What is TaxCalc MTD Quarterly Filer?
TaxCalc is a UK tax software company owned by Acorah Software Products Limited and based in Wokingham. According to TaxCalc's website, its software is used by over 12,000 accountancy practices and 60,000 individuals and business owners in the UK.
TaxCalc MTD Quarterly Filer is the company's product for sole traders and landlords who need to meet Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (mtd itsa) requirements. TaxCalc describes it as a HMRC-recognised spreadsheet bridging solution: you keep your records in a spreadsheet, and the software extracts income and expense totals to submit quarterly updates to HMRC.
It is a desktop application that runs on Windows 7 and above, Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra) and above, and Linux. The product is purchased outright as an annual licence rather than a cloud subscription.
Key TaxCalc Features
Spreadsheet import via an on-screen cell selector
Automatic retrieval of MTD obligations and business information from HMRC
Taxable adjustments for add-backs, disallowables and private use
HMRC tax estimate/forecast after each submission
Support for multiple trades and properties, including UK and overseas property
Attach supporting documents to submissions
What is Coconut?
Coconut is a UK cloud accounting and bookkeeping app aimed at sole traders, landlords and CIS subcontractors. It is part of the GoSimpleTax family and is HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Coconut is FCA-authorised as an Account Information Service Provider (AISP, FRN 931194), which is the regulatory permission required to provide Open Banking connections in the UK. It connects directly to user bank accountants, pulls in transactions, categorises them with HMRC-friendly tags, and prepares quarterly MTD updates and an end-of-year tax return. Coconut also runs a partnership with digital business bank Zempler that gives users free access to Coconut for up to 24 months when they open and maintain a connected Zempler account.
Key Coconut Features
Open Banking bank feeds with automatic transaction categorisation
Receipt capture and expense tracking inside the mobile app
Real-time tax estimates throughout the year
Quarterly MTD updates and end-of-year filing
Mileage tracking and invoicing for sole traders
Multiple rental properties managed in a single account
Web and mobile access (iOS and Android)
TaxCalc vs Coconut Pricing in 2026
Pricing is the most concrete way to separate the two, because they sit at very different points in the market.
TaxCalc MTD Quarterly Filer Pricing
TaxCalc lists three editions of MTD Quarterly Filer on its individual product page, with VAT added at checkout:
Edition | Price (ex. VAT) | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
Solo | £24.00/year | 1 individual |
Duo | £36.00/year | Up to 2 individuals |
6-pack | £44.00/year | Up to 6 individuals |
Note: the end-of-year tax return is not included in MTD Quarterly Filer. Final filing is handled by a separate TaxCalc product, TaxCalc Tax Return Production, which is priced separately.
Coconut Pricing
Coconut publishes its plans with VAT included and offers a 14-day free trial on all plans, with no card details required. Pricing tiers as published by Coconut:
Plan | Annual price (inc. VAT) | What's included |
|---|---|---|
Essentials | £99.99/year | Bookkeeping, bank feeds, expenses, invoicing, P&L |
+MTD | £129.99/year | Essentials plus MTD quarterly updates and year-end return |
+Self Assessment | £129.99/year | Essentials plus Self Assessment filing via GoSimpleTax |
Full | £159.99/year | Everything: MTD plus Self Assessment filing |
Zempler partnership | Free for up to 24 months | Standard subscription free while a Zempler account is connected |
Pricing Verdict
TaxCalc is materially cheaper on headline price: £24/year is roughly a quarter of Coconut's £99.99 Essentials plan. However, the two are not directly comparable. TaxCalc gives you compliant quarterly filing only, on the assumption you already have a spreadsheet workflow. Coconut gives you the bookkeeping software itself, complete with bank feeds, receipt capture, mobile app and an end-of-year tax return on the Full plan. The right comparison depends on whether you already have a record-keeping system in place or need one built for you.
Workflow Differences: Bridging Software vs Cloud Bookkeeping
The most important distinction between TaxCalc and Coconut is not pricing or features in isolation. It is the type of software each one is.
How a Typical TaxCalc Workflow Looks
TaxCalc assumes you already keep, or are willing to keep, digital records in a spreadsheet. TaxCalc offers MTD-ready spreadsheet templates with the correct income and expense categories pre-populated. Once you have a spreadsheet, you open MTD Quarterly Filer on your computer, map the relevant cells, and submit the quarterly totals to HMRC. You enter any taxable adjustments before submission, and the software pulls back HMRC's tax forecast.
This is bridging software: it bridges between your records and HMRC's systems. It does not capture transactions, store receipts in the cloud, or maintain a real-time ledger.
