Construction & trades
MTD software for landscapers and gardeners.
Make the most of the season. Keep your books growing neatly.
Summer maintenance rounds, landscaping projects and nursery collections leave little desk time. Avona helps organise seasonal customer payments, machinery costs and materials while the work is happening.
- Who it is for
- Landscapers and gardeners working as sole traders, managing their own business records and MTD for Income Tax updates.
- Available now
- Digital records, bank feeds, statement imports, transaction categorisation and quarterly self-employment updates. Pro adds customer invoicing, VAT accounting and reporting.
- Monthly price
- From £15/month for Lite. Pro is £20/month.
- Free trial
- Full access for 7 days. No credit card required.
- Annual-return limitations
- Quarterly updates do not replace your annual tax return. HMRC lists annual-return items including PAYE income, interest, dividends and pensions as in development. Check the listing and confirm support for your income sources before relying on Avona for your annual return.
Making Tax Digital
It’s what comes in.
Before costs go out.
Turf, paving, fencing and plants supplied to customers add to turnover. Winter profit may feel small even when a busy summer has taken annual gross income over an MTD threshold.
Understand Making Tax Digital →When does MTD apply?
Combined qualifying self-employment and property income, before expenses:
- Over £50,000 in 2024/25
- From 6 April 2026
- Over £30,000 in 2025/26
- From 6 April 2027
- Over £20,000 in 2026/27
- From 6 April 2028
Eligibility and exemptions matter. These are income thresholds, not tax-free allowances.
Check HMRC’s eligibility guidance ↗From the work to your records
Clear records for your garden clearance and planting.
Bring the evidence into Avona, review the suggested categories and check the figures before submitting. These three examples show the records behind your garden clearance and planting, shared purchases and cash collected on a garden-maintenance round.
| What you bring | How you use Avona | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| £750 for your garden clearance and planting £240 spent on plants and green-waste disposal | Connect your bank or import the payment, then upload the invoice or receipt for plants and green-waste disposal. Review the income and the purchase as separate records. | Keep £750 as the sale and the £240 cost separately. The £510 left after this cost is not turnover. Check that the spending is eligible for your business. |
| £100 mixed purchase £80 for plants for a landscaping client; £20 for plants for your own patio | Upload the itemised receipt and review the suggested category. Identify plants for a landscaping client separately from plants for your own patio. | Only the eligible £80 business portion belongs in business costs. Exclude the £20 personal purchase, and check that importing both the bank transaction and the receipt has not counted the spending twice. |
| £300 cash takings; £40 spent £260 left to bank after a business purchase | Record cash collected on a garden-maintenance round and retain the receipt for the £40 of business supplies. Reconcile the cash movement with the later bank deposit. | The £260 bank deposit is not the full income. Keep £300 of takings and the £40 purchase separately recorded, and treat banking that same cash as a transfer rather than another sale. |
Keep supporting documents alongside your figures, review business use and apply your accounting method consistently. HMRC: keeping business records ↗
The costs behind your work
Six expenses worth
keeping records for.
Examples for landscapers and gardeners. Claim only eligible business costs; mixed use, equipment and your accounting method can change the treatment.
Commercial mower maintenance
Business machinery fuel
Green waste tipping fees
Nursery stock
Paving and fencing supplies
Protective equipment
One thing to watch
Separate business equipment from your own garden
Tools, fuel and plants used privately need to be excluded or apportioned. A nursery invoice containing both a client's planting order and your own shrubs needs review.
HMRC: allowable business expenses ↗Fit the admin around the work
A routine around your garden clearance and planting.
Capture nursery and disposal receipts on the day, review recurring maintenance income and use the running estimate to plan beyond the busiest months.
Capture the supporting documents
Upload receipts or invoices for plants and green-waste disposal. Keep the date, supplier and amount legible, and distinguish plants for a landscaping client from plants for your own patio.
How document capture works →Reconcile your garden clearance and planting payments
Review each customer receipt against the work it covers. Keep the breakdown for cash collected on a garden-maintenance round available alongside the bank entry, so fees, refunds or timing differences can be explained.
How bank review works →Review before you submit
Review Avona AI’s suggested categories, check that your garden clearance and planting income is complete, and remove duplicate or personal spending. Keep the evidence for cash collected on a garden-maintenance round ready for your annual-return review too.
Before you get started
Questions from landscapers and gardeners.
Does MTD apply to everyone in this profession?
No. This page covers landscapers and gardeners working as sole traders. Your start date depends on combined qualifying self-employment and property income before expenses, and any exemptions. Employment and limited-company work have different reporting arrangements.
Can I treat a garden centre receipt as entirely business spending?
Check each item. A single basket can include plants for a client's border and plants for your own garden. Only the eligible business portion belongs in your business costs.
How do I record cash collected on a garden-maintenance round?
Example: £300 cash takings; £40 spent (£260 left to bank after a business purchase). The £260 bank deposit is not the full income. Keep £300 of takings and the £40 purchase separately recorded, and treat banking that same cash as a transfer rather than another sale.
Which bookkeeping issue should I watch for?
Separate business equipment from your own garden. Tools, fuel and plants used privately need to be excluded or apportioned. A nursery invoice containing both a client's planting order and your own shrubs needs review.
Can I keep using my existing spreadsheet?
Yes. Bring your garden clearance and planting income records and evidence of plants and green-waste disposal into Avona using supported spreadsheet uploads. Check dates, categories, personal spending and duplicates against the original documents before you approve the records.
Do quarterly updates complete my annual tax return?
No. You still need the annual tax return and any relevant adjustments or other income. HMRC currently lists annual-return items including PAYE income, interest, dividends and pensions as in development for Avona. Confirm support for your own income sources and circumstances before relying on Avona for the annual return.
Built for the way you earn
Bring your garden business records together.
Choosing Avona
Your questions, answered.
Can I create customer invoices?
Yes. You can create customer invoices with Avona Pro.
What if I am VAT-registered?
Full VAT accounting is available with Avona Pro, so you can manage your VAT-registered business with Avona.
Can my accountant review my records?
Yes. You can connect your Avona account to your bookkeeper or accountant so they can review your records.
Can I use my phone on site?
Yes. Every feature has a mobile-friendly version, so you can manage your accounts from your phone while you are on the move.
Can I keep using my personal bank account?
Yes. Avona supports Open Banking connections and PDF bank statement uploads. You can clearly separate personal and business transactions to keep your business records organised.