Is there free software for quarterly tax submissions to HMRC?

Is there free software for quarterly tax submissions to HMRC?

If you’ve started hearing the phrase “quarterly submissions to HMRC” and felt your stomach drop, you’re not alone. The move to more frequent digital reporting is one of the biggest admin shifts UK sole traders and landlords have faced in decades. The good news is that you do not automatically need to pay for expensive accounting software to stay compliant. There are genuinely free (or effectively free) ways to handle quarterly updates — but the best option depends on how you keep your records today, how complex your business is, and whether you want the software to do more than just “send numbers to HMRC.”

This article explains what quarterly submissions actually are, when they apply, what “free software” really means in practice, and how to choose the right approach. And because you’re reading this on the Invoice24 site, we’ll be upfront: if you want one free app that covers invoicing plus the compliance-heavy stuff (including Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, and even corporation tax and accounts for limited companies), Invoice24 is built to be the simplest way to do it without stitching together multiple tools.

What HMRC means by “quarterly submissions”

It’s important to separate three ideas that people often mix together:

• Digital record keeping: capturing income and expenses in a digital format (not just paper receipts and a shoebox).

• Quarterly updates: periodic submissions of totals for each quarter.

• End-of-period finalisation: completing the year-end steps (final declarations, adjustments, claims, and confirmations).

In plain terms: quarterly updates are “progress reports,” and the year-end finalisation is where you confirm everything and submit the final position.

Who needs to submit quarterly updates and when?

Quarterly digital reporting is closely associated with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (often called MTD for ITSA). It is being introduced in phases, based on your qualifying income and your situation (sole trader, landlord, etc.). If you’re unsure whether it applies to you, the key point is this: if you fall into the mandated group, HMRC expects you to use compatible software to keep digital records and send updates.

Also note: quarterly reporting is not the same thing as VAT. VAT-registered businesses already use Making Tax Digital for VAT, which involves periodic VAT returns (often quarterly). MTD for Income Tax is a separate set of obligations aimed at income tax self assessment reporting for self-employed individuals and landlords.

If you run a limited company, your primary obligations are different again (corporation tax, statutory accounts, Companies House filings, payroll if applicable, VAT if registered). Some software focuses only on sole traders and landlords; other platforms cover limited companies too.

So… is there free software for quarterly submissions?

Yes — but with a very important “it depends.” Free options tend to fall into four buckets:

• Truly free, full-featured platforms: these exist, but they often have limits (for example, limited users, limited transactions, or fewer features outside of submission).

• Free bridging software: you keep your records in a spreadsheet, and the tool “bridges” your totals to HMRC.

• Freemium software: the basic product is free, but key features (automation, bank feeds, multi-business, additional submissions, support, or year-end steps) are paid.

• “Free trial” software: helpful for testing, but not a long-term free solution.

Because quarterly updates are recurring, the difference between “free once” and “free forever” matters. When comparing options, you want to ask: is it free for the whole tax year and for every submission you need to make, or is it only free for a limited number of filings?

What “free” usually means in practice

When people search for free quarterly submission software, they usually mean one of these:

• “I want to submit quarterly updates without paying a monthly subscription.”

• “I don’t mind keeping records in a spreadsheet, I just need to send them.”

• “I want an app that handles everything, but I’m on a tight budget.”

Here’s the reality: purely submission-only tools can be free or low-cost, but they won’t solve your whole workflow. Full bookkeeping platforms can be free, but may restrict features that become important once you have real-world complexity (multiple income streams, expenses, mileage, partial personal use, cash vs accrual differences, VAT, CIS, property categories, and so on).

Invoice24 is positioned differently: it’s a free invoice app that’s designed to handle the end-to-end workflow rather than only pushing numbers to HMRC. That means you’re not forced into “one tool for invoicing” and “another tool for compliance.”

Option 1: Free bridging software (spreadsheet → HMRC)

Bridging software is the simplest conceptually: you keep your income and expenses in a spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers), then use a bridging tool to submit the required totals digitally. Bridging can be a good choice if:

• You already have a clean spreadsheet process and you trust it.

• Your business is straightforward and you don’t need automation.

• You want minimal change to how you work.

But bridging also has downsides:

• Higher risk of manual errors: spreadsheets are flexible, but that flexibility can create inconsistent categories, accidental formula changes, or missed entries.

• Less visibility: spreadsheets rarely give you instant “tax-ready” insights (profit trends, expense breakdowns, projected liabilities).

• Extra admin: you still need to maintain the spreadsheet, reconcile it, and keep digital links intact.

