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AI invoicing tools for garages and mechanics in the UK

Garages invoice every job on collection, plus fleet and trade accounts monthly. The main jobs for software are quick invoices at the counter, card payments and statements for account customers.

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.

At collection

Invoice with parts and labour separated, MOT fee shown without VAT, and take card payment as the customer collects.

Fleet and trade accounts

Bill accounts monthly with a statement. Statutory interest on late business payments is 8% plus base rate (GOV.UK).

VAT

Most garages are VAT registered. If you're not, keep an eye on the £90,000 threshold with the VAT threshold checker.

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). 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
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
Tide A business account app with invoicing, expense cards and accounting integrations.	Free plan with no plan fee. Smart: £12.49 a month. Pro: £27.49 a month. Max: £69.99 a month. Essential tools for getting started with no monthly plan fee (transaction limits vary by plan).	UK; Tide is authorised by the FCA as an e-money institution. 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

Fast counter invoicing.
Card payment integration.
Statements for accounts.
Making Tax Digital for VAT.

A prompt to start with

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

Write a statement covering note to [fleet customer] for [month]: [x] vehicles serviced, total £[amount], due [date]. Attach the job cards. Under 80 words, British English.

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). Comparing job management apps? Read Tradify vs Jobber. If a business customer pays late, the late payment interest calculator works out the statutory interest you can add, and how to chase a late payment sets out the steps. Over £50,000 turnover? Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has applied since 6 April 2026.

Questions

Is VAT charged on the MOT fee?

No, GOV.UK says you don't pay VAT on the fee. VAT applies to repairs if the garage is registered.

Free option?

Tide and Zoho Books have free plans. Checked 15 October 2026.

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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