Readers’ forum: Deductible expenses against self-employed business

My client is a doctor who for many years has had self-employed and employed income. Her expenses have routinely been deducted from her self-employed income.

Because of the pandemic she only worked for the NHS throughout 2020-21 and that continues to be the case. She has continued to incur costs as before but I am wondering how many of them are deductible from her employment income. Alternatively is it possible to treat the self-employed business as continuing (with no income) and claim sideways loss relief?

The expenses include subscriptions to professional journals such as the British Medical Journal subscriptions to professional bodies such as the General Medical Council (GMC) subscription to the Medical Defence Union (MDU) – which is in effect professional indemnity insurance (PII) – and the cost of attending continuing professional development courses which my client pays for herself.

Readers’...