Can I claim expenses for business-related PR or media services?

Understanding what counts as PR or media services

Business-related public relations (PR) and media services cover a wide range of activities aimed at building, protecting, or promoting your organisation’s reputation and visibility. In practice, this can include press release writing and distribution, media pitching, crisis communications, reputation management, public affairs support, thought leadership campaigns, podcast or broadcast booking, speechwriting, media training, social media PR support, influencer outreach, event publicity, and ongoing press office services. It may also include the work of communications consultants, retained PR agencies, specialist freelancers, or digital PR firms focused on backlinks and online coverage.

When people ask, “Can I claim expenses for business-related PR or media services?”, what they usually mean is: are these costs deductible for tax purposes as business expenses? The short, practical answer is often “yes, sometimes”, but it depends on why you incurred the cost, what it was for, who benefited from it, and how it connects to your business activities. PR and media spend is rarely controversial when it is clearly promotional and revenue-related, but it can become complicated when it overlaps with personal profile-building, political or lobbying work, capital projects, or entertainment and hospitality.

The basic principle: wholly and exclusively for the business

In many tax systems, including those used by self-employed individuals, partnerships, and companies, a core concept is that an expense must be incurred for the purposes of the trade (or for the business) to be deductible. Put in everyday terms: if you paid for PR or media services to help your business attract customers, retain clients, strengthen your brand, or manage a business crisis, then the cost is much more likely to be claimable. If you paid for PR services primarily to advance your personal reputation, social standing, or private ambitions, then the cost is less likely to be deductible—even if your business “also” benefits.

This is the single most important test to keep in mind: what was the real reason for the expense? PR is a category where the line can be blurred because you may be the face of the business. A founder’s media profile can drive business opportunities, but it can also be personal. To decide whether an expense is properly business-related, you want to be able to explain, with evidence, how the PR activity supported your business objectives (for example, customer acquisition, product launch awareness, investor interest, recruiting, reputation protection, or market entry).

Common PR and media costs that are usually claimable

Many PR and media services are straightforward promotional or protective costs that typically have a clear business purpose. Here are examples that are commonly accepted as business expenses when they relate to your trade:

Press release writing and distribution

Fees paid to PR professionals for drafting, editing, and distributing press releases about genuine business news (product launches, new contracts, awards, milestones, office openings, funding rounds) are usually promotional business expenses. Distribution platform fees can also be claimable if used to reach journalists and publications for business announcements.

Media pitching and press office support

Retainer fees for an agency that pitches stories to journalists, manages enquiries, arranges interviews, and coordinates coverage are typically deductible where the subject matter is your business and the aim is to support trading activity. This is especially true if the work is tied to campaigns with measurable business goals.

Crisis communications and reputation management

When a business faces negative press, online reviews spiralling, allegations affecting trust, or other reputational threats, specialist crisis support can be essential for protecting revenue and operational continuity. Costs for crisis PR, statements, stakeholder communications, and reputation management services are commonly defensible as business expenses, provided the crisis relates to the business rather than purely personal matters.

Media training for business spokespersons

Training that prepares you (or staff) to speak effectively on behalf of the business—especially for interviews about your products, services, sector expertise, or company announcements—often has a business rationale. To keep it clearly claimable, ensure the training is focused on business messaging and company representation rather than general personal development unrelated to the trade.

Thought leadership content for business development

Ghostwriting, article placement support, podcast booking services, and executive profiling may be claimable if the thought leadership is demonstrably tied to the business—e.g., generating inbound leads, supporting a consultancy practice, attracting enterprise clients, or positioning your firm in a market segment. Evidence matters: briefs, published pieces referencing the business, and metrics showing commercial impact can help.

Digital PR campaigns

Digital PR campaigns that aim to secure online coverage, backlinks, and search visibility can be treated similarly to marketing spend. Where the goal is business promotion—improving discoverability, increasing website traffic, supporting e-commerce sales—costs are commonly claimable.

PR services for recruitment and employer branding

PR agencies are sometimes hired to improve an employer brand, publicise hiring campaigns, or position the company as a desirable place to work. If the activity is genuinely to support recruitment and staffing (a business need), it can be treated as a business expense.

