MarginTap vs Joist — for Irish VAT and RCT, not US tax.

MarginTap vs Joist — your questions

Joist is free — why pay €9.99/month for MarginTap?

Joist's free tier is genuinely good for a simple English-only estimate and invoice on US/CA tax. You pay for MarginTap when you need Irish VAT done right (per-line, reverse charge, RCT), the same job in PL/DE/EN on one VAT number, and offline-first quoting in a basement. MarginTap also has a free tier — 5 quotes a month, forever — so you can test the Irish-tax handling before paying a cent.

What does MarginTap do that Joist doesn't?

Per-line Irish VAT with the construction reverse charge, the RCT deduction on the invoice, EUR-native pricing, full offline quoting, and the same job rendered in Polish, German and English on one VAT number. Joist is an English-only, US/CA-tax estimate-and-invoice app. MarginTap is built for the Irish and Polish-Irish trade specifically.

What does Joist do that MarginTap doesn't?

Joist has a polished free tier, in-app payments via its US/CA processors, and a long track record with North American contractors. If you're a US/CA contractor invoicing in dollars in English, Joist is a strong, free choice. MarginTap doesn't target that market — it targets Irish and Central-European tradesmen with euro pricing and local tax rules.

Does MarginTap have a quote-to-invoice flow like Joist's?

Yes, and it's the core of the app. The accepted quote converts to an invoice in one tap — numbered, VAT-correct, RCT-aware. The same one-tap flow Joist is known for, but with Irish tax treatment and multilingual documents on the same job instead of English-only US/CA invoices.

Can I take a deposit before starting, like with Joist?

Yes. Convert the accepted quote into a deposit invoice with one tap (set the percentage), and the balance invoice picks up the remainder when you mark the job complete. Per-line Irish VAT applies to both, and the export ties out for your accountant. It works the same on a kitchen fit, a rewire or a multi-trade handyman job.

Should I switch from Joist?

Switch if you invoice in euros, need Irish VAT and RCT handled properly, or send documents in Polish or German. Stay on Joist if you're invoicing US/CA customers in dollars in English and its free tier covers you. For an Irish sole trader, MarginTap's tax handling and multilingual documents are the reasons to move — and the free tier lets you compare side by side first.