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AI bookkeeping tools for roofers in the UK

Roofing bookkeeping has a few costs most trades don't: scaffold hire on almost every job, skips, lead and slate bought in bulk, and weather days that stop work but not the bills. Many roofers also work as CIS subcontractors for builders. Getting those into the right categories as you go makes quarterly updates and the tax return straightforward.

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.

Scaffold hire and CIS

Scaffold is often the biggest cost on a job, so record it against each job to see your real margin. If you pay a scaffolder who only hires it out with no labour, GOV.UK lists that as outside CIS (GOV.UK); scaffolding with erection labour is construction work, so check before you pay. QuickBooks includes CIS on all plans (checked 15 October 2026).

CIS deducted from you

If contractors deduct 20% from your labour, keep every monthly deduction statement and record the gross amount as income. The deductions are set against your tax bill through Self Assessment; see our CIS refund guide and the CIS calculator.

Making Tax Digital and quiet months

Winter weather makes income lumpy, but Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is based on yearly turnover: over £50,000 in 2024 to 2025 means you started on 6 April 2026, with £30,000 from 2027 and £20,000 from 2028 (GOV.UK). Quarterly updates are due 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May; see our Making Tax Digital guide.

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
Sage Accounting UK accounting and payroll software with the Sage Copilot AI assistant included in every plan.	Start: £20 a month. Standard: £43 a month. All excl. VAT. 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 14 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
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). When checked, the first 6 months were 90% off. Payroll £1.50 per person. No free plan; a free trial and introductory discounts are offered.	UK pricing in pounds; Making Tax Digital compatible. 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 scaffold and skip hire against each job?
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 roofing business. Here are this month's bank transactions, receipts and CIS statements: [paste]. Group costs by job, separate scaffold and skip hire, list the CIS deducted by each contractor, and flag anything missing a receipt. 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 report, weather delay and scaffold prompts: ChatGPT prompts for roofers. 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

Is scaffold hire covered by CIS?

GOV.UK lists scaffolding hire with no labour as not covered by CIS. Where the scaffolder also erects it, it's construction work; check with HMRC's guidance.

Do I record the gross or net amount when CIS is deducted?

Record the gross amount as income and keep the deduction statement; the tax deducted is set against your bill.

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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