MTD software for sole traders and landlords
Not yet hands-on tested. This page points to HMRC’s software list and names FreeAgent, QuickBooks and Xero only as products this site has not reviewed. It does not rank them and it does not call any product best.
Key takeaways
- Not yet hands-on tested.
- Product order is not set by commission. No affiliate links are live.
- Use HMRC’s recognised software list before you choose.
- A free bank offer is a bank term. Check it with the bank.
Start with the official list
HMRC publishes software that works with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. That list is the one to use: find compatible software.
FreeAgent, QuickBooks and Xero are widely discussed for sole traders. This site has not run a sample year through any of them. Until that test exists, none of them is described as best, cheapest or easiest.
Prices
A price on a vendor page can change. This site does not copy a price into the data file until it has been checked and dated. Open the vendor’s own pricing page when you compare.
Affiliate links are not switched on. When they are, they will go through one component, with rel="sponsored nofollow", and the disclosure at the top of the page will say so. Affiliate disclosure.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- GOV.UK: Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- GOV.UK: Get ready for MTD, an agent toolkit
- GOV.UK: Reduction of the mandation threshold from £30,000 to £20,000 from April 2028
- GOV.UK: Find software that's compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- GOV.UK: Repossessing your privately rented property after 1 May 2026
- GOV.UK: Renting out your property, guidance for landlords and letting agents
Reviewed by
Christopher Norton
UK Property Tax & Making Tax Digital Specialist
FCCA and Chartered Tax Adviser. Director of Norton and Sons Associates Property Tax Firm. Property tax and MTD compliance since 2005.