Hospitality & events
MTD software for mobile caterers and food trucks.
Serve the queue. Keep the records cooking.
Pitch fees, wholesale orders and changing event locations leave little time for a spreadsheet. Avona helps street-food traders organise cash, card settlements and supplies around busy services.
- Who it is for
- Mobile caterers and food trucks 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.
Your full food and drink takings count before ingredients, pitch fees and card charges. A strong festival weekend can raise turnover significantly without producing the same amount of take-home profit.
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 food-truck trading day.
Bring the evidence into Avona, review the suggested categories and check the figures before submitting. These three examples show the records behind your food-truck trading day, shared purchases and card takings from a food-truck service.
| What you bring | How you use Avona | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| £780 for your food-truck trading day £250 spent on ingredients and serving packaging | Connect your bank or import the payment, then upload the invoice or receipt for ingredients and serving packaging. Review the income and the purchase as separate records. | Keep £780 as the sale and the £250 cost separately. The £530 left after this cost is not turnover. Check that the spending is eligible for your business. |
| £100 mixed purchase £80 for ingredients for meals sold at the pitch; £20 for groceries for home | Upload the itemised receipt and review the suggested category. Identify ingredients for meals sold at the pitch separately from groceries for home. | 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. |
| £285 net payout £300 of your sales; £15 processing or platform fees | Import the bank receipt and retain the breakdown for card takings from a food-truck service. Review the original sales and the charge shown on the statement. | Where the £300 represents your sales under the agreement, keep it as income and record the £15 fee separately. Do not add the £285 payout as a second sale. Check any refunds or other adjustments too. |
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 mobile caterers and food trucks. Claim only eligible business costs; mixed use, equipment and your accounting method can change the treatment.
Wholesale ingredients
Business generator fuel
Pitch and event fees
Business gas safety checks
Food packaging
Business van maintenance
One thing to watch
Cash and card need one complete sales record
Keep the till or trading summary and reconcile card settlements after fees. Cash deposited later is a transfer of recorded takings, not a second sale.
HMRC: keeping business records ↗Fit the admin around the work
A routine around your food-truck trading day.
Capture wholesaler invoices, retain event settlement statements and reconcile the day's cash and card income before reviewing the quarter.
Capture the supporting documents
Upload receipts or invoices for ingredients and serving packaging. Keep the date, supplier and amount legible, and distinguish ingredients for meals sold at the pitch from groceries for home.
How document capture works →Reconcile your food-truck trading day payments
Review each customer receipt against the work it covers. Keep the breakdown for card takings from a food-truck service 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 food-truck trading day income is complete, and remove duplicate or personal spending. Keep the evidence for card takings from a food-truck service ready for your annual-return review too.
Before you get started
Questions from mobile caterers and food trucks.
Does MTD apply to everyone in this profession?
No. This page covers mobile caterers and food trucks 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.
What if I use cash takings to buy more ingredients?
Record the original food sales and the ingredient purchase separately. The cash left at the end of the service is not the total sales figure.
How do I record card takings from a food-truck service?
Example: £285 net payout (£300 of your sales; £15 processing or platform fees). Where the £300 represents your sales under the agreement, keep it as income and record the £15 fee separately. Do not add the £285 payout as a second sale. Check any refunds or other adjustments too.
Which bookkeeping issue should I watch for?
Cash and card need one complete sales record. Keep the till or trading summary and reconcile card settlements after fees. Cash deposited later is a transfer of recorded takings, not a second sale.
Can I keep using my existing spreadsheet?
Yes. Bring your food-truck trading day income records and evidence of ingredients and serving packaging 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
Get your food-truck records ready for service.
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.