Guides for UK tradespeople
Straight answers on the paperwork side of running a trades business. Free to read, no signup, no email required.
Most of what goes wrong with trades invoicing is not complicated, it is just badly explained. HMRC guidance is written for accountants, and most invoicing advice online is written for freelancers and consultants who never touch CIS, never quote a stage payment and never have a customer standing in front of them asking what the bill will be.
These guides are written for the UK trades specifically. Where a rule has a genuine grey area, we say so rather than pretending it is simple, and where something is our opinion rather than a requirement, we say that too.
Where most trades lose money on paperwork
- Applying the CIS deduction to the whole invoice instead of the labour element, which quietly hands over money that should be in your account
- Charging VAT on work where the domestic reverse charge applies, or failing to charge it where it does not
- Sending invoices days or weeks after the job, which is the single biggest cause of slow payment
- Leaving bank details off the invoice, so the customer has to ask before they can pay you
- Not getting the quote signed, so the scope of the job is a matter of memory when the bill is questioned
All guides
CIS deductions explained
The 20% and 30% rates, who deducts, and why the deduction never comes off your materials.
VAT domestic reverse charge for construction
When it applies, the end user exemption, and the exact wording your invoice needs.
What to put on a UK invoice
The legal requirements for sole traders, limited companies and VAT invoices, as a checklist.
How to get paid faster as a tradesman
Nine changes to invoicing and chasing that measurably shorten the wait.
Quill is the invoicing app behind these guides
Built for UK trades, works offline, £8.99 a month after a 14-day free trial.