Industry demo · AI businesses
The numbers an AI business actually needs.
AI startups and founders who run their business with AI tools get the usual books and tax, plus reports built for how they spend and earn: compute, AI tools, margins, runway and R&D.
Example company: Lumen Labs AI Ltd
A UK AI startup selling an AI assistant to businesses in the UK, Europe and the USA. Engineers in Malaysia, customers paying in GBP, EUR and USD.
See exactly where your AI money goes
Every compute, model and AI tool bill, by supplier and month, read from your bank feed and receipts. Tools nobody has used for 60 days are flagged, and overseas suppliers are handled for VAT.
| Item | Type | Supplier in | This month | Last month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud GPU compute | Compute | USA | £6,400 | £5,200 |
| Model API usage | Compute | USA | £3,100 | £2,700 |
| Vector database | Compute | Europe | £450 | £450 |
| Coding assistants (6 seats) | AI tools | USA | £228 | £228 |
| Design and content tools | AI tools | Europe | £96 | £96 |
| Meeting notes toolUnused 74 days | AI tools | USA | £40 | £40 |
| Transcription toolUnused 61 days | AI tools | USA | £25 | £25 |
| Total | £10,339 | £8,739 | ||
Up £1,600 on last month, mostly GPU compute. Tools bought from overseas suppliers are flagged for VAT reverse charge automatically.
Know which customers make you money
Revenue against the compute each customer actually uses, so you can spot a plan that is priced too low before it hurts your margin.
| Customer | Revenue | Compute | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour LogisticsUK | £5,200 | £1,650 | 68.3% |
| Nordvik BankEurope | £4,100 | £1,120 | 72.7% |
| Brightpath RetailUSA | £2,900 | £2,180 | 24.8% |
| Small plans (38 customers)Mixed | £3,600 | £1,200 | 66.7% |
Brightpath Retail uses far more compute than its plan covers. A further £3,800 of compute went on research and testing, not on any one customer.
The SaaS metrics investors ask for
MRR, ARR, retention, churn and payback, calculated from your books rather than a spreadsheet you keep by hand.
How long your cash will last
Your monthly burn and runway, updated as bills and payments come in. Ting CFO can model hires, price changes and fundraising on top.
- Staff
- £28,500
- AI and software
- £10,339
- Other costs
- £7,961
- Monthly costs
- £46,800
- Less revenue (MRR)
- −£15,800
At this burn, cash lasts about 13.2 months. Ting CFO can test hiring and fundraising plans against it.
R&D costs tracked all year, not in a rush at year end
Staff time, compute and contractor costs tagged as you go, with the evidence attached. A Ting tax professional reviews it before any claim.
Staff on qualifying projects
Timesheets linked from Ting HR
£186,000Evidence completeCloud compute and data
Matched to supplier invoices
£71,000Evidence completeOverseas contractors (Malaysia)
Overseas work rules to check with your Ting tax professional
£42,000Needs reviewSoftware licences
3 invoices still to upload
£9,000Missing documents
A Ting tax professional decides what qualifies before anything is claimed.
Running your business with AI tools? Keep it simple.
Solo founders and small teams get a one-screen dashboard on their phone: cash, tax set aside, money in and out, and what to do this week.
To do this week
- Upload 4 receipts for card spend
- Approve the invoice to Riverside College
- Cancel or keep 2 AI tools you have not used for 60 days
Want this for your business?
Create a free account and a Ting expert will set it up with your real numbers — or talk to us first.