Property Income Allowance (£1,000) — Claim It or Not?
The first £1,000 of gross property income is tax-free; above that it is an alternative to expenses that forfeits the Section 24 credit. Three worked examples.
The short answer
The first £1,000 of gross property income each year is tax-free — automatically if that is all you receive, or as an alternative to claiming expenses if you receive more. It is a trade-off, not a bonus: claim the allowance and you claim no expenses and no mortgage-interest credit. With any mortgage or real running costs, actual expenses win.
Autocomplete calls it the “property income allowance (up to £1,000)” from the SA105 notes. It is small, useful for tiny lets, and a trap for anyone with a buy-to-let mortgage.
How it works
| Situation | Best route |
|---|---|
| Gross property income £1,000 or less | Fully exempt — no return needed for it (unless you want to claim a loss) |
| Gross income above £1,000, expenses below £1,000 | Claim the allowance (Box 21) — taxable = income minus £1,000 |
| Gross income above £1,000, expenses above £1,000 | Claim actual expenses — taxable = income minus expenses, plus the Section 24 credit |
| Any mortgage interest | Actual method almost always — the allowance forfeits the 20% finance-cost credit |
| Income from a company you (or a relative) control, or from your employer | Allowance not available |
| Rent a Room income | Uses Rent a Room instead — not both on the same income |
Worked examples
Driveway let, £900 a year: under £1,000 — exempt, nothing to report.
Garage let, £1,800 a year, £150 insurance: allowance route taxes £800; expenses route taxes £1,650. Claim the allowance.
Buy-to-let, £12,000 rent, £2,500 expenses, £4,000 interest: allowance route taxes £11,000 with no credit; expenses route taxes £9,500 with an £800 credit. Expenses win by a mile.
Trading allowance is separate
There is a matching £1,000 trading allowance for casual self-employment. They are independent — a landlord with a small side trade can use both.
MTD and the allowance
The £50,000 MTD test is on gross income, so the allowance does not reduce it. Inside MTD you can still claim the allowance at the final declaration.
gov.uk tax-free allowances on property and trading income (£1,000 each, unchanged at Budget 2025); SA105 notes Box 21; MTD gross-income rule. Checked 2026-08-29, re-checked 31 Aug 2026.
Quick answers
A tax-free allowance against gross property income. Under £1,000 you report nothing; above it you can deduct £1,000 instead of your actual expenses.
No — one or the other on the same property business. Claiming the allowance also forfeits the Section 24 mortgage-interest credit.
Not if your gross property income for the year is £1,000 or less and you are not claiming a loss.
Yes to income from letting property you do not live in. A room in your own home uses Rent a Room instead.