© Provided by TechRadar Best UK tax software

For QuickBooks Self-Employed users – support to complete year end taxes using QuickBooks Self-Employed. Increasingly complex Self Assessment tax returns are difficult for many taxpayers to both understand and complete accurately. A Self-Assessment Tax Returns is used by HMRC to calculate the tax on your income. Your tax is deducted automatically from your wages.

Disruptive technology and frugal innovation. Of the people you need to keep on good terms with, the tax man probably ranks the highest. That means keeping good accounts and submitting them to Companies House in a timely manner, while ensuring that you file and pay allowed taxes, whether business or personal.

However, it's easy to become overwhelmed when trying to do your taxes. There's the regular record keeping for a start, plus getting your head around any technicalities, not least allowances.

Luckily, there are a number of software packages available that aim to make the whole process of keeping accounts and paying your taxes simple and easy.

Here we'll look at the best in accounting and tax software, both personal and business, currently on the market for 2020.

• We’ve also rounded up the best payroll software

Best UK tax software at a glance

1. Sage Business Cloud Accounting
2. Freeagent
3. GoSimpleTax
4. TaxCalc
5. Nomisma
6. ABC Self Assessment
7. Crunch
8. QuickBooks
9. Xero
10. Zoho Books

Best UK tax software

1. Sage Business Cloud Accounting

A wise choice for those seeking an all-encompassing finance solution

Unlike some of the other products featured here which are solely focused on tax, Sage offers a fully-fledged small business accounting package. This cloud-based platform is capable of handling a gamut of finance-related tasks, including tax returns, naturally.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting fully integrates with a number of Sage’s tax solutions, depending on your exact needs, but whichever route you choose, the idea is to provide a seamless all-round solution that means much less monotonous and repetitive data entry for you.

You might want Sage Personal Tax, which allows you to prepare compliant SA100 tax returns and file them with HMRC online. Or you could require Sage Corporation Tax for preparing compliant CT600 tax returns.

Whatever particular tax solution you need, all of them fully integrate with Business Cloud Accounting and can allow you to swiftly file accurate and compliant accounts and tax returns with HMRC and Companies House.

And of course the cloud-based platform takes care of all your bookkeeping and accounting needs besides, including calculating and submitting digital VAT returns to HMRC – so there’s a lot of power here for small businesses, particularly on the retail side.

Sage’s entry-level accounting plan starts at £10 (plus VAT) per month – with 40% off for the first three months at the time of writing. While Business Cloud Accounting doesn’t have a free tier, as we noted in our full review, it does offer a 30-day trial to give it a spin.

2. Freeagent

Tax and much more besides

Freeagent is a fully featured accounting suite that covers tax records as well, and is a powerful, comprehensive option that suits small to medium businesses or individuals with a lot of records to keep. You can either opt to manage everything yourself or grant your accountant access to Freeagent as well, with the software able to make life easier for both of you along the way.

It's certainly one of the most modern tools here, with a slick and stylish interface on the web and mobile, and a pile of useful features: automatic bank feeds, project time tracking, support for invoices and payroll, and so on.

For tax management specifically, Freeagent keeps records of everything as you go, so you know exactly what you owe and why at the end of the year. You can submit your returns directly to HMRC through Freeagent with just a few clicks of the mouse, with tax forecasting and real-time updates included too.

3. GoSimpleTax

Smart, modern tax filing software

Unlike Sage or Freeagent, GoSimpleTax isn't a complete accounting solution for freelancers and businesses – it focuses specifically on getting your taxes in order, and it does a very good job of this. Depending on your setup though, you'll have to do more work or get extra software to handle all the other components like invoicing and payroll.

The software takes you step-by-step through the process of filing your taxes, making sure you're using the right terms and preparing the right forms, and looking out for any errors that might be creeping in (which could really cost you). You'll also get suggestions on where you could make some savings, which is always welcome.

Everything slots in neatly with the online HMRC interface, so you don't have to waste time jumping from one app to another. As well as the web interface, you've got mobile apps you can use to input figures and get a handle on how your tax burden is looking (the mobile apps can even scan in receipts).

What we like most about the software though is that you don't really need any expertise to complete a self-assessment of your tax responsibilities. As much as possible, the interface is written in jargon-free language, with clear indicators for where you need to input figures and how they get processed.

4. TaxCalc

Filing taxes doesn't get much simpler

TaxCalc is on a mission to make filing your taxes as simple as possible, and we'd say it's doing a pretty impressive job of it: the software is packed with useful features for getting your documentation in order, and the system is officially recognised by HMRC, so all submissions should go smoothly.

Whether you're an individual, a limited company or an accountancy firm, TaxCalc has a software solution tailored specifically for you, and it can even plug straight into bigger accounting packages such as Xero. In some cases you can get your documentation in order in as little as 30 minutes, TaxCalc claims.

The intuitive, step-by-step web interface guides you through the process of filing your taxes from start to finish – from picking the right form, through entering all the details about how much you've earned, to submitting the form and making sure there are no errors. The tax you owe is calculated in the background as you go.

This isn't the most comprehensive or the most well-designed tax software we've ever come across, but it is friendly, functional and accessible, and comes with all the tools you're going to need to hit that tax deadline.

5. Nomisma

An intuitive tax filing workflow

No one wants to spend an age getting their tax affairs in order, and few products take you through the process of filing returns as quickly and as simply as Nomisma does. It also gives you a variety of basic bookkeeping tools, so if you're looking for something that does more than just taxes, Nomisma might be it.

On the business management side, the software lets you track invoices and orders, keep on top of bills and contracts, and produce a variety of reports on the state of your financial affairs (including VAT comparisons where needed). Not only can it save you time, it can save you money by letting you know where everything is at any given point.

