Free Making Tax Digital software exists, but HMRC notes that free products suit simple tax affairs and may limit how you use them. Here is what four providers say about their free routes on their own pages, checked on 12 October 2026.
HMRC says free products are available for those with simple tax affairs, and that they may limit how you can use them, such as capping transactions.
Source: Find software that's compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — gov.uk (opens in a new tab)HMRC does not recommend any product or software provider. Listed software has been through its recognition process. Use its software finder for the complete, current list.
Source: Find software that's compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — gov.uk (opens in a new tab)Whatever you choose must keep digital records, send four quarterly updates and complete the year-end step. Check each is included in the free route.
Source: Send quarterly updates — Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — gov.uk (opens in a new tab)On the pages we read, free access is usually tied to something else: a business bank account you must keep, an account you must fund, or a trial that cannot send a real update. None of that is unreasonable, but it changes what free means.
ac-co Income Tax (MTD) is in open beta with no per-quarter fee, but it is part of a paid plan rather than a free tier. Live filing of quarterly updates to HMRC is not open yet, so it is not a way to meet a real deadline today. We include it so you can see how it compares once it opens: it records from your bank and books rather than a spreadsheet, and it sits alongside ac-co's Self Assessment, VAT and bookkeeping products.
If you need to file now, pick from HMRC's software finder. If you are not mandated yet, our MTD quiz tells you when you will be.
Each cell is taken from that provider's own public page on 12 October 2026, with the link beside it. A blank means the page did not say, not that the answer is no. Prices and terms change, so check the provider before you sign up.
| Row | FreeAgent | Pie | Coconut | Taxd | ac-co |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free route | Free with a Mettle, NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank account; sole traders and landlords keep it while they hold a qualifying business account (Mettle: one transaction a month) [FreeAgent — MTD for Income Tax, 2026-10-12] | States the tools needed for MTD should be free; lists MTD and HMRC submission as free-plan features [Pie — pricing, 2026-10-12] | 14-day trial with no card, but no MTD submissions during it; up to 24 months free for new Zempler customers who open and fund an account through Coconut [Coconut — free MTD software, 2026-10-12] | Offers a free trial; the page does not state its length or terms [Taxd — MTD, 2026-10-12] | No free tier. In open beta, no per-quarter fee; live filing to HMRC is not open yet |
| If you are not on the free routePrices as stated on each page, excluding VAT where the page says so. | Sole trader £19 a month; landlord £10 a month, both regular price before an introductory discount and excluding VAT [FreeAgent — MTD for Income Tax, 2026-10-12] | Optional extras: Tax Support £89 a year; an accountant to handle MTD £199 (the page does not say if that is one-off or yearly) [Pie — pricing, 2026-10-12] | MTD Bridging £49.99 a year; MTD filing £129.99 a year (the page also shows monthly prices without tying them to plans) [Coconut — free MTD software, 2026-10-12] | Bridging from £6 a month, £10 including the end-of-year submission; end-of-year submission £99 on its own [Taxd — MTD, 2026-10-12] | Included in an ac-co plan; see the pricing page |
| Works with a spreadsheet (bridging) | Not stated | Not stated | Yes — MTD Bridging plan for spreadsheet users [Coconut — bridging software, 2026-10-12] | Yes — bridging software for spreadsheet users [Taxd — MTD, 2026-10-12] | No — records from your bank and books instead |
| Landlords | Yes — a landlord plan, and landlords are covered by the free route [FreeAgent — MTD for Income Tax, 2026-10-12] | Not stated | Yes — property income supported on the bridging plan [Coconut — bridging software, 2026-10-12] | Yes — tracking for small landlords; a separate portfolio product for larger ones [Taxd — MTD, 2026-10-12] | Landlord product in open beta |
| CIS subcontractors | Not stated | Not stated | Yes — records CIS deductions digitally [Coconut — CIS subcontractors, 2026-10-12] | Not stated | CIS product on the waitlist; it captures statements and does not file |
FreeAgent, Pie, Coconut and Taxd are trademarks of their owners; ac-co.ai is not affiliated with them. This is not a full market survey: HMRC's software finder is the complete list.
Yes. HMRC says free products are available for those with simple tax affairs, though they may limit how you use them, such as capping transactions. Providers tie free access to different things, such as a bank account, so read the terms.
No. HMRC does not recommend any product or software provider. Its software finder lists software that has been through its recognition process and lets you filter by what you need.
It depends on the provider. Some free routes include quarterly updates and a final declaration, while some trials do not let you submit at all. Check that both steps are included before you rely on one.
Bridging software connects a spreadsheet you already keep to HMRC. On the pages we read, providers charge for it, from a few pounds a month or a yearly fee. See our bridging software page and the table above.
No. ac-co Income Tax (MTD) is part of a paid plan with no per-quarter fee, and it is in open beta. Live filing of quarterly updates to HMRC is not open yet.
Every provider fact was read from its own page on 12 October 2026, and each cell links to that page. Prices and terms change, so check the provider before you sign up.
Read on 12 October 2026. HMRC changes its guidance; check the page itself for anything that may have moved since.
ac-co Income Tax (MTD) is in open beta. Join the waitlist and we will open seats in batches.