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Straight-talking guides for UK trades.

The tax, pricing and payment rules that decide whether a job makes money — explained properly, in plain English. Free to read here, and the four core guides are free to download as print-ready PDFs.

Tax & VAT

The UK Trade's VAT & CIS Guide

VAT, the Domestic Reverse Charge and CIS on building work: when to register, which rate to charge, and the mistakes that cost trades real money.

Read the guide Pricing

How to Price a Job and Not Lose Money

Hidden costs, markup versus margin, and recovering the overheads most trades forget, so the price you quote is the profit you keep.

Read the guide Quoting

How to Quote a Job Properly

What to put in writing, quote versus estimate, deposits and the terms that protect you, so the number you worked out is the job you actually get.

Read the guide Cashflow

Getting Paid On Time

Deposits, payment terms, late-payment interest and what to do when an invoice goes quiet. Keep the money coming in without the awkward chase.

Read the guide CIS

CIS for Subcontractors, Explained Simply

The Construction Industry Scheme in plain English: the deduction rates, the labour-versus-materials split, and getting your money back from HMRC.

Read the guide Free tools

Trade calculators: VAT, CIS, day rate & margin

Four quick, free calculators for the sums every UK trade needs: add or strip VAT, work out a CIS deduction, turn your overheads into a day rate, and see your real margin.

Open the calculators

More in the Tax & VAT series

Detail pages under the VAT & CIS guides above. The tax rules that decide what a trade actually keeps.

The Domestic Reverse Charge →When you invoice net and the customer accounts for the VAT — and the wording your invoice must carry. The £90,000 VAT Threshold →The rolling 12-month test, the 30-day rule, and the cliff edge for trades working for homeowners. Making Tax Digital for Trades →Live since April 2026 for gross income over £50,000: digital records, quarterly updates, and who joins next. CIS Gross Payment Status →Getting paid with nothing held back: the three tests, the turnover figures, and how trades lose it.

More in the Pricing series

Detail pages under the Pricing guide above. Each takes one part of the price and does it properly.

How to Work Out Your Day Rate →Billable days, real overheads, your own wage and profit: a rate you can defend. Markup vs Margin →A 20% markup is only a 16.7% margin. The conversion that decides what you keep. The Hidden Costs of a Job →Skips, access, making good and your unpaid hours: the per-job checklist.

More in the Quoting series

Three short reads that sit under the Quoting guide above. Each digs into one thing that decides whether a quote makes you money.

Quote vs Estimate →The difference between the two, whether an accepted quote is legally binding, and the cooling-off rule that catches trades out. What to Put in a Quote →Scope, exclusions, the breakdown, payment terms and acceptance: the checklist for a quote that holds up. Handling Variations →Pricing and recording changes before you do the work, without the awkward conversation.

More in the Getting Paid series

Detail pages under the Getting Paid guide above. The money side, done before it goes wrong.

Late Payment Interest →8% plus base rate and fixed compensation for business debts; a clause for homeowners. Should I Take a Deposit? →How to size a deposit fairly, ask without awkwardness, and dodge the cooling-off trap.

The guides teach it.
TradeDraft does it for you.

TradeDraft works out VAT, the Domestic Reverse Charge and CIS automatically on every quote, and shows your margin before you send it. Free for 14 days, no card needed. After that it's £29/month or £290/year, cancel anytime.

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To keep them: the four core guides as print-ready PDFs, plus a one-page job-pricing checklist, all free.

These guides are general information for UK tradespeople, current to the best of our knowledge in 2026. Tax rules, rates and thresholds change, and how they apply depends on your circumstances. They are not tax, accounting or legal advice. Always confirm your position with HMRC or a qualified accountant before relying on them. Questions: hello@tradedraft.co.uk.