Right, let's talk about expenses.
You're pulling in good money as a sole trader - builder, plumber, electrician, landscaper - but keeping track of what you're spending is one of those things that's easy to let slide. Materials, diesel, food on site, tools when they wear out - the costs add up fast, and Revenue will want to see them if they ever come looking.
Nothing was built with the job in mind.
What Counts as a Business Expense
The basics most sole traders can claim: Materials and supplies - timber, plumbing fittings, electrical wire, whatever the job needs. Fully claimable. Vehicle costs - fuel, servicing, insurance on a work vehicle. Keep your fuel receipts. Tools and equipment - anything you buy to do the job. Phone and insurance - a portion of your phone bill, your public liability cover.
These add up to thousands of euros a year in legitimate deductions. The only catch is you need the receipts to back them up.
How Most People Handle It
A biro and a piece of paper is still the go-to for a lot of lads. Others take photos on their phone and plan to sort them later. A lot of sole traders hand everything to their accountant once or twice a year - which works fine, but accountants charge for that time.
The common thread is that receipts go missing, piles build up, and by the time you sit down to deal with it, it's a bigger job than it needed to be.
One Thing Worth Knowing
Revenue fully accepts digital records. A photo of a receipt taken on your phone is a valid record - once it's clear and a true copy of the original, you're covered. You don't need to hold on to the paper.
That alone changes things. It means the phone already in your pocket is all you need to stay on top of your expenses - if you've got a way to make it quick and easy.
How Graft Fits In
Graft works through WhatsApp. You take a photo of a receipt and send it as a message - the same as sending a photo to anyone. It reads the receipt, pulls out the date, amount, and VAT, and stores it. That's the whole thing.
No app to download, no setup, no learning curve. It doesn't ask you to change anything about how you already work - just use WhatsApp the way you already do.
By the time you need your records - for your accountant, for a VAT return, for Revenue - everything's already there. We're in early access if you want to be first in: graftr.ie
One more thing: every receipt you send through Graft goes straight into your own Google Drive - nobody at Graft can see it. Your financial data is yours, stored in your own account, accessible whenever you need it.