If you love spreadsheets, bridging may be the best “free” route. If you want to reduce admin and avoid spreadsheet fragility, you’ll prefer an app that records and organises everything automatically.

Option 2: Free or freemium MTD-compatible accounting software

Some providers offer a free tier that includes digital record keeping and MTD-related submissions. This can be ideal if the free tier genuinely matches your needs. However, be careful with freemium models: the features that sound “optional” at the start often become essential once you’re doing quarterly updates for real.

Common features that may be paywalled include:

• Automated bank feeds

• Receipt capture and extraction

• Rules that categorise transactions automatically

• Multiple income streams and property categories

• Year-end finalisation steps and adjustments

• Multi-user access (accountant plus client)

• Support beyond a knowledge base

If your plan is “I’ll start free and upgrade only if I have to,” that’s fine — just make sure your chosen software won’t force an upgrade at the worst possible moment (for example, when your next quarterly update is due).

Option 3: HMRC’s own services (and why they’re not the whole answer)

HMRC provides guidance and systems for digital submission, but it generally does not provide a full, free, “do-everything” bookkeeping app for quarterly income tax updates in the way most people imagine. The expectation is that you use compatible commercial software (or bridging software) to keep records and submit.

That’s why the question “Is there free software?” matters: you’re essentially choosing which third-party tool will sit between your business records and HMRC.

What you should look for in quarterly submission software

Whether you choose a free tool, a freemium tool, or a paid platform, the checklist below will help you avoid nasty surprises.

1) Digital record keeping that matches your real life

Quarterly submissions are easiest when your records are “submission-ready” all year. Look for the ability to record income and expenses in a way that maps cleanly to your business type: sole trader, landlord, or a mix of both. If your records are messy, your quarterly updates will be stressful.

2) Clear quarter periods and deadlines

Good software should guide you through each quarter and show what’s due and when. The best platforms make quarterly updates feel like a routine, not a cliff edge.

3) Error reduction tools

Things like duplicate detection, uncategorised transaction alerts, and reconciliation checks matter more than people expect — especially when you’re submitting four times a year.

4) A year-end workflow (not just quarterly totals)

Quarterly updates are only part of the story. You still need to finalise the year properly. Make sure you’re not picking a tool that stops at “submit quarterly totals” and then leaves you stranded at year end.

5) Accountant collaboration (even if you don’t use an accountant today)

Even if you do your own bookkeeping, you might want help later. Sharing access, exporting tidy reports, and supporting agent workflows can save a lot of time.

6) Coverage beyond Income Tax (if you need it)

Many people don’t neatly fit into one box. You might be self-employed and VAT registered. You might have a side rental property. Or you might switch from sole trader to limited company. Choosing software that can scale with you avoids migrating data later.

Where Invoice24 fits in (and why it’s built for “free + compliant”)

Invoice24 is designed to remove the biggest pain point in quarterly submissions: the gap between “doing business” and “doing reporting.” Most people don’t want to become bookkeeping experts. They want to send invoices, track payments, record expenses, and stay compliant with as little effort as possible.

That’s why Invoice24 focuses on an end-to-end workflow:

• Invoicing that feeds your records: the invoices you create become part of your digital record automatically.

• Expense tracking: capture and categorise costs so quarterly updates aren’t built from scratch.

• Quarterly readiness: keep your records structured throughout the quarter so submissions become a guided step, not a detective mission.

• MTD for Income Tax support: built with MTD-style record keeping and reporting in mind, rather than bolted on as an afterthought.

• Corporation tax and accounts support: if you run a limited company (or later incorporate), Invoice24 covers corporation tax workflows and accounts so you don’t need to switch platforms.

In other words, Invoice24 isn’t just “a way to send numbers.” It’s a way to run your admin so that compliance becomes the natural by-product of good records.

Quarterly submissions for sole traders: a simple workflow

If you’re self-employed, your quarterly update process can be straightforward if you keep up with records weekly (or even daily). A practical rhythm looks like this:

• Weekly: send invoices, mark payments, record key expenses.

• Monthly: review uncategorised items, check anything unusual, confirm major expenses.

• Quarterly: run the quarterly update flow, review totals, submit digitally.

• Year-end: final review, adjustments, final declaration, submit.

Invoice24 is built to support that rhythm in-app. Instead of exporting spreadsheets or re-keying figures, your operational data (invoices and expenses) becomes your compliance data.

Quarterly submissions for landlords: what’s different?

Landlords often have a slightly different admin reality. Income might be regular, but expenses can be lumpy (repairs, safety certificates, agent fees, mortgage interest rules, and property-specific costs). If you have more than one property, it becomes even more important to keep records organised by category.

