As the UK prepares for the full rollout of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA), landlords face increasing pressure to digitise their tax reporting. With new rules requiring digital record-keeping and quarterly submissions, choosing the right software has become essential for compliance and peace of mind.
To help property owners navigate the options, experts have reviewed dozens of MTD-compatible tools and identified the Top 3 MTD software solutions for landlords. Whether you’re managing a single buy-to-let property or a large portfolio, these platforms offer reliable, HMRC-recognised features designed to simplify digital tax management.
RentalBux
RentalBux is a comprehensive platform designed to help landlords manage their properties, tenants, finances, and tax obligations in one place. The software is HMRC-recognised for UK property income and will soon extend support to self-employment and foreign property income. With its all-in-one functionality, RentalBux provides landlords with everything they need to stay organised and compliant under the Making Tax Digital (MTD) regime.
- Best for: Landlords with UK property income, including Buy-to-Let, HMOs, and commercial properties
- Cost: Free for one property unit until April 2028
- Accreditation: HMRC-recognised for UK property income; hosted on secure data centres with enterprise-grade Microsoft systems, up-to-date antivirus protection, and Cisco Systems remote access security
- Trial/Freemium: Free trial version available
- Built by Accountants for Landlords & Sole Traders: Rental Bux is developed by experienced accountants who specialise in landlord and sole trader accounting. Every feature is thoughtfully designed to tackle the real-world challenges faced by landlords and sole traders, making the software both intuitive and practical.
- HMRC-Recognised for Making Tax Digital (MTD): As an HMRC-recognised software for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for property income and self-employment business, RentalBux guarantees compliance with the latest tax regulations. This helps landlords, Sole Traders, agents, and property managers stay on the right side of tax law with automated submissions and error-free reporting.
- End-to-End Property & Accounting Solution: Unlike fragmented tools, RentalBux combines property management and accounting in a single platform. From managing tenants, rent collection, and property maintenance to bookkeeping, tax filing, and financial reporting, it eliminates the need for multiple systems.
- Property-Centric Accounting with Joint Ownership Support: Traditional accounting software often struggles with the unique complexities of property management. Rental Bux is specifically designed to handle multiple portfolios, including the needs of joint ownership, allowing you to manage several owners and properties seamlessly.
- Pre-Built Chart of Accounts: Rental Bux comes with a pre-built chart of accounts tailored specifically for property businesses and self-employment income, saving you time and effort during setup. It’s designed to help you get started quickly, with categories that align with HMRC requirements and real-world property management needs.
- Time-Saving Automation: From recurring invoices and bank feeds to automated reconciliations, Rental Bux reduces manual work. This enables sole traders and property owners to focus on growing their property business, rather than spending hours on administrative tasks.
- Free MTD Software for Sole Traders & Landlords: If you're a sole trader with one self-employment business or a landlord with a single property, you may be eligible to use Rental Bux, a free HMRC-recognised MTD software solution. You can upgrade later for complex needs.
- User-Friendly for Non-Accountants: While Rental Bux is built to meet professional accounting standards & MTD, it’s designed to be simple and accessible for landlords, sole traders, and property managers with no accounting or tax background. With guided workflows, clear dashboards, and an intuitive interface, managing your finances becomes easy—no jargon, no confusion, just straightforward tools that work.
Exclusive Features Only on RentalBux
- Full MTD Compatibility & HMRC Recognised: RentalBux is fully recognised by HMRC for all MTD components, including income from UK property, income from foreign property and income from self-employment.
This comprehensive level of recognition is rare, even among leading accounting platforms — popular names like Sage, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent currently lack full approval across all three modules. - Exclusive Offer for UK Property Accountants Clients: Free Access Until March 2028:
UKPA clients receive complimentary access to RentalBux’s MTD and accounting modules until March 2028.
- Includes full MTD compliance and accounting tools at no cost
- Additional modules, such as analytics and property management, can be added separately for a fee
This offer allows landlords to stay MTD-compliant without additional software expenses during the transition period.
Absolute Excel Income Tax Filer
Absolute Excel Income Tax Filer is a bridging software designed for users who prefer to continue working in Excel or spreadsheets while meeting Making Tax Digital (MTD) requirements. It enables seamless digital filing without requiring any change to your existing workflow — making it an excellent choice for sole traders and landlords seeking an affordable and straightforward compliance solution.
With over one million successful VAT submissions, the Absolute Excel Income Tax Filer has a proven track record of reliability and user trust.
- Best for: Sole traders and landlords with UK property income
- Cost: From £40 + VAT for up to 10 traders on a 12-month licence
- Data Security: HMRC-recognised with secure data transmission protocols
- Trial/Freemium: Free trial available during the beta testing period
- Mobile App: Not available
- Excel Compatibility: Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel 2010 or later (including Mac versions from 2016 onwards).
