Bookkeeping for cleaning companies
Cleaning businesses have steady recurring income and a lot of small costs. Reliable invoicing and tight payroll records keep margins healthy.
- Flat £15 an hour
- No contract
- Qualified UK team
- Pay online in minutes
Bookkeeping for cleaning companies
Your price
4 hours at £15
£60
Set-up fee£0
ContractNone
Regulated firm
Qualified team
Qualified team
Certified advisor
ProAdvisor- FreeAgentSupported software
- 4.9 out of 5300+ Google reviews
The short answer
What does bookkeeping for cleaning companies involve?
Bookkeeping for cleaning companies means keeping contract invoices and payments, payroll and subcontractor records, supplies and equipment purchases and the rest of your records accurate and reconciled. At £15 an hour, a typical cleaning firm with eight staff (about 120 transactions a month) needs about 7 hours a month, which is around £105.
What makes these books different.
Every sector has its own records and rules. These are the ones that matter for cleaning companies.
Recurring contracts
Regular invoices must go out on time and be matched to payments to avoid slipping debtors.
Staff and subcontractors
Cleaners may be employees or subcontractors, which changes how they are paid and recorded.
Supplies and equipment
Chemicals, consumables and machines are frequent small purchases that add up.
Mileage between sites
Travel between jobs is a legitimate cost and needs a log.
£15
an hour, flat
£105
a month for a typical cleaning firm with eight staff
7h
of bookkeeping a month, about 120 transactions a month
0
contract, stop whenever you like
Records we keep for you.
- Contract invoices and payments
- Payroll and subcontractor records
- Supplies and equipment purchases
- Vehicle and fuel costs
- Insurance
- Mileage logs
Rules worth knowing.
Employment status
Whether cleaners are employed or self-employed affects PAYE, National Insurance and holiday pay.
National Minimum Wage
Travel time between jobs can count as working time for minimum wage purposes.
VAT
Commercial cleaning is standard rated, and registration is required above £90,000 of turnover.
General information, not tax advice. Rules change, so check GOV.UK or ask your accountant. Last reviewed November 2026.
A typical month.
A cleaning firm with eight staff with about 120 transactions a month, running payroll. Here is the time it takes and what it costs.
- Core bookkeeping (101 - 250)6h
- Limited company extras0.5h
- Payroll journals0.5h
Each month
£105
Where this sector is most common.
Using ONS business counts for 2026, water and waste is the biggest share of local businesses in these places. We serve all of them online.
- Kensington and Chelsea11% of local businesses, 1.3 times the UK share, about 1,410 firms
- Bromley10% of local businesses, 1.2 times the UK share, about 1,450 firms
- Morden9% of local businesses, 1.2 times the UK share, about 1,055 firms
- Cheltenham9% of local businesses, 1.1 times the UK share, about 490 firms
- Leeds9% of local businesses, 1.1 times the UK share, about 2,700 firms
- Watford9% of local businesses, 1.1 times the UK share, about 450 firms
Clients say it better than we do.
4.9300+ Google reviews of Accotax
“He took the time to explain every step of the process and made a complex situation much easier to understand.”
Hugo Alvarez
Google review of Accotax
“They take the time to understand how our business works and what our needs are.”
Mael Leboucher
Google review of Accotax
“Very prompt in responding to questions and patient with us even when we seem to be slow.”
Mansur Liman
Google review of Accotax
“The work was completed promptly, my tax return was successfully filed.”
Sergey M
Google review of Accotax
cleaning companies: your questions.
Can you chase late-paying clients?
Yes. Our invoicing and credit control service sends reminders and chases overdue invoices on your behalf.
Related sectors.
- Construction and tradesCIS deductions, reverse-charge VAT and job costing for builders and tradespeople.
- Taxi and private hire driversMulti-platform income, vehicle costs and mileage for taxi and private hire drivers.
- Farms and agricultureSeasonal income, subsidies, livestock and the farmers' flat rate scheme.
- Property developersProject costing, development finance and CIS for developers and renovators.
- Holiday lets and Airbnb hostsPlatform payouts, cleaning costs and property income rules for holiday let owners.
- Haulage and transportFuel cards, driver pay, vehicle finance and operator costs for hauliers.
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