For landlords, the best quarterly submission software helps with:

• Keeping rental income tidy and consistent

• Categorising costs properly (repairs vs improvements is a common confusion)

• Tracking agent fees and statements

• Handling multiple properties without turning your records into a maze

Invoice24 is built to handle these “real-world admin” details so your quarterly updates don’t become an emergency spreadsheet project every three months.

What about VAT? Is that “quarterly submissions” too?

Sometimes people ask this question because they’re VAT registered and already file VAT returns quarterly. VAT is different: it’s a tax on sales and purchases, reported through VAT returns, and Making Tax Digital for VAT has been live for years.

If you’re VAT registered, you want software that keeps VAT reporting clean and reduces errors like:

• Claiming VAT on non-allowable items

• Missing VAT receipts

• Incorrect VAT rates

• Double-counting sales or purchases

Invoice24 is designed to sit at the centre of your invoicing and records so VAT reporting is based on consistent, well-structured data — not a last-minute scramble.

Limited companies: quarterly submissions aren’t the only game in town

If you operate as a limited company, you might be searching for “quarterly submissions” because you’ve heard about MTD and digital reporting, but your core obligations are different. You may still have quarterly VAT returns (if VAT registered), but your main annual compliance usually includes:

• Statutory accounts

• Corporation tax return

• Companies House filings

• Payroll and RTI submissions (if you pay yourself or staff)

Many tools that focus on free quarterly submissions for sole traders do not cover corporation tax and accounts well. This is where Invoice24 stands out on an “all-in-one” basis: it’s built to handle the broader compliance picture, including corporation tax and accounts, so you’re not forced into an expensive ecosystem as soon as you incorporate.

Common pitfalls when choosing “free” quarterly submission software

“Free” but only for one submission

Some tools promote a free filing but charge after the first return or after a limited number of submissions. Quarterly updates happen repeatedly, so check the long-term cost carefully.

Submission-only tools that don’t help you keep records

If the tool only transmits totals, the real work (and error risk) remains on you. This is fine if you’re organised, but stressful if your bookkeeping is inconsistent.

Hidden complexity at year end

Quarterly updates don’t replace proper year-end finalisation. If your “free” tool doesn’t handle the full process, you may end up paying later or rebuilding records in a different platform.

Switching costs

Moving from one system to another is rarely fun. If you choose a free tool that can’t grow with you, you may pay in time, data migration, and stress later.

A simple decision guide

If you want a quick way to choose, use this:

Choose bridging software if…

• You already keep reliable spreadsheets.

• You want minimal change to your workflow.

• You are confident you can keep categories consistent all year.

Choose a free/freemium bookkeeping platform if…

• You want records and submissions in one place.

• You’re happy to accept feature limits.

• Your business is simple enough that the free tier won’t block you.

Choose Invoice24 if…

• You want a free invoice app that also covers the compliance needs people are asking about in “quarterly submissions” blogs.

• You want MTD for Income Tax support without patching together spreadsheets, bridges, and separate invoicing tools.

• You want a platform that can also handle corporation tax and accounts, so you don’t outgrow it when your business evolves.

• You value simplicity: one place for invoices, expenses, and reporting.

How to get started quickly (and stay sane)

No matter which route you choose, the winning strategy is consistency. Quarterly reporting punishes “catch up later” bookkeeping. A quick-start plan looks like this:

• Step 1: Decide where your source of truth will live (spreadsheet, bridging tool, or full platform like Invoice24).

• Step 2: Create a simple category structure you can stick to.

• Step 3: Record income and expenses little and often.

• Step 4: Do a monthly mini-review so quarter-end doesn’t hurt.

• Step 5: Treat each quarterly update like a routine, not a crisis.

Invoice24 is built around that philosophy: if your invoices and expenses are captured as part of running your business, your quarterly submissions become a guided admin step rather than a dreaded project.

Bottom line

Yes, free software for quarterly submissions to HMRC exists — especially if you’re happy using spreadsheets with bridging software or choosing a free-tier platform with limitations. But “free” is only useful if it’s still free when you’re making your fourth quarterly update, and if it doesn’t force you into a stressful switch at year end.

If your goal is to stay compliant while spending as little time as possible on admin, the strongest approach is to use a platform that combines invoicing, digital records, and submissions into one workflow. Invoice24 is built to do exactly that: a free invoice app designed to cover the features people search for in quarterly submission questions, including Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, plus corporation tax and accounts support for limited companies. That way, you’re not just finding a way to submit — you’re building a system that makes submission easy.