Free accounting that gets you Making Tax Digital ready.
Zoho’s free plan covers invoices, expenses, Self Assessment filing and MTD for Income Tax quarterly updates. Here is who it suits, who should skip it, and how to set it up.
Last checked 19 October 2026 against Zoho’s UK pricing page and gov.uk. Not tax advice.
Use it if
- You are a sole trader or landlord with straightforward books
- You need to be MTD for Income Tax ready and file Self Assessment from one place
- You want to start at £0 and only pay if you outgrow it
- You are happy to work from a browser or the mobile app
Skip it if
- You need automatic bank feeds from day one (Zoho lists bank feeds from its Standard plan)
- You run payroll through the same tool
- You are a limited company that needs to file a CT600 and final accounts (Standard plan onwards)
- You want a UK-headquartered software vendor
What Zoho’s free plan includes
- Self Assessment filing: the SA100 return with the pages sole traders and landlords use (SA102, SA103S self-employment short, SA105 UK property, plus the SA110 tax calculation and SA302 tax breakdown)
- MTD for Income Tax: quarterly updates, adjustments, other income sources and the final return
- Property tracking for landlords
- Invoices, quotes, expenses and journals, recurring invoices and automatic payment reminders
- Receipt autoscan, mileage tracking and online payments
- Bank and credit card accounts with reconciliation, VAT returns and MTD VAT filing, and 50+ reports
- 1 user plus 1 accountant seat, up to 1,000 invoices a year, email support
Free to start. Upgrade only when you need more.
| Plan | Price | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 a month | Sole traders and landlords with simple books |
| Standard | £12 a month (£10 billed annually) | You need bank feeds, 3 users, or CT600 and final accounts |
| Professional | £24 (£20 annually) | Vendor bills, multi-currency, inventory, CIS returns |
| Premium | £30 (£25 annually) | Budgets, cashflow forecasting, custom domain portal |
| Elite and Ultimate | £99 and £199 (£85 and £165 annually) | Advanced inventory and analytics for larger operations |
Prices are Zoho’s, exclusive of tax, read from its UK pricing page on 19 October 2026. Check the page for current figures.
Customers who sign up through our link get US$100 in credit in their Zoho wallet, usable on any paid plan. Stay on the free plan and you pay nothing.
Is an Indian software company safe for my tax records?
- Scale: Zoho says it has 150M+ users in 150+ countries, 60+ products, 30+ years in business and 19K+ employees.
- Own infrastructure: Zoho says it builds its own technology stack and runs its own data centres (it rents the buildings and provides the servers itself).
- Data protection: Zoho publishes a GDPR page, says it has carried out Data Protection Impact Assessments, and will provide a Data Processing Addendum on request that names the data centre your account sits in. Ask for it before you commit.
- Check your own date: Zoho Books is on HMRC’s list of software that works with MTD for Income Tax. HMRC’s list is searchable on gov.uk if you want to confirm it yourself, and your own start date depends on your income.
- Keep your own backup: download your reports and records regularly. That is good practice with any cloud software.
MTD for Income Tax: do you need it?
From 6 April 2026 you must use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax if your qualifying income, meaning your turnover from self-employment and property before expenses, is over £50,000 (gov.uk). Others are brought in later and can sign up voluntarily earlier, so check your own date on gov.uk. You will need software that works with MTD, quarterly updates, and a final return.
HMRC says it will not apply late-submission penalty points for quarterly updates in the first year (2026 to 2027) for people who must use MTD from April 2026. Penalties still apply for late tax returns and late payment. Choose your software before you sign up with HMRC.
Getting started, step by step
- Create your Zoho Books account from the link above and choose the UK edition.
- Pick your business type, sole trader or landlord, and enter your business and tax year details.
- Add your bank and card accounts and import or enter last year’s income and expenses.
- Set up one invoice template and send a test invoice to yourself.
- Turn on receipt capture on your phone so receipts are logged as you go.
- When your MTD date comes, connect your HMRC Government Gateway details and schedule reminders for each quarterly update.
- Invite your accountant using the free accountant seat.
Mistakes to avoid
- Signing up with HMRC for MTD before you have chosen your software
- Mixing personal and business spending in one bank account
- Leaving receipts until year end instead of scanning them weekly
- Assuming the free plan covers a limited company’s accounts: CT600 and final accounts start at Standard
FAQs
Is Zoho Books really free?
Zoho’s free plan is £0 a month according to its UK pricing page (checked 19 October 2026). We only earn if you upgrade through our link.
Can I file my Self Assessment from it?
Zoho lists SA100 filing, including the self-employment and UK property pages, on its free plan.
Can my accountant see my books?
Yes. The free plan includes one accountant seat.
What if I outgrow the free plan?
Standard adds bank feeds, three users and CT600 with final accounts filing.
Why should I trust this page?
We tell you who should skip a product, show the date we checked, and disclose how we earn. Always confirm tax decisions with a qualified accountant.
Start free, upgrade only if you need to.
Affiliate disclosure: this page contains an affiliate link. If you upgrade through it we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Facts are from Zoho’s website and gov.uk and may change. This is general information, not tax or financial advice.