Best accounting software for interior designers: what to look for

Design studios mix fees, deposits and purchases on clients' behalf. This is what to look for in software.

By the AvrioBooks team · · 6 min read

Best accounting software for interior designers: what to look for

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check GOV.UK or ask an accountant about your own situation.

An interior design practice earns fees but also buys furniture, fabrics and fittings for clients. Projects run for months, so you need to track income and costs per project and keep deposits straight.

A checklist

  1. Quotes and proposals that turn into invoices.
  2. Deposits and stage payments recorded against each project.
  3. Project profit. Tag income and costs to a project and report on each.
  4. Purchase orders for suppliers, converted to bills when the invoice arrives.
  5. Mark-up on purchases. Decide whether you buy as principal or agent, which affects VAT. Ask your accountant.
  6. Receipts and attachments for samples and deliveries.
  7. VAT and Making Tax Digital if you are registered.

Fees vs purchases

Keep design fees and product sales on separate income accounts so you can see how each performs.

How AvrioBooks fits

Quotes, purchase orders, bills, segments for projects (Standard and above) and VAT returns are included. See accounting software for creatives and purchase order software.

What AvrioBooks does not do: it is accounting software, not a payroll, time-tracking or job-scheduling system, and it has no automatic bank feeds (it imports CSV, OFX, QFX and QIF statements). Use specialist tools for those jobs and bring the figures into your books.

Frequently asked questions

Can I track profit per project?

Yes. Tag income and costs with a segment per project on the Standard plan and above.

Can I raise purchase orders to suppliers?

Yes. Create, send and convert them into bills.

Does AvrioBooks include project time tracking?

No. It is accounting software, so use a time tracker if you bill by the hour.

Written by the AvrioBooks team. We build cloud accounting software for small businesses, freelancers and their accountants, from Qodexify. This article is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Check GOV.UK or ask an accountant about your own situation.
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