The bookkeeping app for builders
Do your books from the van, out loud. Say what you did and VanBooks writes the invoice, logs the costs and miles, and keeps your tax figure up to date.
“Two days' labour on the Hughes extension, £360. Sand and cement from Travis Perkins, £85. Twenty miles.”
Made for the way builders work
CIS done properly
Set your CIS rate once. Invoices take it off your labour, not your materials, and Tax shows the total each contractor kept back.
Deposits and staged invoices
Invoice a deposit from an accepted quote, and take it off the final invoice automatically.
Diary for the next job
Book jobs in, text the customer to confirm, and invoice the job when it's done.
Catch up from your bank
Upload a statement: payments are matched to invoices and card spends become costs.
Also in VanBooks
- Making Tax Digital quarterly updates and VAT returns
- How much to put aside after every payment, and when to pay HMRC
- Mileage worked out from postcodes, 45p and 25p a mile
- A private link for your accountant, or their own sign-in
Questions builders ask
How does CIS affect my tax bill?
The 20% (or 30%) a contractor keeps back is tax you've already paid. It's taken off your tax bill at the end of the year, and often means a refund. VanBooks counts it towards your bill as you go.
Does Making Tax Digital apply to me as a builder?
It depends on your turnover (money in before costs), not profit. It starts in April 2026 if you took over £50,000, April 2027 over £30,000 and April 2028 over £20,000. VanBooks keeps the digital records and sends the quarterly updates.
Can I claim for my van?
Yes. Either claim 45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p after, or the actual costs (fuel, insurance, repairs and the van itself), but not both for the same van. VanBooks works out either and warns you if you mix them.
First month free, then £9 a month
No card needed to start. Cancel any time.
Free tools: tax calculator · mileage calculator · Does MTD apply to me?