Published 17 August 2026
Bookkeeping software for landlords: 7 checks for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Your bookkeeping software needs to handle a short chain of work: keep digital records, send quarterly updates and let you check the status HMRC returns after you send. The tax return after the tax year ends is a separate decision, and it can be completed through another compatible route.
This 7-point checklist will help you compare the parts that matter for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. It also explains exactly where EasyBooks fits.
In this guide
- Decide which jobs the software must do
- See how it keeps digital records
- Check the quarterly update process
- Plan how you will submit your tax return
- Match the software to your income sources
- Make sure it fits your devices
- Look for a clear review step
1. Decide which jobs the software must do
Bookkeeping software, accounting software and MTD software can sound like 3 names for the same thing. They are not.
One product may record rent and expenses. Another may also send quarterly updates to HMRC. A larger accounting suite may add payroll, bank feeds and tax return submission.
So how do you choose the right one?
Start with the work you need to complete:
- keep your UK property income and expenses as digital records;
- send quarterly updates to HMRC;
- check the HMRC status after you send each update.
Then decide how you want to complete the tax return. You may prefer to do it yourself using separate compatible software, or ask your accountant to handle that step. If you already use an accountant for Self Assessment, MTD does not require you to move the whole job into 1 product.
Good software should help you understand your books, not hide them behind the longest feature list. Choose the jobs first. Then compare the features.
2. See how it keeps digital records
A digital record is the amount, date and category of each item of business income or expense, recorded in software. For a landlord, a simple week might include rent coming in and a boiler repair going out.
The records could look like this:
| Date | Amount | Income or expense | HMRC category | Your note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 June | £1,100 | Income | Turnover | Rent from Flat 2 |
| 8 June | £145 | Expense | Repairs and maintenance | Boiler call-out |
The amount, date and HMRC category form the digital record used for your quarterly totals. Your note helps you find the item later. HMRC receives totals by category, not this private list row by row.
If you already keep a spreadsheet, ask how the software brings that work across. EasyBooks can import CSV files from spreadsheets on Mac, so you do not need to retype every record. You can also enter transactions directly on Mac, iPhone or iPad.
You still need to keep the supporting documents you would normally keep for Self Assessment, such as invoices and bank statements. EasyBooks can keep those documents alongside your records, so everything is in 1 place when you need it.
3. Check the quarterly update process
Quarterly updates are summaries of your income and expenses. They are not tax returns. Compatible software adds the records for the period, groups them into HMRC categories and sends the totals.
Before anything is sent, you should be able to see the records behind each total, correct anything that looks wrong and approve the update. That review is part of the job, not an extra feature.
EasyBooks is recognised by HMRC for MTD for Income Tax. You can keep the records, check the transactions behind each total and send the quarterly update from Mac, iPhone or iPad.
After you send, EasyBooks shows the obligation status returned by HMRC. FULFILLED means HMRC has marked that quarterly obligation as met. This can take up to an hour. An update fulfils the obligation when it covers the full update period. If you send before that period ends, you can submit up to 10 days early only when you do not expect any further transactions. An earlier update can be received while the quarterly obligation remains OPEN.
If you own more than 1 UK property, HMRC normally treats them together as 1 UK property business. You do not send a separate quarterly update for every flat or house. In EasyBooks, you can create a separate account for each property within the same business, and accounts are unlimited. That lets you understand each property on its own while still following HMRC’s 1-property-business model.
4. Plan how you will submit your tax return
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax adds quarterly updates during the year. The tax return stays. You do both.
You do not have to use 1 product for every step. GOV.UK confirms that you can use more than 1 compatible product, provided they work together and each submission is made through 1 product.
One straightforward route is to keep your books and send quarterly updates in EasyBooks, then ask your accountant to complete the tax return using compatible year-end software. That split is allowed under MTD. If you prefer to complete the return yourself, you can choose a compatible product for that step instead.
The year-end product can retrieve the totals already held by HMRC, so moving every EasyBooks record into that product is not always necessary. HMRC does not hold your transaction-level records, though, so agree with your accountant which EasyBooks reports or exports they will need for the final figures and any adjustments.
Ask every provider how all 3 jobs will be completed. A clear answer now prevents a gap later.
