Key Distinction: QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus, the QuickBooks plan most often compared to landlord software, is explicitly designed for sole traders and landlords with a single property, with trading income generally under £90,000. Hammock is built exclusively for landlords, with no upper limit on portfolio size and no self-employment support. The two products are aimed at meaningfully different users, and the comparison should be read with that in mind.
QuickBooks and Hammock are both HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital. Beyond that shared compliance status, they represent two different philosophies for how a landlord should manage their tax affairs. QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus is the entry tier of a much larger general accounting ecosystem, built to also serve sole traders, contractors, and small business owners, with single-property landlords as one supported use case among several. Hammock was built from the ground up exclusively for landlords, with no other client type in mind, and no ceiling on the number of properties a single account can manage.
This article draws exclusively on each provider's own published pricing and feature pages, third-party verification from AccountingWEB and other reputable industry sources, and HMRC's published guidance, all verified as at June 2026. Prices are stated exclusive of VAT unless noted otherwise.
The MTD for Income Tax Mandate: The Essentials
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax became mandatory on 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with combined qualifying gross income above £50,000 in the 2024 to 2025 tax year. The mandate extends to those with qualifying income above £30,000 from April 2027, and above £20,000 from April 2028.
Qualifying taxpayers must keep digital records, submit four quarterly updates due by 7 August, 7 November, 7 February, and 7 May each year, and file a Final Declaration by 31 January following the end of each tax year. HMRC has paused penalty points for late quarterly submissions during 2026 to 2027; financial penalties for late Final Declarations apply from April 2026.
QuickBooks and MTD: Where Landlords Fit in a General Platform
QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus: Built for the £20,000 to £90,000 Market
QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus, launched in the UK in November 2024 as a replacement for the legacy QuickBooks Self-Employed product, is explicitly targeted at sole traders with annual income under £90,000, including landlords with a single property income stream and those working in construction. This is confirmed directly in Intuit's own product description and reported in AccountingWEB's coverage of the launch. The price is £10 per month, excluding VAT, with promotional pricing periodically offered at a reduced rate for the first six months.
Important: QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus is built for single-property landlords, not portfolio landlords. Intuit's own marketing describes the product as covering small business and single property owner landlords. A landlord with two or more properties is not the intended user of this plan and should consider QuickBooks Simple Start (£16/month) or a landlord-specific platform such as Hammock.
What Sole Trader Plus Covers for MTD
Sole Trader Plus covers digital record-keeping, quarterly MTD updates, and the Final Declaration for self-employment income and the single qualifying property income stream. Receipt capture uses AI to extract data from photos, and mileage is tracked automatically via GPS to separate business and personal trips. CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) support is included at no added cost, a detail confirmed directly on Intuit's own QuickBooks Sole Trader for accountants page. VAT submission is explicitly not available on this plan; VAT-registered users must upgrade to Simple Start.
What Sole Trader Plus Does Not Include
Intuit's own pricing page confirms that Intuit Intelligence features, the AI categorisation and anomaly detection suite available on higher plans, are not available with QuickBooks Sole Trader. Payroll cannot be added to Sole Trader Plus; it is only available from Simple Start upward. Multi-currency, inventory management, and project tracking are also unavailable. There is no dedicated joint-ownership splitting tool, no HMO-specific functionality, and no investment analytics such as loan-to-value or rental yield reporting.
Upgrading Within The QuickBooks Ecosystem
A meaningful structural advantage of QuickBooks is the upgrade path. A landlord who starts on Sole Trader Plus and later buys a second property, becomes VAT-registered, or needs payroll can move to Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced within the same QuickBooks account, without switching provider or re-entering historical data.
Accountant Access
QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus users can invite their accountant to access their account directly, and QuickBooks Online Accountant provides centralised practice management for firms with multiple QuickBooks clients across all plan tiers, including Sole Trader Plus, Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.
Hammock and MTD: The Landlord-Only Platform
HMRC Recognition: The First Dedicated Landlord Platform
Hammock was officially recognised by HMRC as compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax in December 2024, positioning it as the first and only platform specifically designed for landlords to achieve this recognition. This was confirmed via an AccountingWEB report quoting Hammock's CEO and a leading UK tax consultant who praised the platform's landlord-specific design.
No Portfolio Size Limit
Unlike QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus, Hammock places no stated limit on the number of properties a landlord can manage within a single account. The platform explicitly states it is suitable for HMO landlords, who specifically benefit from being charged by property rather than by tenancy. Hammock supports all property ownership structures: individual owners, joint ownership, and ownership via limited company with multiple shareholders, with income and expenses displayed in full and pro rata per individual owner or shareholder.
