RentalBux vs. TaxHeaven
Quick Verdict
Overall Winner: RentalBux
At-a-Glance Comparison
Key differences between RentalBux and TaxHeaven across MTD compliance, property management, bookkeeping, pricing, and landlord-specific features.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| Software Type | Property/Landlord Platform | MTD Compliance Tool |
| Target Users | Landlords, Sole Traders, Letting Agents | Sole Traders, Landlords |
| Income Sources Supported | Sole Trader + UK Property + Foreign Property | Sole Trader + UK Property only |
| Free MTD Software Plan | Free until March 2028 (1 property) | Free |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | No |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes | Yes |
| Invoice Creation | Yes | No |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes | No |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | Yes | No |
| Payroll | No | No |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | Yes | No |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android | Web browser only |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
Product Overviews
What Is RentalBux?
All-in-One MTD Software for Landlords and Sole Traders
RentalBux is an all-in-one property management, accounting, and Making Tax Digital compliance platform built specifically for UK landlords, letting agents, and self-employed individuals. Designed with direct input from accountants who specialise in property and sole trader tax, RentalBux covers everything from tenancy management and rent collection to full bookkeeping with a pre-configured chart of accounts tailored to the property sector.
RentalBux is fully HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax across all three qualifying income categories: UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment. This makes it one of the only landlord-specific MTD software platforms that can handle a landlord who also runs a sole trader business, all from a single subscription.
A major differentiator is RentalBux's pricing model: single-property landlords can use the platform completely free until March 2028, making it one of the most affordable HMRC-approved MTD software options for landlords entering the MTD regime.
What Is TaxHeaven ?
TaxHeaven is a free Making Tax Digital compliant platform built for UK sole traders and landlords, developed by Raunaq Bose. Described by its founder as built for people like himself: the plumber, the childminder, or the freelance designer facing their first compliance obligation. TaxHeaven is explicitly designed to lower the barrier to MTD adoption for users who find traditional accounting software over-engineered or expensive.
TaxHeaven's core capability is its integration with Yapily, Europe's leading open banking infrastructure provider. Through this partnership, TaxHeaven users can securely connect their bank accounts and automatically sync transactions in real time, removing the need for manual data entry. The integration delivers automatic transaction syncing, real-time income and expense visibility, and automated categorisation aligned with HMRC tax categories, all built on Yapily's secure, GDPR-compliant infrastructure.
Strengths
- Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028
- Handles sole trader + UK property + foreign property income in one platform
- Joint ownership with automatic profit-sharing split by ownership percentage
- Pre-built chart of accounts tailored for landlords and sole traders
- AI-powered expense auto-categorisation and OCR receipt capture
- Agent filing on behalf of landlords — ideal for accountants and letting agents
- Supports HMO properties with auto-created units
Strengths
- Completely free: no paid tier confirmed
- Real-time automated bank feeds via Yapily open banking
- Automated transaction categorisation aligned with HMRC tax categories
- HMRC-recognised for sole trader and UK property income
- GDPR-compliant infrastructure via Yapily
- Built for non-accountant users with a simple, accessible design
- Covers both sole trader and UK property income in one platform
Limitations
- Newer to market compared to established platforms
- No yield or LTV investment analysis tools
- No MTD for VAT support yet
- Some advanced reporting features still in development
- Limited third-party app integrations
- No offline capability
- No tax liability forecasting feature currently
Limitations
- Does not support foreign property income
- Quarterly updates only: final declaration not supported
- No confirmed property management features
- No confirmed agent filing capability
- No confirmed OCR receipt capture or invoicing
- Newer platform: limited independent reviews available
Making Tax Digital Compliance
How RentalBux Handles MTD Compliance
RentalBux supports all three MTD qualifying income categories: sole trader income, UK property income, and foreign property income. This makes it suitable for landlords who also earn self-employment income, eliminating the need for separate software. Most accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. RentalBux also supports agent filing, allowing accountants or letting agents to submit MTD returns on behalf of their landlord clients.
How TaxHeaven Handles MTD for Sole Traders and Landlords
TaxHeaven covers sole trader income and UK property income for MTD quarterly submissions. Its model is automation-first: once Yapily open banking connects a user's bank account, transactions are synced in real time and categorised against HMRC tax categories automatically. This means that by the time each quarterly deadline arrives, users need only review and submit rather than manually enter records.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes | Yes |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | No |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | Yes | Yes |
| UK Property Income | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | Yes | No |
| Multiple Income Streams | Yes | Sole Trader + UK Property only |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | No |
Property Management
RentalBux: Property Management
RentalBux provides comprehensive property portfolio management with tenant management, rent tracking, property expense allocation, and support for multiple properties. A standout feature is its joint ownership and profit-sharing capability: landlords can define ownership percentages once, and RentalBux automatically splits rental income and expenses. RentalBux also supports HMO properties, automatically creating individual units.
