Best Self Assessment software for sole traders in the UK (2026)
Self Assessment software compared on price for a sole trader's return, and on which products handle Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Quick answer
For a sole trader with £35,000 of self-employment income, below the 2026 Making Tax Digital threshold, TaxCalc Individual costs £42 for up to six returns, GoSimpleTax £69.99 a year by subscription, and Coconut's Self Assessment plan £129.99. If your qualifying income was over £50,000 in 2024–25, you need Making Tax Digital software, where GoSimpleTax and Coconut both have plans.
Key points
- TaxCalc Individual is £42 for up to six SA100 returns for 2025–26; its page does not say whether VAT is included.
- GoSimpleTax is free to calculate and £69.99 a year to submit by subscription, or £113.99 one-off.
- Coconut's +Self Assessment plan is £129.99 a year; its MTD filing plan is also £129.99.
- Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies from 6 April 2026 above £50,000, from 2027 above £30,000 and from 2028 above £20,000.
- The online Self Assessment deadline for 2025–26 returns is 31 January 2027.
- HMRC's software finder lists compatible products; HMRC does not recommend any.
What you would pay
Set your own numbers. The list below is ranked with this same calculator at our reference profile: one Self Assessment return with £35,000 of self-employment income, below the 2026 Making Tax Digital threshold.
- TaxCalc Individual Individual 6£42.00
- GoSimpleTax Individual£69.99
- Coconut +Self Assessment£129.99
Regular published prices only. Introductory offers and tax are left out. Figures are arithmetic on the provider’s own numbers, not a recommendation.
The list, in order
Order follows the published method on How we rank. Providers cannot pay for a position.
TaxCalc Individual
Desktop software that prepares up to six SA100 Self Assessment returns for one household for the 2025–26 tax year, including supplementary pages.
Suits: households filing more than one Self Assessment return. Watch for: the shop does not say whether £42 includes VAT, and it does not describe Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
- Price
- £42.00
- Returns
- Up to 6 (SA100)
- Tax year
- 2025–26
GoSimpleTax
Free to work out your Self Assessment; you pay to submit to HMRC. The Individual plan covers self-employment (SA103), and a separate plan handles Making Tax Digital.
Suits: sole traders who want to see the tax figure before paying. Watch for: the one-off price (£113.99) is well above the subscription (£69.99).
- Individual
- £69.99/yr subscription
- One-off
- £113.99
- MTD plan
- £12.99/mo (via Coconut)
- Calculate first
- Free
Coconut
Bookkeeping and tax software for the self-employed, with plans for Self Assessment filing and for quarterly Making Tax Digital updates.
Suits: sole traders who need Making Tax Digital quarterly updates. Watch for: the page layout makes it unclear which monthly price goes with which plan.
- +Self Assessment
- £129.99/yr
- MTD filing
- £129.99/yr
- Full
- £159.99/yr
- Trial
- 14 days
Figures read from each provider’s own page on 29 October 2026. GoSimpleTax and Coconut quote prices including VAT; TaxCalc does not say. Reference profile: one Self Assessment return with £35,000 of self-employment income, below the 2026 Making Tax Digital threshold. Unranked entries publish no price that fits it.
- Other Making Tax Digital products are listed on HMRC's software finder; we add them as their pricing pages are read.
A sole trader's Self Assessment return can be filed with inexpensive software. From April 2026, higher earners also need software that sends quarterly updates under Making Tax Digital. This comparison covers both.
How the ranking works
We ranked products by the price of one Self Assessment return with £35,000 of self-employment income, below the 2026 Making Tax Digital threshold, using prices read from each provider's page on 29 October 2026. Change the income in the calculator above to see which products fit once Making Tax Digital applies. See how we rank.
| Product | Covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| TaxCalc Individual | Up to six SA100 returns, 2025–26 | £42 (VAT not stated) |
| GoSimpleTax Individual | SA103 self-employment | £69.99 a year (subscription) |
| Coconut +Self Assessment | SA103 self-employment | £129.99 a year |
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
According to gov.uk, sole traders and landlords must use Making Tax Digital if their qualifying income was:
- over £50,000 in 2024–25, from 6 April 2026
- over £30,000 in 2025–26, from 6 April 2027
- over £20,000 in 2026–27, from 6 April 2028
HMRC's guidance on compatible software says free products exist for simple tax affairs, with limits, and that HMRC does not recommend any product.
The products
GoSimpleTax is free to use for calculating your return; you pay to submit. The Individual plan is £69.99 a year by subscription or £113.99 one-off, and its Making Tax Digital plan is £12.99 a month through Coconut. Coconut lists +Self Assessment at £129.99 a year and MTD filing at £129.99 a year. TaxCalc's shop lists Individual 6 at £42 for up to six returns.
Deadlines
gov.uk gives 31 January 2027 as the deadline for online returns for the tax year that ended 5 April 2026. Our guide to filing as self-employed covers payments on account and quarterly updates.
Related
The US comparison covers federal returns. If you keep your books in accounting software, our UK accounting comparison covers those, and the tax software price finder works it out in pounds.
Keep reading
Best tax software for freelancers and the self-employed in the US (2026)
Tax software compared on what a federal return with freelance income costs, alongside the IRS's own free routes.
Guide · US & UKFiling taxes as self-employed: Schedule C and estimated tax vs Self Assessment and Making Tax Digital
Working for yourself means paying tax yourself, during the year as well as at the end. Here is how the US and UK systems work, with dates, rates and worked examples.
Calculator · UK editionTax software price finder
The same calculator on its own page, in pounds.
Questions
Do I need Making Tax Digital software?
gov.uk says sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 in 2024–25 should have started using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2026. The threshold falls to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. Below the threshold, you can keep filing a yearly return.
When is the Self Assessment deadline?
gov.uk says online returns for the tax year ending 5 April 2026 must be submitted by 11:59pm on 31 January 2027. Paper returns had to reach HMRC by 31 October 2026. Late returns can lead to a penalty, so leave time to gather your records.
Is there free Making Tax Digital software?
HMRC’s guidance says free products are available for people with simple tax affairs, but there may be limits, such as a cap on transactions. It names no products and says HMRC does not recommend any. Its software finder lists compatible products you can filter.
Do these prices include VAT?
GoSimpleTax and Coconut show prices including VAT. TaxCalc’s shop says VAT will be calculated during purchase based on where the software is used, and does not say whether £42 includes it. Sole traders who are not VAT-registered pay the VAT-inclusive price.
What are payments on account?
gov.uk says payments on account are advance payments towards your next tax bill, each half of the tax you owed last year, due by 31 January and 31 July. They are not needed if last year’s bill was under £1,000 or more than 80% was paid at source.