Areas where PR expenses become complicated

PR and media costs can drift into grey areas. The most common complications involve (1) mixed personal and business benefit, (2) capital vs revenue treatment, (3) political or lobbying-related spend, and (4) entertainment and hospitality bundled into “PR”. Understanding these risk zones helps you structure engagements and documentation in a way that better supports a business deduction.

Founder profile vs business promotion

If you are a sole trader, consultant, or founder-led business, your personal visibility can be strongly linked to your commercial success. However, tax authorities may scrutinise spending that looks like it is primarily enhancing your personal brand rather than promoting the business. Examples include PR that focuses on your personal lifestyle, awards unrelated to your business activities, or publicity aimed at building fame rather than commercial credibility.

A helpful way to frame this is: would the business pay for this PR if you were not personally involved? If the PR coverage is about the company’s services, the brand, its results, and its commercial offerings, then it is easier to justify. If it is about you as an individual in a way that could be detached from the business, the claim becomes harder. The reality is often mixed, so you may need to apportion costs or avoid claiming the portion that is arguably personal.

PR connected to raising investment

PR around fundraising can be a tricky area because it may be linked to capital transactions rather than day-to-day trading. If PR services are directly connected to securing equity investment—such as campaigns designed to attract investors, manage investment announcements, or facilitate a fundraising round—some tax frameworks may treat costs differently than ordinary marketing. In some cases, certain fundraising-related costs may not be deductible as routine trading expenses, or they may need different treatment in accounts.

That doesn’t mean you can never claim any PR in this context. PR can have multiple aims: it might simultaneously support customer trust and sales while also increasing investor interest. But when the primary purpose is capital raising, you should be prepared for additional complexity in how the cost is treated. If your PR engagement includes both trading promotion and fundraising publicity, consider separating the scope and invoices so you can more clearly allocate what relates to ordinary business promotion.

PR related to a new business launch or brand creation

When you are setting up a new business or creating a new brand identity, there is often a question of whether those costs are “pre-trading” or “startup” costs. Some systems allow certain pre-trading expenses to be claimed once the business begins trading, provided they would have been deductible if incurred during trading and they were incurred within a relevant period. Other systems treat some startup costs differently.

PR at launch often looks like marketing and may be claimable once trading begins, especially if it is aimed at generating customers. But if the PR is part of creating a new asset-like brand identity, or if it is incurred before any trade begins, there may be accounting and tax timing considerations. Keeping clear records of when trading started and what the PR activity aimed to achieve can help your adviser determine the proper treatment.

Lobbying, political PR, and public affairs

Some PR firms also offer public affairs support, lobbying, stakeholder management, and political communications. Costs related to influencing legislation, political campaigning, or party-political objectives are often subject to restrictions in tax deductibility. Even where the activity is “business-motivated” (for example, a regulated business seeking a favourable policy change), the tax treatment can differ from ordinary marketing and may be limited or disallowed depending on local rules.

If your communications budget includes any lobbying or political communications, it is wise to separate those services contractually and on invoices. That makes it easier to classify what is normal business promotion versus what may face restrictions.

Entertainment and hospitality disguised as PR

PR activity sometimes involves relationship-building with journalists, influencers, or event partners. That can include lunches, tickets, hospitality suites, travel, or gifts. While the PR service fee might be deductible as a marketing expense, entertainment and hospitality often has its own rules and is frequently restricted or not deductible, especially for client entertainment. This can create a situation where part of your “PR spend” is claimable and part is not.

A practical approach is to insist on itemised invoices and receipts. If the PR agency bundles entertainment and hospitality into a general retainer, you may struggle to separate deductible and non-deductible portions. Itemisation protects you, improves accuracy, and reduces dispute risk if your records are reviewed.

Revenue expense vs capital expense: why the distinction matters

Many business owners assume that anything “marketing” is automatically a day-to-day expense. Often it is. But sometimes PR work can be treated as capital in nature if it creates an enduring asset or relates directly to a capital transaction. The classic examples are costs associated with acquiring or selling a business, raising share capital, or creating a long-term asset that provides benefit over multiple years in a way that is more than routine promotion.