How a Typical Coconut Workflow Looks
Coconut connects directly to your bank account via Open Banking. As transactions appear, they are pulled into Coconut and categorised. You snap photos of receipts in the mobile app, attach them to transactions, and Coconut maintains an ongoing categorised ledger throughout the year. When a quarterly deadline approaches, the quarterly update is already prepared from the data. At year end, you can submit your Self Assessment via the Coconut Full plan or the +Self Assessment plan, which routes the filing through GoSimpleTax.
This is cloud bookkeeping software, not bridging software. The software is the record-keeping system, not an add-on to one.
Who Should Choose TaxCalc?
TaxCalc MTD Quarterly Filer is the more appropriate choice in several specific situations:
You already keep accurate records in Excel, Google Sheets or another spreadsheet and you do not want to change that workflow.
You are price-sensitive and want the cheapest HMRC-recognised route to compliance, particularly if you are filing for one or two individuals only.
You are an accountant or work with one, and you want a desktop tool that slots into the wider TaxCalc ecosystem (Tax Return Production, Practice Manager, VAT Filer, eSign Centre).
You prefer locally installed software over cloud applications, including on Linux.
You have multiple sources of income (self-employment, UK property, overseas property) and want to file each separately from a single tool.
Who Should Choose Coconut?
Coconut is the more appropriate choice in the following situations:
You do not currently keep digital records, or your records are inconsistent, and you need software that does the bookkeeping for you.
You want a mobile-first workflow: snapping receipts on a phone, viewing your tax position on the move, working from anywhere.
You want bank feeds and automatic categorisation rather than manual data entry into a spreadsheet.
You also want your Self Assessment filing handled in the same place (via the +Self Assessment or Full plan).
You qualify for, and are happy to use, the free Zempler bank account route, which gives you Coconut free for up to 24 months.
You want a real-time tax estimate that updates throughout the year rather than only at quarter-end.
Known Limitations to Be Aware of
TaxCalc Limitations
No bank feeds and no automatic transaction categorisation.
No mobile app: MTD Quarterly Filer is a desktop product.
The end-of-year return is a separate purchase via TaxCalc Tax Return Production.
The Trustpilot profile for TaxCalc shows a 4.3 average from 108 reviews at the time of writing, but reviews are dominated by accountants rather than individual sole traders or landlords.
Users on Trustpilot note that the interface can feel dated compared to modern cloud apps.
Coconut Limitations
Materially more expensive on headline price unless you qualify for the Zempler free route.
Coconut deliberately positions itself as straightforward and focused on simple sole trader and landlord needs, which means it does not include the heavier accounting features available in larger packages.
Phone support is not offered; support is via email and chat.
The free 24-month Zempler offer requires maintaining an active Zempler bank connection throughout the period.
Coconut focuses on income and expense management per property rather than complex property accounting features such as HMO unit-level tracking, automated joint-ownership profit splits or per-tenancy management.
Security, Regulation and HMRC Recognition
Both products are HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, which is the baseline requirement for any software you use to submit quarterly updates from April 2026 onwards. HMRC publishes the full list of recognised products on GOV.UK.
Coconut is additionally regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Account Information Services Provider (AISP, FRN 931194), giving it the legal permission to provide Open Banking connections in the UK.
TaxCalc operates as a desktop application that connects to HMRC's MTD APIs for submissions. Acorah Software Products Limited, TaxCalc's parent company, is registered in England and Wales under company number 03948264.
Why This Comparison Matters Now: The MTD ITSA Timeline
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is being phased in based on gross income from self-employment and rental property:
From 6 April 2026: sole traders and landlords with qualifying gross income over £50,000 in 2024/25.
From 6 April 2027: those with qualifying gross income over £30,000 in 2025/26.
From 6 April 2028: those with qualifying gross income over £20,000.
Once you cross the threshold, you must use HMRC-recognised software to submit four quarterly updates and a final declaration each year. The HMRC online filing service for Self Assessment will not be available for affected taxpayers, which makes the choice of software a compliance decision, not just a productivity one.
The Bottom Line: Which One Should You Choose?
TaxCalc and Coconut serve overlapping needs but very different user profiles.
TaxCalc MTD Quarterly Filer is the strongest choice for spreadsheet-loyal sole traders and landlords who want the lowest-cost compliant route into MTD ITSA without changing how they keep records. At £24/year for one individual, with optional multi-licence editions for couples or families, it is the most affordable HMRC-recognised option for users who do not need bookkeeping software.
Coconut is the stronger choice for sole traders and landlords who want bookkeeping done for them: bank feeds, receipts in a mobile app, automatic categorisation, real-time tax estimates and the option to handle the year-end tax return in the same place. The Zempler partnership effectively removes the headline price for users willing to bank with Zempler, which makes it significantly more competitive than its sticker price suggests.
Neither product is built as a dedicated property management platform, so landlords with complex portfolios, HMO units, jointly owned properties or detailed tenancy needs will likely outgrow both.
