The bookkeeping app for heating engineers
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.
“Annual boiler service for Mrs Okafor in Horsforth, £85, and a new pressure relief valve, £24 from the merchant. Twelve miles.”
Made for the way heating engineers work
Due-again reminders for services
Set a 12-month reminder on the invoice and VanBooks tells you when each boiler service is due, with a message ready to book the customer in.
Parts charged on, never forgotten
Add the merchant receipt to the job and charge it on with your markup in a tap.
Landlord certificates and contracts
Repeat invoices for regular contracts, and statements for agents with lots of properties.
Sign-off on your phone
The customer signs the work off on your phone, with before and after photos on the invoice.
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 heating engineers ask
What can a heating engineer claim?
Parts and materials used on jobs, tools and analysers, van costs or mileage, Gas Safe registration and training, workwear and PPE, trade insurance, phone and software.
Does Making Tax Digital apply to me as a heating engineer?
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.
Guides for heating engineers
- How to invoice as a sole trader: what an invoice must include
- What can tradespeople claim as expenses?
- Charging customers for materials: markup, VAT and recharges
- How much tax should I put aside when I'm self-employed?
- Making Tax Digital for sole traders: what changes and when
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?