it is and I would be pointing HMRC at the FCA requirements if they want to).

[Bodger]

So replace the home broadband router with a business router that supports VLAN segregation. Run a cable to your office and use a Gbit switch in there for you NAS connection stuff. All on a private VLAN. The rest of the house uses shared WiFi.
That would be wholly and exclusively for everything except the router but the business is simply providing an equivalent service for personal use, with the entire reason being to provide a segregated business network.

Or you could just plug a business router into the back of the home router to remove all amibuity.

That is exactly what I am planning. Whilst you're right, I could piggy back off the existing BT router, it's an annoying piece of garbage, so I'd rather not

[PerfectStorm]

I was having a terrible time connecting to Teams calls using my bog standard Virgin router, so I upgraded to a mesh networking system so I could access it properly in the study.

I did it then and I'd do it again.