Self-employed accounting software for the UK
Ledgerly Pro is AI-powered bookkeeping built for the self-employed. Automate your expenses, track mileage at HMRC rates and see a live estimate of your Self-Assessment bill — all Making Tax Digital ready. Spend minutes on your books, not weekends.
30-day free trial · No card required · From £9.99/mo
- Designed around UK Self-Assessment
- AI auto-categorises every receipt
- Real-time profit & tax estimate
- Mileage tracked at HMRC 45p/mile
- FCA-regulated Open Banking feeds
- Free read-only accountant access
Why self-employed people choose Ledgerly Pro
Most accounting tools were built for limited companies and bolt on a "sole trader" plan as an afterthought. Ledgerly Pro is the other way around — every feature is designed for one person running their own business, who wants their tax handled without learning double-entry bookkeeping.
Snap a receipt, done
Photograph or upload a receipt and the AI categorises the spend in under three seconds — no manual data entry.
Live Self-Assessment estimate
See your projected income tax and National Insurance update in real time as income and expenses come in.
Mileage at HMRC rates
Log business journeys and we apply 45p per mile automatically so you claim every allowable penny.
HMRC & MTD ready
Keep digital records and connect to HMRC for Making Tax Digital — VAT today, Income Tax in progress.
Bank-level security
FCA-regulated, read-only Open Banking. Your login credentials are never seen or stored by Ledgerly Pro.
Free accountant access
Invite your accountant with secure read-only access at no extra cost — no more emailing spreadsheets.
Built for UK tax: Self-Assessment & Making Tax Digital
Self-Assessment without the dread
Ledgerly Pro tracks each UK tax year separately and tags your income and allowable expenses as you go. Its live estimator uses current HMRC bands, the Personal Allowance and Class 2/4 National Insurance, so you always know roughly what to set aside. When January comes, your figures are ready to type straight into HMRC.
Ready for Making Tax Digital
MTD for Income Tax begins phasing in from April 2026 for self-employed people earning over £50,000, requiring digital records and quarterly updates. Ledgerly Pro keeps a compliant digital audit trail and connects to HMRC for MTD for VAT today, with Income Tax support in progress — so you're prepared, not panicking.
Sources: GOV.UK — Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and GOV.UK — Self Assessment.
AI bookkeeping that does the admin for you
The slowest part of being self-employed is the data entry. Ledgerly Pro removes it. Snap a receipt and the AI reads the supplier, amount, date and VAT, suggests the right category and matches it to your bank feed. Over a year that's dozens of hours back in your week.
- Receipts read and categorised in seconds
- Smart rules learn how you tag spending
- Automatic bank matching to spot duplicates
- Flags likely allowable expenses you might miss
Explore how it works on our AI bookkeeping and bank feeds pages.
Ledgerly Pro vs Xero & QuickBooks
Both are capable tools, but for a single self-employed person the differences that matter are price, simplicity and how much admin the software removes. Here's an honest at-a-glance comparison.
| Feature | Ledgerly Pro | Xero | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (solo user) | £9–£18.99 | £16–£50 | £10–£56 |
| Built for UK self-employed | Yes | More generic | More generic |
| AI categorisation | Included | Not included | Not included |
| AI invoice drafting & reminders | Included | Not included | Not included |
| Simple, freelancer-friendly dashboard | Very simple | More complex | More complex |
| MTD VAT (HMRC) | Sandbox connected — live soon | Live | Live |
| MTD ITSA (Self-Assessment) | Sandbox connected — live soon | Not available | Not available |
| Bank feeds | UK support coming soon | Limited banks | Limited banks |
| AI tax estimates | Included | Not included | Not included |
| Mileage tracking | Included | Add-on | Add-on |
| Payroll summaries (up to 50 employees) | Included — simple PDF packs | Add-on / more complex | Add-on / more complex |
| Accountant access | One-click tidy exports | More technical | More technical |
| Support for non-accountants | Plain-English help | More technical | More technical |
Competitor prices are list starting prices at the time of writing and may change — always check each provider's current pricing. See our own plans on the pricing page.
Made for how you work
Whatever your trade, if you invoice clients and file your own Self-Assessment, Ledgerly Pro fits.
Switching from another tool? Bring your invoices, expenses and bank history with you — see how to import your data.
Prefer to keep your accountant? Give them free read-only access — see Ledgerly Pro for accountants.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best accounting software for the self-employed in the UK?
The best self-employed accounting software is the one that matches how sole traders actually work: simple to use, priced for one person, and built around UK Self-Assessment and Making Tax Digital. Ledgerly Pro focuses on exactly that — AI bookkeeping, a live tax estimate, mileage at HMRC rates and read-only accountant access — from £9.99 a month.
Do I need accounting software if I'm self-employed?
You don't legally need software, but from April 2026 Making Tax Digital for Income Tax begins phasing in for self-employed people earning over £50,000, who must keep digital records and send quarterly updates. Compatible software like Ledgerly Pro keeps you compliant and saves hours versus spreadsheets.
How much does self-employed accounting software cost in the UK?
Prices typically range from around £10 to £20 a month. Ledgerly Pro starts at £9.99 a month with a 30-day free trial and no card required, which is usually cheaper than Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent for a single sole trader.
Is Ledgerly Pro Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliant?
Yes. Ledgerly Pro keeps digital records and connects to HMRC for MTD for VAT today, with MTD for Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) support in progress. You keep a clean digital audit trail ready for quarterly updates.
Can I do my own Self-Assessment with it?
Yes. Ledgerly Pro prepares your income, allowable expenses and a live estimate of your tax bill, so you can complete your Self-Assessment on HMRC's website with confidence. Most sole traders don't need an accountant to file.
Does it connect to my business bank account?
Yes. Ledgerly Pro uses FCA-regulated Open Banking to import transactions automatically. It's read-only — we never see or store your banking password and cannot move money.
Can I track business mileage?
Yes. The built-in mileage tracker applies the HMRC-approved rate of 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p thereafter, so you never miss the deduction.
Will my accountant be able to access my books?
Yes, at no extra cost. You can grant your accountant secure read-only access, so they can review your figures without you exporting spreadsheets.
How is the AI bookkeeping different from a spreadsheet?
Instead of typing every transaction, you snap or upload a receipt and the AI reads the amount, date and category in seconds, then matches it to your bank feed. That removes the manual data entry that makes spreadsheets so slow and error-prone.
Is my data secure?
Yes. Ledgerly Pro uses bank-level encryption, FCA-regulated Open Banking and GDPR-compliant data handling. Your financial data stays private and is never sold.
The simplest way to do your self-employed accounts
Join UK freelancers and sole traders who run their books — and their tax — on Ledgerly Pro. 30-day free trial, no card required.