Automated Reconciliation and Letting Agent Fee Handling
Hammock automatically reconciles rent payments received by the landlord against the related letting agent fee, while correctly recording the full gross amount as rental income for tax purposes. This automated gross-versus-net handling addresses a common source of landlord bookkeeping error that general accounting platforms, including QuickBooks, do not address as a dedicated feature.
Investment Analytics
Hammock provides real-time portfolio performance metrics not found in QuickBooks at any tier: loan-to-value ratio, rental yield, profit and loss per property, arrears balance, and occupancy rate, available 24/7 via web and mobile.
Compliance Reminders Beyond MTD
Hammock sends reminders and alerts for documents beyond the MTD filing calendar, including insurance policy renewals and gas safety certificates, based on expiry dates the landlord sets. This is a feature aimed squarely at the practical realities of running a rental portfolio, which QuickBooks does not offer at any tier.
What Hammock Does Not Cover
Hammock covers UK property income only. It does not support self-employment income, meaning a landlord who also runs a sole-trade business needs a second piece of MTD software for that income stream. Hammock has no VAT submission capability, and foreign property income scope is not explicitly confirmed on its published pages as at June 2026. There is no general accounting upgrade path within Hammock; it remains property-focused regardless of a landlord's other business activities.
HMRC Pilot Participation
Independent reporting, including a landlord blog updated in March 2026, confirms active landlord use of Hammock within HMRC's MTD for Income Tax pilot programme for the 2025/26 tax year, ahead of the April 2026 mandatory rollout. This early pilot exposure is consistent with Hammock's positioning as a landlord specialist preparing clients well ahead of the deadline.
Side-by-Side Comparison
The table below is based on each provider's own published pricing and feature pages, third-party verification from AccountingWEB and other industry sources, and HMRC's published guidance, all current as at June 2026.
Feature | QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus | Hammock |
|---|---|---|
HMRC MTD ITSA recognition | Yes, confirmed on HMRC compatible software register and Intuit's own UK pages | Yes, confirmed Dec 2024, first dedicated landlord platform recognised |
Designed primarily for | Sole traders and single-property landlords, income under £90,000 (Intuit's own product description) | Landlords of any portfolio size, no self-employment support |
Number of properties supported | One property only (single property income stream) | Unlimited; designed for portfolios of any size, including HMOs |
Self-employment income | Yes, core use case | No; property income only |
VAT submission | No (must upgrade to Simple Start, £16/month, for VAT) | No |
CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) | Yes, included at no extra cost | No |
Foreign property income | Not confirmed as a distinct submission category on Sole Trader Plus | Not confirmed on published Hammock pages |
Joint ownership handling | Not a confirmed dedicated feature; general accounting categories only | Automated; supports individual, joint, and limited company ownership with multiple shareholders, pro rata income/expense display |
HMO support | Not a confirmed dedicated feature | Yes, explicitly supports HMO tenancies |
Letting agent fee handling | Not a confirmed dedicated feature | Automatically reconciles gross rent vs agent fee, records full gross rental income |
Investment analytics (LTV, yield, arrears) | Not offered; general P&L and expense reports only | Yes, real-time loan-to-value, rental yield, arrears balance, occupancy rate |
Bank feeds | Yes, Open Banking | Yes, unlimited bank feeds (Hammock is FCA registered No. 911254) |
Receipt capture / AI extraction | Yes, AI extracts data from receipt photos | Yes, photo capture, attached directly to transaction |
AI categorisation / Intuit Intelligence | Not available on Sole Trader plan (confirmed exclusion on Intuit's own pricing page) | Automated reconciliation and categorisation, not branded as a named AI suite |
Compliance document reminders (certificates etc.) | No | Yes, reminders for insurance, gas safety certificates, and other expiring documents |
Accountant access | Yes, can invite accountant directly; QuickBooks Online Accountant available | Yes, accountants can access client data; dedicated accountant-facing MTD product |
Mobile app | Yes, iOS and Android, strong AI mileage tracking | Yes, iOS and Android, real-time notifications |
Upgrade path within same ecosystem | Yes; upgrade to Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced without changing provider | No equivalent general accounting upgrade path; Hammock remains property-only |
Entry-level price | £10 + VAT/month (promotional pricing of £1/month for first 6 months has applied at times; verify current offer) | Plans vary by portfolio size; verify current pricing directly with Hammock |
Free trial | 30-day free trial (standard QuickBooks offer) | Two-month free trial reported via referral links (third-party sources, March 2026); verify directly with Hammock |
FCA registration | No FCA registration (Intuit is not FCA regulated for this product) | Yes, FCA registered No. 911254 for Open Banking connectivity |
HMRC pilot participation (2025/26) | Not specifically reported as a pilot participant in available sources | Yes, confirmed active pilot participant for 2025/26 tax year (third-party landlord blog, March 2026) |
Prices exclude VAT. Hammock's pricing structure varies by portfolio size and was not fully published in the sources reviewed for this article; landlords and accountants should confirm current Hammock pricing directly with the provider. Always verify current pricing, plan inclusions, and HMRC recognition scope directly with each provider and on the HMRC compatible software register at tax.service.gov.uk before advising clients.
