Bridging software: keep your spreadsheet
You do not have to abandon the spreadsheet that has worked for years. 70 recognised products submit straight from it.
Bridging software is the smaller change. It leaves your records where they are and handles the submitting. If your bookkeeping already works, this is usually less disruptive than moving everything into a new accounting package.
Bridging vs full accounting software
HMRC splits recognised products two ways. Software that creates digital records is where you do the bookkeeping — importing bank transactions, scanning receipts, typing entries. Bridging software connects to records you already keep and submits from them.
Plenty of products do both. The choice is really about where you want your bookkeeping to live, not about which is more compliant — HMRC recognises both equally.
Worth knowing
- Your spreadsheet still has to be a digital record. Bridging software satisfies the submitting, not the record-keeping — the underlying figures need to be kept digitally, not typed up from paper at quarter end.
- 17 of these have a free version. See which.
- Check it does both submissions — updates and the tax return — or you will need a second product.
The list
70 of 127 HMRC-recognised products, listed alphabetically. Nobody has paid to appear and nobody can.
| Product | Free version | Submits | Records | Income sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "untied" | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| @1TaxFiler | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| @Taxd MTD | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| #GoFile | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| 1 1 MTD Bridge | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| 100PcMTD | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| 123 e-Filing MTD for Income Tax | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| 123 Sheets | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Ablegatio Ftax MTD for IT | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| AbraTax MTD for Income Tax | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Abridge (MTD for Excel/Sheets) | Yes | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Absolute Excel Income Tax Filer | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Acctax (Online) Ltd | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Acorah Software Products Ltd (TaxCalc) | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Acxite | Yes | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Affordable MTD | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Aligned.tax MTD for Spreadsheets | Yes | Quarterly updates | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Andica MTD ITSA Software | No | Quarterly updates | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| ANNA Self Assessment | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| ApariPro | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| ApariSolo | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Avona | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Basetax – Making Tax Digital for Income Tax | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Bosh | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader |
| Capium Limited — MTD for IT | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| CHM ITSA BRIDGE | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Clients Assistant | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Coconut | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Coconut Free | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Deductic MTD | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| DIY Tax | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| flonancial | Yes | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Forbes MTD | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| GetGround | Yes | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | UK property |
| Hammock for landlords | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | UK property, Foreign property |
| HyperTax | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| KinderStart: Childminding App | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader |
| Landlord Studio | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | UK property |
| MTD 4 Income Tax | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| MTD Companion for iPhone & iPad | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| MTD Companion for macOS | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| MTD Sheets | No | Quarterly updates | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| MTDsorted | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| My Tax Digital (Free) | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Neevii | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader |
| Nexus by Landlord Studio | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | UK property |
| NJT Tax Return Manager | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Nomi | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Otis Tax | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Pandle | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Property Income eReturn | No | Quarterly updates | Spreadsheets | UK property, Foreign property |
| Provestor for Landlords | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | UK property |
| Qyon Software Ltd | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| RentalBux | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| RentalBux Free | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Self Assessment Direct | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Simple File for Excel Users | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Simple Tax Flow | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| SimplifyMTD | Yes | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | UK property, Foreign property |
| suiteSheets | No | Quarterly updates | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| Tax Mouse | Yes | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property |
| TaxBridge UK MTD by Amelia GB | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| TaxHeaven | Yes | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| TaxNav | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Taxtool for Income Tax | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| TaxUpdates | Yes | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| Taxzap | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| VitalTax | No | Updates + return | Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| VT Software | No | Quarterly updates | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
| WaterLily MTD Bridge | No | Updates + return | Keeps records, Spreadsheets | Sole trader, UK property, Foreign property |
Compare all 127 products · If you are self-employed · Check whether you need software yet