PR campaigns can be short-term and tactical (for example, a three-week product launch push), which looks like a revenue expense. Or they can be part of a major rebrand or corporate restructuring designed to reposition the company for years to come. The more the PR is linked to a one-off structural event, the more likely it is that accounting treatment might differ from ordinary marketing. This doesn’t automatically mean “not claimable”, but it may affect timing or classification.

In practice, the distinction is handled through your bookkeeping and tax return preparation. If you suspect a PR project is connected to a significant capital event, it is worth getting professional advice so you don’t inadvertently misclassify costs.

Mixed-purpose PR: apportionment and how to do it sensibly

Not all PR spend is cleanly “business only” or “personal only”. For example, imagine a consultant whose personal name is the brand. A PR campaign that secures speaking engagements and profiles might generate both personal prestige and business leads. In many systems, if there is a genuine mixed purpose, you may need to apportion the cost—claiming the portion that relates to business and not claiming the portion that relates to personal benefit.

Apportionment should be reasonable, consistent, and based on evidence. The aim is not to create a perfect scientific calculation, but to arrive at a defensible allocation. Some practical allocation methods include:

1) Scope-based allocation: Split the engagement into clearly defined deliverables, some business-focused (press release distribution, lead-generation articles) and some personal-focused (lifestyle profiling). Claim the business deliverables only.

2) Time-based allocation: If a consultant’s hours are tracked, allocate hours spent on business promotion versus personal profile-building. Claim the business proportion.

3) Campaign-based allocation: If the PR plan includes separate campaigns, allocate costs per campaign and claim only those tied to business objectives.

Where possible, avoid the need for apportionment by structuring contracts so that the work is clearly business-related. Mixed-purpose costs are not automatically disallowed, but they are more likely to be challenged and more difficult to defend without strong documentation.

Examples: when PR expenses are likely claimable

Realistic examples help clarify the boundary. Here are scenarios where PR and media services are usually easier to justify as business expenses:

Example 1: Product launch campaign

A software company hires a PR agency to announce a new product version, pitch the story to relevant industry publications, arrange demos with journalists, and coordinate a launch-day press release. The goal is to drive subscriptions. This is a typical promotional expense aligned with revenue generation.

Example 2: Crisis support after operational disruption

A food business experiences a supply-chain issue that causes cancellations and customer complaints. The firm hires a crisis PR consultant to manage communications, draft customer statements, liaise with the media, and protect brand trust. Because the crisis relates to business operations and revenue, the expense has a clear business purpose.

Example 3: Media training for the sales lead and CEO

A consultancy plans to appear on a business podcast and in trade press. They pay for media training focused on messaging, handling difficult questions about services, and presenting case studies. The training is directly connected to business representation and client acquisition.

Example 4: Digital PR for search visibility

An e-commerce business pays for digital PR campaigns to earn coverage and backlinks that improve search rankings and increase traffic. The direct aim is commercial growth through improved visibility, making it akin to marketing.

Examples: when PR expenses are at higher risk of being disallowed

Now consider cases where claiming the cost becomes more difficult:

Example 1: Lifestyle PR unrelated to the business

A business owner hires a PR agency to secure coverage in lifestyle magazines focusing on personal fashion, travel, or social life, with minimal reference to the company’s products or services. Even if the owner believes “fame helps business,” the link to trade is weak and the personal benefit is dominant.

Example 2: Reputation management for a personal dispute

An individual uses a PR consultant to manage negative press arising from a personal relationship issue or a private matter not connected to business operations. Even if the person runs a business, the expense is personal in nature.

Example 3: Entertainment-heavy “PR” with poor records

A company pays a PR firm that includes event tickets and hospitality to “build media relationships,” but the invoices are not itemised and there is no clear business outcome or campaign plan. Even if some of the spend is arguably business-related, the lack of documentation and entertainment-heavy nature increases risk.

Example 4: Political campaigning

A business owner funds a communications campaign to support a political candidate or party, believing it will create a better environment for their industry. Political spend often has special restrictions and is typically not treated the same as normal marketing.

What about media buying, advertorials, and sponsored content?