5. Match the software to your income sources
Software needs to support the income sources you actually have.
For example, you may have:
- UK property income only;
- self-employment income as well as UK property income;
- more than 1 self-employed business;
- foreign property income.
HMRC may require separate records and quarterly updates for separate self-employment businesses, while your UK properties are normally treated as 1 UK property business. Check the exact workflow rather than relying on a general “MTD-ready” badge.
EasyBooks supports self-employment and UK property income, handled source by source. It does not support foreign property income. If your setup is more complex, confirm the exact workflow before you choose a plan.
That keeps the route clear.
6. Make sure it fits your devices
The useful system is the one you will keep current.
Picture an ordinary week. Rent arrives while you are away from your desk, a repair invoice lands on your phone and the rest of your records are in a spreadsheet on your Mac. When the software fits those moments, keeping the books current is a smaller job.
EasyBooks is a native app for Mac, iPhone and iPad. CSV import is available on Mac, while digital records and quarterly updates work on Mac and iOS.
It can fit well if you already work on Apple devices and want bookkeeping and quarterly updates in the same place.
The fit should feel obvious.
7. Look for a clear review step
Software can add the numbers, but you should still recognise them.
Before you send a quarterly update, you should be able to answer:
- Does the rent total look right?
- Are repairs and other expenses in the right categories?
- Is anything missing from the period?
- Can I trace a total back to the transactions behind it?
EasyBooks lets you review the transaction list behind the quarterly totals before you approve and send. Nothing goes to HMRC before you have had the chance to look at it.
That is what a good review step is for: you understand the totals before the software sends them.
You stay in control.
A short fit check for EasyBooks
EasyBooks may be a good fit if you:
- are a UK sole trader, freelancer or UK property landlord;
- want simple bookkeeping rather than a heavy accounting suite;
- use Mac, iPhone or iPad;
- need digital records and quarterly updates for MTD for Income Tax;
- have a separate compatible route, often through your accountant, for the tax return;
- want to import existing records as CSV on Mac.
For a less common setup, such as foreign property income, CIS or a complex ownership structure, confirm the exact product fit before you choose a plan.
You do not need the biggest system. You need a complete route through your own records, quarterly updates and tax return.
See how EasyBooks handles MTD for Income Tax
If you use Mac or iOS and want to check your figures before sending them, see how EasyBooks handles digital records and quarterly updates.
See how EasyBooks handles MTD for Income TaxFrequently asked questions
Does Making Tax Digital for Income Tax apply to every landlord?
No, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax does not apply to every landlord. You need to use it if you are registered for Self Assessment, receive self-employment or property income, and your qualifying income is over the relevant threshold. GOV.UK says the phased thresholds are over £50,000 for a 6 April 2026 start, over £30,000 for a 6 April 2027 start and over £20,000 for a 6 April 2028 start. Use the current GOV.UK checker for your own position.
Do I need separate MTD software for every UK property?
No, you do not need separate MTD software for every UK property. HMRC normally treats 1 or more UK properties as 1 UK property business. The software adds those UK property records together for 1 quarterly update. You can still use notes or reports to understand each property separately for your own bookkeeping.
Are quarterly updates the same as tax returns?
No, quarterly updates are not tax returns. A quarterly update is a summary of income and expenses. You still submit a tax return after the end of the tax year.
Can a landlord keep records in a spreadsheet?
Yes, a landlord can keep records in a spreadsheet, but compatible software is still needed for the MTD submission. Some products use bridging software. EasyBooks takes a different route: you can import CSV files from spreadsheets on Mac, keep the digital records inside EasyBooks, then review and send the quarterly update.
Can I use EasyBooks for quarterly updates and my accountant for the tax return?
Yes, you can use EasyBooks for digital records and quarterly updates, then ask your accountant to complete the tax return through compatible year-end software. The year-end product can retrieve totals from HMRC, while your accountant may also need reports or exports from EasyBooks for transaction-level detail and adjustments.
Does EasyBooks work in a browser or on Android?
No, EasyBooks does not work in a browser or on Android. It is a native app for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
This article provides general information, not accounting or tax advice. Check the latest GOV.UK guidance or speak to your accountant about your own circumstances.
