Free Making Tax Digital software: choose by your needs

Start with your situation

Self-employed? Compare free-version products for self-employment. A landlord? Start with UK property support; add foreign property if needed. These filters use HMRC’s listing, not a promise that every feature is free.

Keeping Excel or another spreadsheet? Check bridging products with tax-return support. If you also have PAYE income, pensions or dividends, select those items too. Leave “Count features still in development” off when you need something ready now.

Basis: Find software that works with MTD for Income Tax

Check what the free plan actually pays for

Before choosing, check transaction and property limits, any required bank account, charges per submission, and whether the offer ends. Read the dated conditions below and the vendor’s current terms.

Check the annual return separately from quarterly updates. You can use different products for separate submissions, but they must work together and each submission must use one product. “HMRC-recognised” is not an HMRC recommendation or proof that a free plan covers your whole return.

Basis: Find software that works with MTD for Income Tax

Free options we checked

In our 24 October 2026 snapshot, HMRC's software finder marked 37 of 163 recognised products as having a free version. The following selection includes conditional offers and plans with submission charges. It is not a ranking or a list of entirely free filing services. Each vendor check has its own date; we have not hands-on tested these products.

• Clear Books Free: Sole Trader Free; Property Free (one property or grouped properties); Foreign Property Free (one overseas property). Each includes MTD quarterly updates and year-end filing. No bank feeds, receipt scanning or invoicing. Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.
• Coconut: Free for 2 years if you open a Zempler bank account through Coconut (offer terms apply). Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.
• FreeAgent for free with Mettle, NatWest & RBS: Free while you keep a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business current account, or a Mettle account with at least one transaction a month. Optional add-ons may cost extra. Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.
• Landlord Studio: MTD Go: free for up to 3 units, plus £5 for each MTD submission. Confirm the chargeable submission count for your income sources and any amendments before choosing. HMRC's listing shows this product sends quarterly updates only, not the tax return. Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.
• Pandle: Pandle Free includes MTD IT submissions, according to Pandle's feature table. Bank feeds and receipt uploads need Pro. Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.
• Sage Sole Trader & Landlord Free: Completely free. Includes MTD, 1 bank account, manual receipts, the mobile app and 5 sales invoices a month. Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.
• Tide Accounting: Tide says its MTD for Income Tax features are built into its free business bank account, including quarterly updates and the final declaration. Tide Accounting is an optional paid add-on with a 1-month free trial; we have not recorded its price. HMRC's listing shows this product sends quarterly updates only, not the tax return. Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.
• Zoho: Free plan (£0), for 1 user plus 1 accountant. The expanded MTD for Income Tax panel lists quarterly updates and the final tax return. Confirm your particular tax-return items and usage limits with Zoho. Checked 26 October 2026. Vendor terms.

Before you choose, check two things: that the free plan covers every income source you have, and that it submits your tax return as well as your quarterly updates. A vendor can change or end a free plan at any time.

See all products HMRC lists with a free version.