Which Platform Is Right For Your Client?
Choose QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus if your client:
Is a sole trader with self-employment income and owns a single rental property, and wants both income streams managed within one account.
Has trading income under approximately £90,000 and does not need VAT registration or payroll.
Works in construction and needs CIS support included at no added cost alongside MTD for Income Tax.
Wants a clear upgrade path within the same software ecosystem if their business grows, becomes VAT-registered, or needs payroll, without switching provider.
Values strong mobile-first tools, including AI-powered mileage tracking and receipt capture, for managing accounts on the move.
Choose QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus if your client:
Is a sole trader with self-employment income and owns a single rental property, and wants both income streams managed within one account.
Has trading income under approximately £90,000 and does not need VAT registration or payroll.
Works in construction and needs CIS support included at no added cost alongside MTD for Income Tax.
Wants a clear upgrade path within the same software ecosystem if their business grows, becomes VAT-registered, or needs payroll, without switching provider.
Values strong mobile-first tools, including AI-powered mileage tracking and receipt capture, for managing accounts on the move.
A Note on Scope: These Are Not Really Competing Products
The most useful framing for accountants advising clients is that QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus and Hammock rarely compete for the same client. QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus is the entry product within a broader general accounting ecosystem, and its single-property, sub-£90,000 design means a landlord with a growing portfolio will quickly outgrow it in ways that are structural, not just a matter of price. Hammock has no portfolio ceiling but cannot serve a client whose income includes a sole-trade business, since it has no self-employment coverage at all.
For a landlord with one property and a separate sole-trade business, QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus is the more natural single-platform fit. For a landlord with multiple properties and no self-employment income, Hammock's portfolio-scale design and investment analytics offer capability that QuickBooks does not provide at any tier. For a landlord who has both a growing portfolio and self-employment income, neither product alone is sufficient, and a combination of two platforms, or a general platform such as Xero with its multi-business MTD ITSA module, may be the more appropriate recommendation.
What Neither Product Fully Resolves
Partnerships are not yet in scope for MTD for Income Tax. HMRC has not confirmed a start date. Neither QuickBooks nor Hammock currently supports MTD ITSA for partnership income.
MTD for Corporation Tax is not yet mandated. Limited company landlords are outside the scope of MTD ITSA, which applies to individuals only. Hammock does support limited company ownership structures for income display purposes, but MTD ITSA itself remains a personal tax regime.
The Final Declaration covers qualifying business income but does not replace the need to declare employment income, dividends, capital gains, or other non-business income. Both platforms require clients to confirm these figures at year end.
HMRC has paused penalty points for late quarterly submissions during 2026 to 2027. Financial penalties for late Final Declarations apply from April 2026.
Neither platform's published pages confirm automated Section 24 mortgage interest tax credit calculations within their standard MTD workflows, as at June 2026. Landlords without specialist property tax advice should seek guidance on ensuring this is correctly applied at year-end.
Conclusion
QuickBooks and Hammock occupy different positions in the MTD software landscape, and the comparison is most useful not as a head-to-head ranking but as a guide to matching the platform to the client's actual circumstances.
QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus is the right tool for a narrow but common case: a sole trader with one rental property, trading income under roughly £90,000, who wants both income streams in one account with a clear upgrade path as their business grows. Its strength is the breadth of the wider QuickBooks ecosystem sitting behind it.
Hammock is the right tool for landlords whose income is purely from property, regardless of portfolio size, who want automated joint ownership handling, investment analytics, and compliance reminders built specifically around the realities of letting property. Its strength is depth in a single domain rather than breadth across many.
For accountants advising landlord clients, the determining questions are straightforward: how many properties does the client have, do they also have self-employment income, and do they want investment analytics alongside compliance. The answers to those three questions will point clearly to one platform or the other, and in some mixed cases, to both.
