The paperwork a tradesperson actually hates — mileage, receipts and job costing — done from WhatsApp as the day happens, not at 10pm on a laptop.
17 July 2026 · 6 min read
Ask any tradesperson what they like least and it is rarely the work — it is the admin that piles up behind it. This is a practical look at handling the three worst offenders — mileage, receipts and job costing — from WhatsApp, so the paperwork is done before you get home.
Every trip between jobs, merchants and home is money back at tax time — but only if you record it. Text the trip ("23 miles to the Robinson job") and it is logged against the date at HMRC's 45p/25p rates. Tag domestic versus commercial as you go and the year-end report comes out already separated. Check any figure with the free mileage calculator.
The receipt you will lose is the one already in your pocket. Snap it in WhatsApp at the till and GraftG reads the merchant, total and VAT and files it under materials, tools or fuel — MTD-ready. By the time you have loaded the van it is already in your records, not destined for the footwell. More in the receipt scanner overview.
The £400 quote that turned into £600 of work is where margin quietly disappears. Start the job, text materials as you buy them, and end it — GraftG totals real labour and materials so you can put your quote next to reality and price better next time. It is the same Job Tracker that then raises the invoice in one step.
Plumbers, electricians, builders, carpenters, roofers, plasterers, landscapers, painters and handymen all work slightly differently, and there are tailored pages for each on the for-your-trade section. The engine underneath is the same: message a WhatsApp number, get the admin done.
Mileage, receipts and jobs are three pieces of the bigger picture in managing your whole small business from WhatsApp — alongside quotes, invoices and getting paid. Solo covers the core tools at £14 a month with a free first month; see the pricing page.
You text the trip in plain words, such as "23 miles to the Robinson job", and GraftG logs it against the date and totals it at HMRC’s approved 45p and 25p rates. At year-end your mileage value is a one-click report rather than a spreadsheet rebuild.
Yes. Photograph the receipt in WhatsApp and GraftG reads the merchant, total and VAT, categorises it as materials, tools or fuel and stores it ready for Making Tax Digital.
Yes. The same WhatsApp workflow suits plumbers, electricians, builders, carpenters, roofers, plasterers, landscapers, painters, handymen and other trades, with tailored guidance for each on the for-your-trade pages.
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