- MTD Income Tax Filing: Uses bridging technology to enable direct submission of income tax returns to HMRC’s MTD portal.
- Spreadsheet Integration: Connects existing Excel spreadsheets directly to HMRC’s system — no need for additional accounting software.
- Agent Support: Designed for both individual users and tax agents, allowing agents to manage multiple client filings efficiently.
- Error Resolution: Includes a Knowledgebase tool that helps users troubleshoot and correct HMRC-rejected returns.
- Production Credentials: Officially recognised by HMRC for live MTD submissions, not just test data.
Forbes MTD
Forbes MTD offers both bridging software and full bookkeeping solutions, making it a versatile choice for businesses and landlords who want to remain MTD-compliant without changing their existing systems. It integrates smoothly with Excel, Sage, VT Transaction+, and other accounting packages, allowing users to continue their familiar workflows while ensuring seamless digital tax submissions to HMRC.
- Best for: Sole traders and landlords with UK or foreign property income
- Cost: £40 + VAT for a single company licence; £195 + VAT for multi-company or agent use
- Data Security: Meets HMRC bridging software compliance standards with secure data handling
- Trial/Freemium: Not specified
- Mobile App: Available
- Bridging Software Options: Offers multiple bridging tools compatible with Excel, Sage, and other popular accounting systems.
- Multi-Platform Support: Works across a wide range of accounting platforms and spreadsheet-based setups.
- Flexible Compliance: Designed to meet both current MTD obligations and future updates beyond the soft-landing period.
- Scalable Solutions: Available in various formats, from simple mobile apps to comprehensive bookkeeping suites, suitable for different business sizes.
- Secure Data Transmission: Ensures all submissions and data exchanges with HMRC are transmitted safely and efficiently.
Hammock
Hammock is a specialist property finance platform built exclusively for landlords. It combines property management, bookkeeping, and tax tracking in one integrated dashboard. By automatically syncing with your bank and tracking every rent payment, expense, and profit in real time, Hammock provides complete financial visibility — making MTD compliance effortless.
- Best for: Landlords and property investors managing multiple rental units
- Cost: Plans start from £5.99 per month, depending on portfolio size and features
- Data Security: FCA-registered for Open Banking connections with bank-grade encryption
- Trial/Freemium: Free 30-day trial available
- Mobile App: Available on iOS and Android
- Seamless MTD Compatibility: Hammock is the first landlord-focused software recognised by HMRC as fully compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT).
- Tailored for Property Portfolios: Track income and expenses for each property, generate individual profit and loss reports, and manage portfolios of any size from a single property to hundreds of units.
- Real-Time Insights: Automatically categorises transactions to keep you up to date on rental yields, occupancy rates, and loan-to-value ratios. Provides instant, downloadable reports for in-depth performance analysis.
- Automated Bookkeeping: Automatically recognises and categorises recurring transactions, sends notifications when rents are received, and issues alerts for missed payments.
- Ease of Use: Designed specifically for landlords, intuitive, simple to use, and ideal for those transitioning from spreadsheets.
- Pilot Program Access: Hammock supports voluntary participation in HMRC’s MTD pilot, allowing landlords to get a head start on full MTD compliance.
Andica Accounting Software
Andica Accounting Software is an easy-to-use bookkeeping solution for small businesses and accounting practices. It combines real-time financial performance tracking with MTD and offers a straightforward yet comprehensive accounting solution.
- Best for: Sole traders and landlords with UK property income
- Cost: Starts from £100/year (excluding VAT)
- Data Security Accreditation: Standard accounting software security
- Trial/Freemium Availability: Not specified
- Mobile App: Not specified
- MTD VAT Submissions: Offers direct online submission of Making Tax Digital for VAT from the Software
- MTD SA Quarterly Updates: Allows quarterly submission for self-employment and property business for MTD compliance
- Real-time Performance: Tracks business financial performance in real-time for informed decision making
- Transaction Management: Automatically records income and expenses, processes sales and purchase invoices, and categorises transactions
- Bank Integration: Automatically processes ban
Conclusion
When it comes to MTD compliance, not all software is created equal. RentalBux leads the pack with its fully integrated, HMRC-recognised platform and free access for UKPA clients until 2028 — making it a standout choice for landlords seeking a long-term digital solution. Absolute Excel Income Tax Filer is ideal for those who prefer sticking with spreadsheets while remaining compliant, and Forbes MTD offers flexible bridging options for users of existing software systems.
Each of these platforms caters to different needs and technical comfort levels, but they share one goal: helping landlords stay compliant with minimal hassle. As MTD for ITSA approaches, adopting the right software early can save time, prevent errors, and ensure a smooth transition into the new digital tax era.
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