TaxHeaven: Tax Compliance Tool, No Confirmed Property Management Features
TaxHeaven's confirmed capabilities centre on MTD compliance and automated bookkeeping through open banking. Property management features — such as tenant management, rent tracking, HMO support, joint ownership tools, portfolio dashboards, and compliance reminders — have not been confirmed in any available verified source at the time of publication. Landlords who need dedicated property management tools alongside their MTD compliance must use a separate platform if they choose TaxHeaven for quarterly submissions.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Rent Tracking | Yes | No |
| Property Expense Allocation | Yes | No |
| Multiple Property Support | Yes | No |
| HMO Property Support | Yes (auto-creates units) | No |
| Joint Ownership/Profit Sharing | Yes (auto-split by %) | No |
| Maintenance Tracking | No | No |
| Tenant Screening | No | No |
| Compliance Document Alerts | Yes | No |
| Arrears Tracking | No | No |
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Digital Record Keeping
RentalBux: Structured Accounting
RentalBux includes a pre-built chart of accounts specifically designed for landlords and sole traders, covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, property repairs, professional services, utilities, and tenant deposits. All accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. The platform supports cash basis accounting, bank reconciliation, and journal entries.
TaxHeaven: Automated Transaction Categorisation via Yapily Open Banking
TaxHeaven uses Yapily's open banking infrastructure to sync bank transactions in real time, automatically categorising them against HMRC tax categories. This covers the core digital record-keeping requirement at the heart of MTD. A formal chart of accounts, journal entries, double-entry bookkeeping, and structured accounting reports have not been confirmed in any verified source. TaxHeaven's design philosophy is compliance through automation rather than accounting depth: the platform does the minimum required for MTD quarterly compliance in the most automated way possible.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built, Landlord-Tailored) | Yes (pre-built + custom) | No |
| Journal Entries | Yes | No |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes (Major UK banks) | Yes |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | Yes | No |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | No |
| Xero Integration | No | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes | Yes |
Invoicing, Expense Tracking
RentalBux: Expense Management
RentalBux includes OCR receipt capture, structured expense tracking with landlord-specific categories, auto-categorisation, invoice creation with customisable branding, and payment tracking with reminders.
TaxHeaven: Real-Time Automated Transaction Categorisation
TaxHeaven's expense management is powered by Yapily's automated transaction syncing. Once connected, transactions are automatically categorised against HMRC tax categories in real time with no manual input required. This is the platform's core confirmed capability. OCR receipt capture, invoice creation, payment tracking, and mileage tracking have not been confirmed in any verified source at the time of publication.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Creation & Sending | Yes | No |
| Invoice Customisation/Branding | Yes | No |
| Online Payment Collection | Yes | No |
| Payment Tracking/Reminders | Yes | No |
| Expense Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR/Photo) | Yes | No |
| Expense Categorisation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage Tracking | No | No |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
Reporting & Tax Forecasting
RentalBux: Formal Accounting Reports
RentalBux produces structured financial reports including profit & loss statements, balance sheets, journal reports, ledger reports, and trial balances. Smart categorisation helps ensure accuracy.
TaxHeaven: Real-Time Income and Expense Visibility
TaxHeaven provides real-time income and expense visibility through its Yapily open banking integration — confirmed in the partnership press release. Formal accounting reports (P&L, balance sheet, trial balance), a portfolio dashboard, tax estimates, and investment analytics have not been confirmed in any verified third-party or official source at the time of publication.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Yes (formal) | No |
| Balance Sheet | Yes | No |
| Trial Balance | Yes | No |
| Dashboard/Overview | Yes | No |
| Real-Time Financial Data | Yes | Yes |
| Cash Flow Reporting | No | No |
| Tax Estimate/Forecast | Yes | No |
| AI-Powered Features | Coming soon | Yes |
Collaboration & Mobile Apps
RentalBux's Collaborative Features
RentalBux enables agent filing, which gives accountants and letting agents the ability to submit directly on a landlord's behalf.
TaxHeaven's Collaborative Features
TaxHeaven's collaboration and mobile capabilities have not been confirmed in any verified source at the time of publication. The platform's founding philosophy centres on simplicity and self-service for individual sole traders and landlords rather than accountant-led multi-client workflows. Whether TaxHeaven provides formal accountant access, agent filing capability, or dedicated iOS and Android apps has not been confirmed in the Open Banking Expo press release or any other verified source. Users who require these features should contact TaxHeaven directly before committing.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant/Advisor Portal | Yes | No |
| Multi-User Access | Yes | No |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | No |
| Bank Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | iOS, Android | Web browser only |
| Web Browser Access | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
Ease of Use, Support & Security
RentalBux: Guided Workflows
RentalBux uses guided workflows, clear dashboards, and no accounting jargon. The platform offers phone support, email/chat support, and a help centre with guides and knowledge base articles.
