The Best Painter App for UK Decorators: Invoicing and Tax Made Simple

The Best Painter App for UK Painters and Decorators

Running a successful painting and decorating business in the UK means wearing many hats. You are not just skilled at your trade — you are also a business owner responsible for quoting jobs, raising invoices, tracking materials, managing clients, and now, under Making Tax Digital, keeping digital records of everything.

The right app can take the administrative burden off your shoulders and let you focus on what you do best.

Why Painters and Decorators Need a Dedicated App

The painting and decorating trade has some specific characteristics that make a general admin tool less useful:

Variable job sizes: From a quick one-day redecoration to a full commercial repaint taking weeks, your invoicing needs to handle wildly different job values with ease.

Material costs: Paint, filler, masking tape, brushes — your material costs vary significantly from job to job and need to be tracked carefully to protect your margins.

Multiple locations: Decorators typically work at different client properties each week. You need to be able to invoice from wherever you are, not wait until you get back to a desk.

Cash and card payments: Many decorating clients pay in cash or by bank transfer. Every payment must be recorded under MTD rules.

Quotes that become invoices: Many jobs start with a quote. Being able to convert an accepted quote directly into an invoice saves duplication.

Essential Features for Painting and Decorating Businesses

Quick Quoting and Invoicing

The best apps for painters let you create a professional quote on-site during the initial survey, and convert it to an invoice with a single tap when the job is done. Include:

Your business name and logo
Client’s full address and contact details
Detailed breakdown of labour and materials
Payment terms (7 days, 14 days, etc.)
Your bank details or payment link

Material Cost Tracking

Track what you spend on paint and materials for each job. This helps you:

Ensure you are charging enough to cover your costs
Identify jobs where materials ran over budget
Claim the correct amount in expenses for tax purposes

Expense Recording

Beyond materials, your deductible expenses as a painter and decorator may include:

Vehicle costs and mileage between jobs
Scaffolding hire or access equipment
Protective clothing (overalls, gloves, safety shoes)
Ladders and tools
Public liability and employer’s liability insurance
Advertising (website, leaflets, social media)
Training and trade association membership

A good app lets you photograph receipts immediately and categorise them correctly.

Client Management

Keep a record of every client with their address, contact number, and email. When a regular client calls for another job, you can raise an invoice in seconds with their details already filled in.

Payment Chasing

Decorators sometimes wait too long to be paid. Set automatic payment reminders so the app chases on your behalf — politely but persistently — without you having to make awkward phone calls.

Making Tax Digital for Painters

As a self-employed painter or decorator, MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment will apply to you if your income exceeds:

£50,000 from April 2026
£30,000 from April 2027
£20,000 from April 2028 (proposed)

Remember: the threshold is based on gross income (turnover) before expenses, not your profit. A busy decorator with £55,000 turnover and £20,000 in materials and running costs still crosses the £50,000 threshold.

Under MTD you will need to:

Keep digital records of all income and expenses
Submit quarterly summaries to HMRC
Complete an annual final declaration

An app that handles invoicing and expense tracking automatically generates the digital records you need — making your quarterly MTD submissions a straightforward review rather than a frantic data entry exercise.

Tips for Running a More Profitable Decorating Business

Quote accurately: Track your time on jobs and compare it to your quotes. If you are consistently undercharging for labour, adjust your rates.

Invoice immediately: Send the invoice the moment the job is finished — ideally before you have left the client’s property. Faster invoicing means faster payment.

Photograph completed work: Taking before and after photographs of every job builds a portfolio for marketing and provides evidence in any dispute about workmanship.

Set clear payment terms: Make your payment terms clear on every quote and invoice. 7 or 14 days is standard for trade work.

Track your best clients: Identify the clients who pay promptly and give you repeat work. These relationships are worth nurturing.

Invoice Guru for Painters and Decorators

Invoice Guru is a mobile invoicing and record-keeping app that works equally well for a sole trader painter just starting out or an established decorating company with multiple staff. Create professional branded invoices, capture material receipts on-site, track your mileage, and maintain the digital records required under MTD — all from your phone.

It is the kind of tool that makes you look more professional to clients and takes the stress out of tax time. With InvoiceGuru, you also get built-in MTD compliance and the ability to create quotes that convert into invoices with a single tap. Try it free and see how much time you can save on the paperwork side of your business.