Offsetting Losses from a Sole-trader Business Q: I started my own business last year, and due to some significant initial start up costs I made a substantial loss in my first period of trading? Can I claim relief for these losses, and receive a tax refund? A: You have a number of options with regard to claiming relief for your losses, and the amount of tax refunded will depend on the rate of tax you paid in previous years. You can offset the loss against the income you earned in the current or previous tax years. The options available are [...]