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AI bookkeeping tools for window cleaners in the UK

A window cleaning round means hundreds of small payments a month, often by bank transfer with whatever reference the customer felt like typing. The costs are fewer but bigger: a water-fed pole system, the van, ladders and insurance. Bookkeeping software that matches payments to customers takes most of the pain out of it.

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.

Matching round payments

Give each customer a reference, such as their house number and street, and ask them to use it. Bank-feed rules in most apps then match payments automatically, and you can see who's behind. Our window cleaner invoicing page covers sending the invoices.

Pure water systems and other equipment

If you use the cash basis, equipment you buy and keep, such as a water-fed pole system or a van, is claimed as an allowable expense; cars go through capital allowances. With traditional accounting you claim capital allowances instead (GOV.UK). Keep the receipt and ask your accountant which applies to you.

Making Tax Digital is coming down

Many rounds turn over less than £50,000, but the threshold falls to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028 (GOV.UK). Starting with software now means no rush later. Zoho Books has a free plan for very small businesses (checked 15 October 2026).

The options, with prices

Tool	Price and free plan	UK notes and source
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
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
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

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 it match bank payments to customers by reference automatically?
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 window cleaning round. Here are this month's bank payments and my customer list with prices: [paste]. Match each payment to a customer, list who hasn't paid and how much they owe, and flag payments I can't match. 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. Round leaflet, missed-clean and soft opt-in prompts: ChatGPT prompts for window cleaners. 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 a water-fed pole system an expense?

On the cash basis, equipment you buy and keep is claimed as an allowable expense; with traditional accounting it goes through capital allowances (GOV.UK). Ask your accountant which you use.

Does Making Tax Digital apply to window cleaners?

It depends on turnover: over £50,000 from April 2026, £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028.

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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