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 Stapleford (East Midlands) earn an estimated £33,250 per year on average — above the April 2027 threshold of £30,000. Tradespeople in Stapleford often also cover Alfreton, Arnold, Ashbourne and surrounding areas.
The East Midlands offers competitive rates with lower operating costs. Nottingham, Leicester, and Derby drive the majority of trade work.
Lower operating costs mean margins can be better in the East Midlands, but proper expense tracking is still essential for MTD compliance.
Many East Midlands tradespeople will be caught by the £30,000 threshold from April 2027. 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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