Self-employed painters and decorators will need MTD-compatible digital records from April 2027 when the threshold drops to £30,000. Most decorating businesses operate on tight margins with significant materials costs — paint, wallpaper, fillers, access equipment.
Self-employed painters and decorators will need MTD-compatible digital records from April 2027 when the threshold drops to £30,000. Most decorating businesses operate on tight margins with significant materials costs — paint, wallpaper, fillers, access equipment. Tracking these properly reduces your tax bill and keeps you HMRC-compliant.
Paint-covered hands and a phone full of missed calls between coats. Decorators are on their feet all day and admin happens at 9pm. MTD means those evening catch-ups need to be digital, not scribbled on the back of a Dulux colour chart.
Self-employed painters & decorators in Southampton (South East England) earn an estimated £38,400 per year on average — above the April 2027 threshold of £30,000. Tradespeople in Southampton often also cover Abingdon, Aldershot, Amersham and surrounding areas.
The South East has some of the highest demand for tradespeople outside London, with rates 15-25% above the national average.
Tradespeople in the South East often cover wide rural areas, meaning fuel and vehicle costs are significant deductible expenses.
Many South East tradespeople earn above the £50,000 threshold and will need MTD compliance from April 2026. Common deductible expenses for painters & decorators include: paint, brushes, rollers, dust sheets, masking tape, filler, sandpaper, van, insurance.
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paint, emulsion, gloss, primer, wallpaper, paste, brushes, rollers, trays, dust sheets, masking tape, filler, caulk, sandpaper, sugar soap, scaffold tower hire, van fuel, vehicle costs, insurance
Graft auto-maps all of these to the correct HMRC SA103 categories: Cost of goods, Car/van/travel, Phone/office, Rent/rates/insurance, Advertising, and Other expenses.
If earning over £50,000 from April 2026, or over £30,000 from April 2027. Many full-time decorators will be caught by the £30,000 threshold.
Yes. All materials used on customer jobs — paint, wallpaper, filler, primer — are "Cost of goods" for HMRC purposes.
Reusable equipment like dust sheets, brushes, and rollers are allowable expenses. Consumables and tool replacements are also deductible.
MTD requires digital records of income and expenses. While you do not need per-job breakdowns for HMRC, having them helps you understand profitability. Graft tracks expenses per job automatically.
Graft offers free invoicing, expense tracking, and HMRC-categorised quarterly views — all purpose-built for tradespeople. Pro features cost just £3/month.
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