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\ud83d\udccc In short:<\/b> you bought a laptop, camera, bike or car before<\/i> you officially started your business, and now want to deduct it? If you bought it in the same calendar year<\/b> as your start, you bring it in at its purchase price. If you bought it in an earlier year<\/b>, you bring it in at its market value<\/b> on your start date, meaning what it’s worth on the second-hand market, and amortize that value. This article shows you exactly how.<\/p>\n
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Costs you incur for your business before officially starting are deductible, as long as you incurred them in the same calendar year<\/b> as your business start. A laptop bought in March 2026 for a business starting in June 2026 can therefore be brought in at its purchase value<\/b>, as if your business had bought it.<\/p>\n
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If you bought the asset in an earlier calendar year<\/b> (for example, a laptop bought in 2025 for a business started in 2026), you can no longer deduct it at its purchase price. You can, however, bring it into your business at its value at the moment you start using it professionally. \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n
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If you genuinely start using the asset for your business from your start date, you bring it in at its market value<\/b> on that date: the price at which an equivalent item, in the same condition, sells on the second-hand market. You then amortize that value over the asset’s remaining useful life<\/b>.<\/p>\n
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Think of it like this : the asset has already lived part of its life in your private hands. What goes into your business is what it’s worth today<\/i>, not what it cost back then.<\/p>\n
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\ud83d\udca1 Three things change, one stays the same:<\/b> you adjust the amount<\/b> (market value), the amortization period<\/b> (remaining useful life) and the expense date<\/b> (your start date). You keep the original invoice<\/b> on file as proof of purchase.<\/p>\n
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Look up a few second-hand listings for an item equivalent to yours<\/b> (same model or same specs, similar age and condition), as close as possible to your start date. For a car, you can also use a used-car valuation tool. Pick a cautious value based on those listings<\/b>: prefer prices from completed sales; otherwise, take the lower end of the range or apply a discount, since asking prices are a ceiling. This value shouldn’t exceed your original purchase price. That’s your market value, the amount you bring in. Estimate the remaining useful life<\/b>: the number of months you expect to keep using the asset for your business. That’s your amortization period.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n \ud83d\udca1 Example:<\/b> a laptop bought for 1,500 \u20ac<\/b> on 7 July 2025. Your business starts 16 July 2026. Listings for the same model, in similar condition, are around \u20ac850<\/b> on that date. You therefore bring the laptop in at 850 \u20ac<\/b>, amortized over its remaining useful life, for example 24 months<\/b> if you expect to use it for two more years.<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udcf8 Keep a dated record of your research.<\/b> Take screenshots of the listings with the date and link visible. That’s what backs up your market value if the tax authorities check.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n \n Go to Expenses<\/b> and open (or add) the asset.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Choose the right category<\/b> for the asset (e.g. technology for a laptop, vehicle for a car), so it is booked as an investment and amortized correctly.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Set the amount<\/b> to the market value (in the example, \u20ac850).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Set the expense date<\/b> to your business start date<\/b>, not the original purchase date.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Set the amortization period<\/b> to the remaining useful life (in the example, 24 months).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Set your professional-use percentage<\/b> if you also use the asset privately.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Attach the original invoice and your listing screenshots as supporting documents<\/b>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Click Save<\/b> to clear the “to review” badge so it counts toward your deductible costs.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n \u26a0\ufe0f Keep your original invoice.<\/b> It proves the asset is yours and when you bought it. Only the amount, period and expense date are adjusted to reflect the asset’s market value on your start date.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n \n \n If you bought the asset privately<\/b> (before being VAT-registered), there is no VAT to recover<\/b>: enter the market value with a 0%<\/b> VAT rate, so nothing flows into your VAT return.<\/p>\n \n In Accountable, amortization starts on your business start date<\/b>: the first annual amount is calculated from that date, and the remaining part moves to the last year. The total amount you deduct stays the same. For vehicles, the usual professional-use percentage and CO\u2082 deduction cap apply on top.<\/p>\n \n \u26a0\ufe0f Bringing in an asset bought in an earlier year is a case-by-case judgment call<\/b>. It depends on whether you can genuinely show the asset was put into professional use from your start date, and the tax authorities look at that “intention to use professionally”.<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udea8 Before entering a big-ticket asset (like a car), check with a tax coach.<\/b> Getting the value or period wrong can misstate your deduction.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n For an asset bought in the same calendar year as your start: enter it at its purchase price. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n For an asset bought in an earlier year: you can follow the table below.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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\n\u2699\ufe0f How to enter it in Accountable<\/b><\/h1>\n
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\n\ud83d\ude97 VAT, amortization and cars<\/b><\/h1>\n
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\n\u2728 Recap : <\/b><\/h1>\n
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