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AI bookkeeping tools for removal firms in the UK

Removals firms have a bookkeeping mix most trades don't: large vehicle costs, crew wages, packing materials, monthly storage income and deposits taken weeks before the move. Getting deposits and balances against the right move date shows which jobs actually made money.

Prices were re-checked on each provider's own page; the date is next to each one. Rules and figures from GOV.UK are linked where they're used.

Deposits and balances

Record the deposit when it's paid and link it to the move, then the balance. Your books then show what's been paid for moves that haven't happened yet, which matters if a customer cancels. Storage billed monthly is best set up as a repeat invoice.

Vehicles and licences

If you run lorries or vans over 3,500kg gross plated weight, you need a goods vehicle operator's licence (GOV.UK). Record the licence, tachograph, fuel, tolls and maintenance against each vehicle. On the cash basis, vans and lorries you buy are claimed as allowable expenses; with traditional accounting they go through capital allowances (GOV.UK).

Crew and packing materials

Wages for casual crew go through payroll if they're employees; boxes and tape you sell to customers are income, while what you use on jobs is a cost. If you run payroll, check on the pricing page whether your accounting app includes it or charges extra.

The options, with prices

Tool	Price and free plan	UK notes and source
QuickBooks Cloud accounting with invoicing, expenses and VAT, plus Intuit Intelligence AI features (some in beta).	Plans: Sole Trader Plus, Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced, each with a 30-day free trial. All include CIS calculation and submission; VAT submission isn't in Sole Trader Plus. Prices load dynamically on the UK pricing page, so check the current figure there. No free plan; 30-day free trial.	UK pricing in pounds. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Xero Cloud accounting for invoices, bank feeds, VAT and payroll, with AI-assisted features.	Ignite: £18 a month. Grow: £39. Comprehensive: £55. Ultimate: £70 (all excl. VAT, paid monthly). When checked, the first 6 months were 90% off. Payroll £1.50 per person a month. No free plan; a free trial and introductory discounts are offered.	UK pricing in pounds; Making Tax Digital compatible. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Sage Accounting UK accounting and payroll software with the Sage Copilot AI assistant included in every plan.	Start: £20 a month. Standard: £43. Plus: £59. All excl. VAT, paid monthly with no long-term contract. Offer when checked: 90% off for 6 months. No free plan; introductory discount instead.	UK company, pounds, Making Tax Digital and CIS support. Source, checked 15 October 2026
FreeAgent UK accounting software for sole traders, partnerships and small companies.	Sole traders: £19 a month. Limited companies: £33 a month or £330 a year. All excl. VAT, with 50% off the first six months when checked. Free with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account, or Mettle (conditions apply). Free for eligible NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle customers; otherwise a 30-day free trial.	UK company, pounds. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Zoho Books Accounting software with a free plan for very small businesses and paid UK plans.	Free: £0. Standard: £12 a month (£10 billed annually). Professional: £24 (£20). Premium: £30 (£25). Per organisation. Free plan for sole traders and micro businesses.	UK pricing in pounds. Source, checked 15 October 2026

What to check before you choose

Is it on HMRC's list of software that works with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax? Check HMRC's finder, not only the provider's page.
Does it read receipts from a photo and match them to your bank feed?
Can you track costs per vehicle and per move?
Introductory discounts: budget for the full price (FreeAgent, Xero and Sage all had offers when checked on 14 and 15 October 2026).
Can your accountant log in?

A prompt to start with

Paste this into ChatGPT or Claude, filling in the brackets:

You're helping me with bookkeeping for my removals business. Here are this month's moves, deposits, balances and costs: [paste]. For each move, list deposit, balance, fuel, crew and packing costs and the margin. List deposits held for future moves and any unpaid storage. Don't give tax advice.

Free tools

Price a job with the quote and VAT calculator (20%, 5%, 0% and reverse charge), or work out your day rate (see how much to charge per hour). Near the VAT threshold? Use the VAT threshold checker and read should I register for VAT? Already registered? See if the VAT Flat Rate Scheme calculator would save you money. Survey quote, liability and waste prompts: ChatGPT prompts for removal firms. Estimate your tax bill with the self-employed tax calculator, see what you owe in January and July with the payments on account calculator, or see whether a company would leave you better off with the sole trader vs limited company calculator. Over £50,000 turnover? Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has applied since 6 April 2026; check your date with the Making Tax Digital checker.

Questions

Do I need an operator's licence for a removal van?

For a lorry or van over 3,500kg gross plated weight, yes, according to GOV.UK. Below that weight you don't need one, though GOV.UK has a separate rule for vehicles with no plated weight.

How should I record deposits?

Record each deposit against its move date so you can see money held for moves that haven't happened yet. Ask your accountant how to treat deposits at your year end.

Are these prices in pounds?

Not all. Where a provider only publishes US dollar prices we show dollars, so check the price in pounds at checkout.

Do you get paid if I sign up?

Some links may become affiliate links, and we'll label them when they do. It doesn't change what we list. See how we make money.

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