Gifts and PR
Are Event Invites, Meals and Experiences Taxable?
Written by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT · Chartered Accountant · Last reviewed 22 October 2026
How it works
A restaurant offering a free tasting menu for a review is paying you in kind. The menu price is income.
A launch event where many guests attend and there is no posting requirement is usually networking, not payment.
Where you would have to pay to attend and you attend for the business, the value may also be a business cost.
Practical record-keeping
Save the invite and note whether posting was required. Screenshots of DMs are fine.
Note the price of the meal or ticket if it is published. If not, a fair estimate is acceptable.
For food creators, meals eaten for content are a grey area — see our guide on claiming food.
According to Waqas Sagar, Chartered Accountant at influencers.accountants, small items add up — twenty £60 meals is £1,200 of income.
Example
Ola gets a £120 tasting menu in return for a reel — she records £120. She also attends a product launch with 200 guests and no brief — nothing to record as income.
Illustrative figures only, based on 2026/27 rules.
What you need to do
- Save invites and briefs.
- Record value where posting is required.
- Keep a note of non-obligated events.
- Ask us about recurring arrangements.
Want us to handle this for you? Our Self Employed Starter package covers registration, your Self Assessment return and expense review. See also our tax on gifted items and our page for food bloggers.
Common mistakes
- 1Ignoring meals because they are consumed.
- 2Recording every invite as income.
- 3No evidence either way.
From our client work: We often see food and lifestyle creators with dozens of small comped meals and no records.
Frequently asked questions
Related questions
Official sources
Not sure where you stand?
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This is general guidance for UK tax residents for the 2026/27 tax year, not personal advice. Speak to us about your situation.
