Accounting and invoicing for upcycling and restoration
Refurbishing furniture, altering clothes, repairing bikes, selling finds: whoever repairs and refurbishes buys second-hand, works hours and sells or bills. Saldiqo separates purchase, working time and sale and shows what is left of each piece.
What comes up for upcycling and restoration
Buying second-hand
Flea market, classifieds and house clearances: buying often happens without an invoice. Self-made vouchers and notes matter.
Labour and material
Refurbishing takes hours, paint, fittings and fabric. The margin comes from everything together.
Commission and sale
Some pieces are refurbished for customers, others on spec and sold later.
How Saldiqo helps
- Commissioned work with a depositQuote, deposit, final invoice.
- Material per pieceAssign receipts by phone photo to a cost centre.
- Sale by invoiceInvoice for buyers who need one.
- OverviewIncome and expenses per piece.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Refurbish a chest of drawers, sand and varnish
- Reupholster a chair, fabric of choice
- Bicycle repair, labour hour
- Material as per receipt
- Collection and delivery, flat fee
- Deposit 30 % on order
Tax and invoicing in Ireland
What applies to invoices in Ireland, in short. As of October 2026.
- VAT
- Standard rate 23 %, reduced rates 13.5 % and 9 %, 4.8 % for livestock, and 0 %. Since 1 July 2026 a 9 % rate applies to restaurants, catering, hot takeaway food and hairdressing, excluding alcohol and soft drinks.
- VAT registration
- Registration is required above €42,500 a year for services and above €85,000 for goods, if at least 90 % of turnover comes from goods. Saldiqo leaves VAT off your invoices while you are below the threshold and shows how much room is left.
- What goes on an invoice
- Registered businesses show their VAT number. Sole traders and partnerships providing services show their tax reference number, or their full name and address, on invoices and receipts of €7 or more (section 885 TCA). Companies show their name, CRO number and registered office, and directors’ details on letters, order forms and the website.
- Invoice timing
- Issue a VAT invoice within 15 days after the end of the month in which the supply took place.
- E-invoicing
- From 1 November 2028 every business must be able to receive e-invoices. Issuing is phased in: first for suppliers to large corporates, from November 2029 for businesses trading B2B within the EU, and from 1 July 2030 under the EU VAT in the Digital Age rules. A PDF does not count as an e-invoice, and the technical specifications are not yet published.
- VAT returns
- VAT3 returns are filed every two months through ROS, by the 19th of the following month, or the 23rd when you file online through ROS. Saldiqo does not file returns, your accountant or ROS does.
- Record keeping
- Keep records for 6 years, longer while a review is open.
- Late payment
- Interest on late business payments is the ECB main refinancing rate (2.40 % in the second half of 2026) plus 8 points, so 10.40 %, plus fixed compensation of €40, €70 or €100 depending on the amount owed.
- Getting paid
- IBAN and BIC are on every invoice, plus a SEPA QR code (EPC) for banking apps that can read it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I record purchases without an invoice?
You record date, seller and amount in an expense, ideally with a self-made voucher or a photo. Which form your tax office accepts, you clear with your tax adviser.
Can I evaluate single pieces?
Yes, with cost centres per piece or project.
Do upcycling and restoration in Ireland have to charge VAT?
Once they are registered, yes. Registration is required from the sale that takes turnover over €42,500 a year for services or €85,000 for goods, where at least 90 % of turnover comes from goods. Below those limits Saldiqo leaves VAT off your invoices.
Do upcycling and restoration in Ireland need e-invoicing?
Not yet. From 1 November 2028 every business must be able to receive e-invoices. The duty to issue them phases in from the same date for suppliers to large corporates and later for more businesses. PDF invoices do not count as e-invoices.
How long should upcycling and restoration keep invoices?
Keep records for 6 years, longer while a review is open. You can store receipts digitally in Saldiqo. The legal duty to keep records stays with you.
Try Saldiqo for free
Write invoices, match payments, collect receipts and send reminders: free and without a trial period.
Start for freeThis page for other countries
Related niches
- Small businesses and side hustles
- Hobby sellers and market stall beginners
- Soap, candle and cosmetics makers
- Self-employed on the side
- Self-employed in retirement
- Students and early-career starters
- Resellers, sneakers and second-hand
- Virtual assistants and office services
- Childminders, babysitters and childcare
- Etsy sellers and marketplace traders
- Ghostwriters, copywriters and editors
- Founders in the first year
More industries
As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.