Self-employed plasterers — from skim coats to full room re-plasters — will need MTD-compatible records from April 2027 if earning over £30,000. Plastering involves daily materials purchases (plaster bags, beads, PVA) that add up quickly.
Self-employed plasterers — from skim coats to full room re-plasters — will need MTD-compatible records from April 2027 if earning over £30,000. Plastering involves daily materials purchases (plaster bags, beads, PVA) that add up quickly. Digital expense tracking ensures you claim everything you are entitled to.
Covered in plaster dust from head to toe, the last thing you want to do is open a laptop. You need an app you can tap twice and move on.
Self-employed plasterers in Eastbourne (South East England) earn an estimated £42,000 per year on average — above the April 2027 threshold of £30,000. Tradespeople in Eastbourne 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 plasterers include: plaster, PVA, beads, scrim tape, mixing drill, trowels, stilts, van, insurance.
Your next quarterly deadline and how long you have to prepare.
Track every job from quote to payment. Kanban board. Drag and drop.
Create and send invoices in seconds. Looks professional. Gets you paid.
Snap receipt photos. Auto-categorise to HMRC categories. Never miss a deduction.
See your Q1–Q4 breakdown with HMRC SA103 categories. Deadline countdowns built in.
All your customers in one place. Call, WhatsApp, track job history.
Built for tradespeople, not accountants. Works from your van in 10 seconds.
| Feature | Graft | Xero | QuickBooks | FreeAgent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Free / £3 Pro | From £15 | From £10 | £19* |
| Built for trades | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Job management | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| HMRC categories | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Quarterly view | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Receipt scanner | ✓ (AI) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile-first | ✓ | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Customer CRM | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
*FreeAgent is free with NatWest/RBS/Mettle business accounts. Otherwise £19/month.
multifinish plaster, bonding plaster, PVA, angle beads, scrim tape, mixing paddles, trowels, hawks, stilts, sanding gear, dust sheets, 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 your qualifying income exceeds £30,000 from April 2027, yes. Most full-time plasterers earn above this threshold.
Yes. Multi-finish, bonding coat, PVA, beads, scrim — all materials are "Cost of goods" for HMRC.
Trowels, hawks, stilts, mixing drills — all replaceable tools are deductible expenses.
Four quarterly updates per year, plus a Final Declaration by 31 January. Graft tracks your quarterly figures automatically.
Graft is completely free for the core CRM and MTD quarterly views. £3/month Pro adds CSV exports for your accountant.
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