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AI invoicing tools for joiners and carpenters in the UK

Joiners often invoice in two ways: direct to homeowners for small jobs, and as a subcontractor to builders for first and second fix. The second means CIS deductions and, if you're VAT registered, reverse-charge invoices. The right app handles both without separate spreadsheets.

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.

Subcontract invoices

Builders deduct CIS from your labour, at 20% if you're registered or 30% if not. Materials you paid for directly are taken off before the deduction (GOV.UK). Show labour and materials separately on every invoice.

VAT

If your taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in a rolling 12 months, you must register (GOV.UK). The VAT threshold checker keeps track.

Deposits and stage payments

For bespoke work, invoice the materials deposit up front, then the balance on fitting.

The options, with prices

Tool	Price and free plan	UK notes and source
YourTradebase Quotes, jobs, invoices and payment reminders for UK tradespeople, with one flat monthly price.	£29 a month, plus £15 a month for each additional user. Two months free if you pay annually. Prices subject to VAT. 30-day free trial, no card required. No free plan; 30-day free trial, no card required.	UK company, prices in pounds plus VAT. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Tradify Job management for tradespeople: quotes, scheduling, timesheets and invoices.	Lite: £34 per user a month. Pro: £37. Plus: £44. Optional Instant Website £10 a month; text messages £0.10 each. 14-day free trial. No free plan; 14-day free trial with all features.	UK pricing in pounds, UK phone support. 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
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
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

What to check before you choose

Labour and materials as separate lines (for CIS).
CIS suffered shown on statements.
Deposit invoices.
Making Tax Digital compatibility.

A prompt to start with

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

Write a short covering email for invoice [number], £[amount], to [builder] for second-fix joinery at [site], with labour £[x] and materials £[y] shown separately for CIS. Ask them to confirm the CIS deduction on the payment statement. Under 90 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. Comparing job management apps? Read Tradify vs Jobber.

Questions

Why split labour and materials?

Because CIS is deducted after taking off materials you paid for directly. Splitting them avoids over-deduction. Try the CIS calculator.

Cheapest option?

YourTradebase is £29 a month plus VAT; FreeAgent is £19 a month for sole traders (excl. VAT) or free with some bank accounts. 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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