MTD ITSA is live — April 2026
Find the right MTD ITSA software for your situation
Every review is verified against the GOV.UK software finder. Every recommendation comes with a clear reason. No marketing fluff. No US-centric tools dressed up as UK options.
Phase 1 is live (April 2026): Sole traders and landlords with income over £50,000 must now submit quarterly updates to HMRC. What you need to do →
Verified April 2026
Our top picks by use case
Every tool below is HMRC-recognised, verified against the GOV.UK software finder, and reviewed via a real trial account.
Best for Sole Traders
FreeAgent
Free with NatWest or RBS business banking, and genuinely excellent for UK freelancers — no affiliate relationship.
Best Free Option
Zoho Books
The best value HMRC-recognised MTD ITSA software — significantly cheaper than Xero or QuickBooks for equivalent compliance.
Best for CIS
Sage
The strongest choice for CIS subcontractors and landlords — the only mainstream tool with full CIS management alongside MTD ITSA.
Best for Migrating
Xero
Full-featured cloud accounting that is HMRC-recognised for MTD ITSA — but priced for businesses, not sole traders.
QuickBooks
HMRC-recognised for MTD ITSA with a polished self-employed tier — though Intuit's US origins occasionally show.
QuickFile
Completely free UK accounting software with HMRC-recognised MTD ITSA support — no catch, no affiliate.
Not sure which software is right for you?
Four questions, one recommendation.
Not sure which MTD ITSA software is right for you?
Answer four questions to get a personalised recommendation.
What best describes you?
What is your approximate annual income from self-employment or property?
What's your monthly budget for accounting software?
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Our recommendation
Read the full review →Why MTDStack
Independent. Verified. Built for UK taxpayers.
Every MTD ITSA software site is either written by vendors, or it lifts its "HMRC-recognised" claims from marketing pages rather than the GOV.UK software finder. We don't do that.
Every tool on this site is verified against the GOV.UK software finder — the only authoritative source for HMRC recognition status. We include tools without an affiliate programme (FreeAgent, QuickFile) because they are genuinely good options for many users, and we say clearly when we earn a commission and when we don't.
About how we review tools →GOV.UK verified
All HMRC recognition claims verified against the GOV.UK software finder — not vendor marketing
GBP pricing
All prices shown in GBP. Verified directly from each tool at the date shown.
Editorial independence
Tools without affiliate programmes (FreeAgent, QuickFile) are included on merit
Trial tested
Every tool reviewed via a real account — screenshots of the actual MTD ITSA submission screen
Head-to-head
Tool comparisons
FreeAgent wins on design and accountant support. QuickFile wins if you need truly free software and ...
Winner: FreeAgent →
Sage wins for CIS subcontractors and multi-property landlords. QuickBooks wins for solo freelancers ...
Winner: Sage →
Sage wins for CIS subcontractors and landlords. Xero wins for businesses that need deep reporting an...
Winner: Sage →
In-depth
MTD ITSA guides
Best MTD ITSA Software UK (2026) — Compared for Sole Traders and Landlords
The 10 best HMRC-recognised Making Tax Digital for Income Tax software options compared — with picks for sole traders, landlords, CIS workers, and budget users.
Read guide →
MTD ITSA Explained (2026 Guide for Sole Traders and Landlords)
What Making Tax Digital for Income Tax actually means, who it applies to, when, and what you need to do now.
Read guide →