Free template · No sign-up · HMRC-aligned categories
Free expense tracker for UK tradespeople
Download a free CSV expense tracker with all the HMRC-allowable categories for self-employed UK tradespeople — van, fuel, tools, PPE, insurance, training, materials. Open in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Ready for self-assessment and MTD ITSA digital record-keeping.
HMRC-allowable categories included
Self-employed UK tradespeople claim across nine main categories. Each one is set up as a section in the template, with the most common subcategories pre-filled.
Materials
Plumbing parts, electrical parts, building / decorating materials, consumables. Anything that goes onto a specific customer job and isn't a capital asset.
Tools
Power tools, hand tools, PPE, safety equipment, testing equipment. Items over £100 may be Annual Investment Allowance assets — flag for your accountant.
Vehicle
Fuel / diesel, insurance, servicing, MOT, parking, tolls, vehicle finance or lease. You can claim actual costs OR HMRC's simplified mileage rate (45p first 10,000 miles, 25p after) — not both.
Subscriptions
Trade body membership (Gas Safe, NICEIC, ELECSA, NAPIT, FMB, ECA), public liability insurance, accounting software, mobile phone bills (business portion).
Office
Use of home as office (HMRC flat rate based on hours worked from home, or actual proportion), stationery, printing, postage.
Marketing
Website hosting, Google Ads, social media advertising, print marketing, van signage, business cards. Capital signage on the van may need to be split between revenue and capital.
Training
CPD courses, refresher training, trade qualification renewals (Gas Safe re-assessment, NICEIC continuing competence, Part P reassessment).
Professional fees
Accountant fees, solicitor fees (business-related only), book-keeping services.
Subcontractor
Labour you've paid out to other tradespeople. CIS-registered subcontractor payments should be tracked separately for HMRC monthly returns.
Or skip the spreadsheet entirely
The CSV template works well if you're happy keeping books at the kitchen table on a Sunday night. The faster way: snap a photo of every receipt as you get it. Wedge reads the supplier, date, total, and VAT automatically; assigns the right HMRC category; and stores the receipt against the expense for the five-year retention HMRC expects.
- Save every receipt in a shoebox / glove compartment
- Type each one into a spreadsheet at year-end
- Hope the faded ones are still readable
- Worry whether HMRC would accept the records
- Snap a photo of each receipt in WhatsApp
- Wedge reads supplier, date, total, VAT automatically
- HMRC category assigned in seconds
- Digital records ready for MTD ITSA quarterly submission
1% per paid invoice (capped £50). Expense tracking included free.
Frequently asked
- What expenses can a self-employed UK tradesperson claim?
- Any cost that is wholly and exclusively for the business — materials, tools, PPE, vehicle running costs, insurance, trade memberships, accountant fees, training and CPD, phone and broadband (business portion), and use of home as office. You cannot claim personal costs, food at home, or normal commuting from home to a fixed workplace. The template above covers all the main HMRC categories.
- Do I need to keep receipts?
- Yes — HMRC can ask for evidence up to 5 years and 10 months after the relevant tax year ends. Paper receipts fade; digital scans are accepted. From April 2026, MTD for Income Tax requires digital record-keeping for most sole traders earning £30,000+. Snap a photo of each receipt on WhatsApp and Wedge stores it against the expense entry automatically.
- Is this template MTD ITSA-ready?
- The CSV captures the right information (date, category, amount, VAT, supplier, receipt status) but quarterly MTD submission must go through HMRC-recognised software like FreeAgent, Xero, QuickBooks, or GoSimpleTax. The template is the digital-record-keeping side of MTD; the recognised software does the submission. Wedge produces the same data automatically as you message expenses in WhatsApp.
- Can I claim use of home as office?
- Yes, but with limits. The HMRC simplified flat rate is £10/month for 25–50 hours of business use from home per month, £18/month for 51–100 hours, £26/month for 101+ hours. If you do significantly more than that — for example, full-time admin and quoting — you can claim an actual proportion of household costs (mortgage interest, council tax, utilities) based on rooms and time used. Speak to your accountant for the exact method.
- Can I claim my van fuel?
- Yes. You have two options: claim actual fuel costs (with receipts) plus a proportion of all other vehicle costs (insurance, MOT, servicing, finance), OR claim HMRC's simplified mileage rate of 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p per mile thereafter. You can't switch between methods on the same vehicle in the same year. Wedge tracks both flows.
- Should materials and tools be tracked separately?
- Yes — materials get consumed on a specific job and feed straight into your cost-of-sales; tools are typically capital assets that depreciate or qualify for Annual Investment Allowance. Larger tools (£100+) need separate treatment. The template separates the categories to make year-end submission cleaner.