PR and advertising sometimes overlap. If you pay for advertorials, sponsored articles, or media placements that are clearly labelled as paid promotion, these costs often fall under advertising/marketing spend and can be easier to classify. Likewise, media buying (paying for ad space, display ads, paid social amplification) is typically deductible when used to generate business leads or sales.

The key difference is that advertising is explicitly promotional and paid for; PR is often earned media and reputation-driven. For tax purposes, both can be claimable if they are incurred for business promotion, but the documentation and the “personal benefit” question often looms larger with PR because it can elevate individuals as much as businesses.

Influencer campaigns and social media PR

Modern PR includes influencer outreach, creator partnerships, gifting, affiliate arrangements, and social media amplification. Whether you can claim these expenses depends on the same underlying principle: are they for business purposes?

Payments to influencers for sponsored posts promoting your products are typically marketing costs. Gifting products to influencers can also be a business cost, but the tax treatment may vary depending on whether the gift is promotional stock, whether it triggers any reporting obligations, and whether it is considered entertainment. If the “gift” is essentially a marketing sample used to generate coverage or content, the business purpose is easier to demonstrate. Again, itemisation and documentation matter.

How to document PR and media expenses so they are defensible

Good records are what turn a “maybe” into a “more likely”. PR spend is often narrative-driven—strategy, messaging, relationships—so documentation that shows business intent is especially useful. Here are practical steps that strengthen your position:

Keep a clear brief and scope of work

Save the proposal, contract, statement of work, and campaign brief. These should show the business objectives (lead generation, product launch, reputation protection), the target audience (industry press, customers, partners), and the deliverables.

Ensure invoices are detailed

Ask for invoices that describe services provided and the period covered. If the engagement includes multiple elements (PR retainer, media training, event costs, hospitality), request itemisation. If you later need to explain the expense, a vague invoice that says “PR services” is less helpful than one that specifies deliverables.

Keep evidence of outputs

Keep copies or links to press coverage, published articles, podcast appearances, press releases, media lists, and campaign reports. For digital PR, keep performance metrics such as coverage lists, domain mentions, backlinks, traffic impact, and lead enquiries attributable to the campaign.

Record the business rationale for borderline items

If you are the face of the business and the PR includes profiling you personally, write a short internal note explaining how the activity ties to business development. For example: “This interview positions our consultancy in the supply-chain sector and includes a call-to-action to our services.” If the coverage does not include the business, it is harder to argue the cost is for the trade.

Separate personal PR from business PR

If you want personal PR, keep it separate. Use separate contracts and separate payments. When you blend them, you create risk for the entire claim.

PR retainers vs one-off projects: does it change claimability?

The structure of the engagement (monthly retainer vs one-off project) does not automatically change whether the cost is deductible, but it can influence how easy it is to evidence. Retainers sometimes become “always on” and vague, which can make it harder to demonstrate what you got for your money if questioned. One-off projects usually have clearer deliverables.

If you use a retainer, you can strengthen your records by keeping monthly reports, coverage summaries, and written updates on actions taken. If the retainer includes strategy time, keep meeting notes and plans that show the strategic work is tied to business goals.

What if the PR service is overseas?

Hiring an overseas PR agency or consultant does not usually prevent the cost from being claimable, but it can introduce practical considerations such as VAT/GST rules, withholding taxes in some jurisdictions, and the need to keep proper invoices that meet your local bookkeeping requirements. From a deductibility standpoint, the key question remains whether the expense was incurred for business purposes.

If you operate internationally and pay for PR in a foreign market to generate customers there, the business link may be quite strong. Just ensure you keep clear evidence that the work was targeted at your business’s commercial activities rather than personal travel or lifestyle promotion.

PR expenses for freelancers, sole traders, and limited companies

The legal structure of your business can affect how PR expenses are treated in practice. Sole traders and partners are often scrutinised for personal-benefit expenses because there is less separation between individual and business. Limited companies create more formal separation, but the “purpose” test still applies: the company must incur the expense for the purposes of its trade.