TaxHeaven's Ease of Use
TaxHeaven is built around a founding philosophy of radical simplicity: no manual data entry, no training requirement, no ongoing admin. Once a bank account is connected via Yapily, the quarterly process is automated end-to-end. This makes it one of the lowest-barrier MTD onboarding experiences available. Customer support channels, a help centre, user reviews, and platform security documentation for TaxHeaven have not been independently verified at the time of publication, the platform is recently launched and its customer record is still being established.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxHeaven |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes | No |
| Chat Support | Yes | No |
| Email Support | Yes | No |
| Help Centre/Knowledge Base | Yes | No |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| Enterprise-Grade Security | Yes | No |
RentalBux Features
Sole Trader Income Support for MTD
RentalBux is one of the few landlord-focused MTD software platforms that supports self-employment income alongside UK and foreign property income within a single account. Landlords who also run a trade, consultancy, or freelance business can manage all quarterly submissions from one dashboard. Landlord Studio covers property income only.
Custom Chart of Accounts for Landlords
A property-tailored chart of accounts covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, repairs, utilities, letting agent fees, and more — all pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. No setup required; the system is ready to use from day one. Landlord Studio has no equivalent.
Agent Filing on Behalf of Landlords
Letting agents and accountants can submit MTD quarterly updates and the Final Declaration on behalf of landlord clients directly from the platform. Landlord Studio allows accountant access but does not support submission on the landlord's behalf.
Branded Invoice Creation
Invoice creation with customisable branding for service charges and commercial landlords. Not available in Landlord Studio.
AI-Powered OCR Receipt Capture with Auto-Categorisation (Coming soon)
RentalBux's AI will read uploaded receipts and categorise the expense automatically against the pre-built chart of accounts. Landlord Studio's Smart Scan extracts dates and amounts but does not include AI-driven expense categorisation.
Formal Accounting Reports
Balance sheet, trial balance, ledger reports, and journal reports. Landlord Studio does not produce these natively.
Free Plan Including MTD Submissions Until March 2028
RentalBux's free single-property plan includes MTD quarterly submissions. Landlord Studio's free GO plan covers property management for up to three units but requires a paid PRO plan (from £12/month) to access MTD submission functionality.
Unique Features Only TaxHeaven Offers
Completely Free — No Paid Tier
TaxHeaven is confirmed as a free platform with no paid subscription tier published at the time of writing. For sole traders and landlords who need free quarterly MTD compliance with no annual cost whatsoever, this is a meaningful differentiator — though users should verify current pricing and terms directly at taxheaven.app.
Yapily-Powered Real-Time Open Banking Sync
TaxHeaven uses Yapily's FCA-regulated, GDPR-compliant open banking infrastructure for automatic, real-time transaction syncing. By the time each quarterly deadline arrives, records are already up to date from bank activity alone — users simply review and submit. No other platform in this comparison series confirms the same Yapily-specific infrastructure.
Built Exclusively for Non-Accountant Users
TaxHeaven is explicitly designed for the everyday sole trader or landlord — the plumber, the childminder, the freelance designer — who is facing their first compliance obligation and wants the simplest possible route to quarterly compliance without accounting knowledge or ongoing admin.
Who Should Choose RentalBux?
RentalBux is a strong fit if you:
Landlords with Mixed Income Streams
If you earn from both property and self-employment, RentalBux handles sole trader income alongside UK and foreign property income in a single MTD-compliant platform.
Joint Owners and Family Portfolios
The automated profit-sharing split is a standout feature. Define ownership percentages once and RentalBux calculates each owner's share automatically.
Budget-Conscious Landlords Entering MTD
Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028, with no upfront commitment.
Landlords Who Want Proper Accounting Structure
Chart of accounts, journal entries, profit & loss, balance sheet, and trial balance give RentalBux a structured accounting foundation.
Accountants and Letting Agents
Agent filing on behalf, multi-user access, and spreadsheet import make RentalBux practical for professionals managing multiple landlord portfolios.
Commercial Landlords and HMO Owners
Invoice creation with branding for service charges, plus automatic HMO unit creation and tenant management.
Who Should Choose TaxHeaven?
TaxHeaven is a good choice for:
Sole Traders and UK-Property-Only Landlords Who Want Zero Ongoing Admin
TaxHeaven's confirmed proposition is simple: connect your bank, and quarterly MTD compliance happens automatically. For users with sole trader or UK property income only, who do not need the final declaration from the same tool, this is the lowest-friction option available.
Users Who Want Completely Free Quarterly MTD Compliance
TaxHeaven is confirmed as free with no paid tier published. For sole traders or simple-income landlords whose only requirement is quarterly updates at zero cost, TaxHeaven is worth evaluating.
First-Time MTD Users Who Find Accounting Software Daunting
TaxHeaven was built for people who find existing accounting software over-engineered for their needs. Its open-banking-first model means compliance happens from bank activity alone — no software to learn, no categories to set up manually.
Landlords Comfortable Using Separate Software for the Final Declaration
HMRC's rules explicitly allow different software for quarterly updates and the final declaration. Users who are content to use TaxHeaven for quarterly submissions and a separate tool for the final declaration can do so compliantly.