In the tax filing and self-assessment components, you'll find the software is fully HMRC compliant and registered with the government, so you can submit your documents without leaving Nomisma. A lot of the data you're going to need can be auto-populated from the bookkeeping module, but you can buy the tax module separately if needed.

Throughout, Nomisma gives you a clean and modern-looking interface to work with on the web, and if you've got a mobile phone there's an app available for keeping tabs on expenses while on the go. It can also help your accountant calculate the figures at the end of the year, if you've got one.

6. ABC Self-Assessment

Get the basics for a low cost

As we said at the outset, tax software packages come in all shapes and sizes, from very basic tools to get you over the line right at the end of the process, to fully fledged accounting suites that include everything you need to run a small business. If you just want some straightforward help as tax deadline day approaches, give ABC Self-Assessment a try.

Whether you're submitting your self-assessment as an individual or a partnership, or you have some other complication to contend with – you're non-resident in the UK maybe – ABC Self-Assessment will point you towards the right form.

While ABC Self-Assessment presents an interface that's not much different to the one you'll get if you log into the HMRC website and do your self-assessment there, it does streamline the process so you only see the questions and fields that are relevant to your circumstances. It's perfect if you don't want to spend much money but find the HMRC site a little overwhelming.

ABC Self Assessment Tax For Mac

What you don't get are any accountancy or bookkeeping features, so the onus is on you to have kept decent records up until this point. You might find that ABC Self-Assessment works well with your existing financial software (or just your existing Excel spreadsheet).

7. Crunch

Crunch is a practical combination of online software and real advisors

Crunch is an interesting proposition, especially for the likes of freelancers, contractors, those who are self-employed and small business owners.

Crunch currently comes in three different pricing tiers. There’s a Sole Trader entry package that costs from £29.50 plus VAT per month. Drill down into the more specific options and you’ll find the Basic has the initial pricing, while a Plus version costs £39.50 plus VAT per month.

There’s also a Premium edition for £59.50 per month plus VAT. Next up, there’s Crunch Two, which is a limited company model that costs from £71.50 plus VAT per month that allows you to build a package based on your individual needs. A Plus variant costs £109.50 plus VAT per month. Following on from that there is Crunch Three, which is aimed at the small business owner and costs from £196.50 plus VAT per month.

8. QuickBooks

Abc Self Assessment Tax For Mac 2019

QuickBooks doesn't just cover one tax solution because it’s actually a brand name that is applied to a variety of digital compliant software options from Intuit. Therefore, one of several QuickBooks packages might fit the bill for tackling your tax affairs, because each of the different models has been tailored to suit various kinds of user.

The good thing about all of your options is that QuickBooks has been designed to keep things as simple as possible, while also ensuring that you’ll be well equipped for making tax digital ready in line with government plans for the future.

Abc Self Assessment Tax For Mac Address

Staying on top of your accounts and ensuring you’re ready to handle any subsequent dealings with the tax man means QuickBooks is a solid choice for handling everything from self-assessment through to tracking, calculating and submitting VAT returns.

You can choose from Simple Start, Essential, Plus packages or a dedicated Self-Employed option. In addition, QuickBooks often runs promotions, which could see discounts over your monthly payments for using your chosen service.

All plans include free award-winning UK phone support, no contract, mobile apps for iOS and Android, plus free and easy data migration. QuickBooks is HMRC recognised and can be integrated with over 700 add-ons.

QuickBooks also has the capacity to help you with payroll, with a selection of add-ons designed to ease that side of your business activities.

9. Xero

Accounting software that helps small businesses using the cloud

Atsf. As Xero points out on its website, Making Tax Digital (MTD) is changing the way UK businesses, accountants and bookkeepers do their taxes. In that respect, Xero makes a good bet, particularly if you’re looking for small business accounting software that keeps things relatively simple.

Xero is secure online accounting software that can be used from any location, lets you maintain accurate records and keep an eye on the health of your business, all within your web browser or via an app. It also comes bristling with a stack of features and functions designed to ease the process of handling your tax affairs. The way that it streamlines invoicing, inventory and payroll by corralling everything into the confines of a simple-to-use dashboard means that it’s a great labour-saving option.

Boosting its appeal are three different packages, Starter, Standard and Premium, all of which have lots of tools for any size of business. While Xero is an affordable option it also comes with many powerful aspects that make it able to contend with the larger accountancy and tax software players in the marketplace.

10. Zoho Books

Zoho Books is cloud-based accounting software for all

Zoho Books forms just one small part of a much greater business concern based in India that offers all manner of solutions for anyone and everyone. With its clean and simple cloud-based interface the latest incarnation of Zoho Books makes a great cost-effective option if you’re a freelancer, sole trader or someone running a small business.

The benefit with Zoho Books is that it’s also quite scalable, so therefore offers beefier versions for those with larger business concerns, or anyone intent on expanding their operations. While the desktop route is a solid one Zoho Books also has an impressive app presence, making it a good mobile bet too.

Zoho Books has, it explains, a pricing plan for everyone and the service has actually become a little cheaper than it used to be for each of the current packages. There’s also a free 14-day trial available. Choose from Basic, Standard and Professional options, or give it a test run for nothing.

• Take a look at the best accounting software

Self-assessment deadline is on the 31st January, failure to pay means a £100 fine

The time is here again, and some business leaders may be motivated by the fact that HMRC collected £87 million in fines last year, with 870,000 businesses failing to submit their tax return on time.

These digital options highlighted by CBR could offer substantial pain relief for tackling one of the least exciting milestones of the year.

Abc Self Assessment Tax For Mac Download

Who knows, you might even find you quite enjoy establishing some order with a technological helping hand. You don’t even need a computer in some cases; in the modern world a mobile phone and an app can do the trick. The hacker.