If a company pays for PR that mainly benefits a director personally, it can raise additional issues, such as whether the cost is a business expense at all and whether it represents a benefit to the individual. That can lead to extra tax consequences beyond simply disallowing the expense.

In any structure, the safest approach is to ensure the PR relates clearly to the business brand, products, services, or operational reputation. Where the PR necessarily involves an individual spokesperson, ensure the content and deliverables still serve the business mission.

Can you claim PR costs for awards and industry recognition?

Awards can be promotional tools, but the claimability depends on what the award is and who it benefits. Costs might include entry fees, PR support to promote an award win, and agency time to prepare submissions. When awards are industry-related and tied to business credibility—such as “best provider” in a trade category—they can have a strong business rationale. If the award is primarily personal or unrelated to the business trade, the connection weakens.

Where award activity is business-focused, keep copies of submissions, categories entered, and any promotional outputs. If PR was used to publicise a win, keep the press releases and coverage. Those records help show the expense was part of business promotion.

Can you claim PR related to events and conferences?

PR around events can include promoting a conference you are hosting, publicising your attendance, arranging speaking slots, and coordinating press coverage. If the event is clearly business-related—trade shows, product demos, networking events for client acquisition—then PR support is commonly a business expense. But if the event is primarily social, luxury, or personal, the expense becomes harder to justify.

Be careful when events involve travel and hospitality. Even if the PR services are claimable, some associated costs might face restrictions. Keep PR invoices separate from hospitality and travel where possible.

Practical checklist before you claim PR or media expenses

If you want to claim PR or media services as a business expense, run through this checklist:

1) What is the commercial purpose? Can you describe the business goal in one sentence (e.g., “increase sales in sector X,” “manage reputational risk following a product recall,” “support recruitment for key roles”)?

2) Is the PR content about the business? Does the work promote your products/services, your company, or your business expertise in a way that drives trade?

3) Is there personal benefit? If yes, is it incidental to the business objective, or is it a major driver? If major, consider apportioning or not claiming that portion.

4) Are invoices itemised? Can you separate service fees from entertainment, hospitality, or unrelated add-ons?

5) Do you have evidence of outputs? Coverage links, campaign reports, press releases, media training agendas, and results.

6) Is any part political or fundraising-related? If yes, consider separate treatment and get professional advice if needed.

How to structure PR engagements to maximise clarity

You can often reduce uncertainty by structuring PR services in a way that clearly aligns with business promotion. Some practical structuring ideas include:

Use defined deliverables: For example, “two press releases, monthly coverage report, four media pitches per month, crisis response plan.” Defined deliverables make it easier to demonstrate business value.

Separate personal branding from corporate PR: If you want both, use separate workstreams with separate pricing. That makes it easier to claim the business portion and pay personally for the personal portion.

Keep PR and hospitality separate: Ask the agency to invoice hospitality and entertainment separately, or pay those items directly so you can handle their classification accurately.

Document strategy decisions: Save campaign plans and meeting notes showing how PR supports commercial objectives, not merely visibility for its own sake.

What to do if you’re unsure

Because tax rules vary by jurisdiction and depend on the facts, uncertainty is normal—especially for founder-led businesses where the individual and brand are closely linked. If you are unsure whether a PR or media expense is claimable, the best practical approach is to (1) gather documentation showing the business rationale, (2) separate and itemise costs where possible, and (3) consider conservative treatment for any portion that looks personal or entertainment-based.

If the amount is significant, or if the PR is tied to fundraising, acquisitions, political engagement, or a major rebrand, professional advice is especially useful. The goal is not just to “claim more,” but to claim correctly and defensibly, reducing risk later.

Key takeaways

Most business-related PR and media services can be claimed as expenses when they are genuinely incurred to promote your trade, attract customers, protect your commercial reputation, or support business operations. Press releases, media outreach, crisis communications, digital PR, and business-focused media training are often straightforward. The challenges arise when PR overlaps with personal branding, includes entertainment and hospitality, relates to political lobbying, or is connected primarily to capital activities such as raising investment.

The strongest claims are supported by clear business purpose, detailed invoices, and evidence of outputs. If you can show that your PR spend was designed to generate or protect business income, you are in a far better position to claim it appropriately.