RentalBux vs. TaxNav
Which MTD Software Is Better for UK Landlords and Sole Traders?
Overall Winner: RentalBux
RentalBux is the more complete MTD software for landlords and sole traders. It combines full Making Tax Digital compliance across UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment income with comprehensive property management, automated bookkeeping, AI-driven expense categorisation, joint ownership profit-splitting, and a free plan for single-property landlords until March 2028. TaxNav is a well-built, credible alternative — a UK-based, HMRC-recognised MTD compliance tool developed by the team behind MTD for VAT, with deep HMRC systems experience since 2014. Its strengths are genuine simplicity, affordability at £6/month (or £60/year), spreadsheet-friendly bridging, AI error checking, CIS deduction retrieval, real-time tax estimates, and support for all three qualifying income types. But its deliberate focus on compliance simplicity means it lacks property management features, automated bank feeds, AI receipt capture, joint ownership automation, and landlord-specific accounting structure — making it a less complete solution for landlords with complex or growing portfolios.
At-a-Glance MTD Software Comparison
Key differences between RentalBux and TaxNav across MTD compliance, property management, bookkeeping, pricing, and landlord-specific features.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| Software Type | Property/Landlord Platform | Compliance & Bridging Tool |
| Target Users | Landlords, Sole Traders, Letting Agents | Sole Traders, Landlords, CIS Workers, Accountants |
| Income Sources Supported | Sole Trader + UK Property + Foreign Property | Sole Trader + UK Property + Foreign Property |
| Free MTD Software Plan | Free until March 2028 (1 property) | Yes (free trial available) |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | No |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes | No |
| Invoice Creation | Yes | No |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes | No |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | No |
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | Yes | Basic |
| Payroll | No | No |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | Yes | No |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | Yes |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android | Web browser only |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
What Is RentalBux? What Is TaxNav?
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 TaxNav?
Simplify Your UK Self-Assessment Tax Returns
TaxNav (taxnav.digital) is an HMRC-recognised MTD compliance software built and led by a UK-based team with extensive experience in the MTD space — the company's CEO and team developed MTD for VAT and have followed the MTD IT programme since it was first considered in 2014. TaxNav is already part of HMRC's MTD IT pilot programme, with hundreds of users successfully submitting live quarterly updates to HMRC. It is on HMRC's official 'Software Available Now' list.
TaxNav's core positioning is maximum simplicity and affordability for the self-employed and landlords. Its standout feature is spreadsheet-friendly bridging: users can continue keeping records in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers, import those totals into TaxNav using a simple import worksheet, and submit quarterly updates directly to HMRC — with no migration, no retraining, and no changing existing workflows. For users who prefer to enter records directly, TaxNav's manual entry mode provides a clean, guided interface accessible from any browser on any device without downloading or installing anything.
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
- Built by the team behind MTD for VAT — deep HMRC experience since 2014
- HMRC-recognised, on 'Software Available Now' list — part of live HMRC pilot
- Spreadsheet bridging — keep Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers
- All three income types covered under one licence
- AI error checking and real-time tax estimate after each submission
- CIS deduction retrieval direct from HMRC for construction workers
- Both cash and accrual accounting supported
- Calendar and standard quarter periods supported
- Affordable at £60/year on annual plan
- Step-by-step guided workflows for non-accountants
- UK-based support, UK servers, GDPR compliant
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
- No property management features
- No automated open banking or bank feeds (planned)
- No native mobile app — browser-based only
- No joint ownership automatic profit-splitting
- No landlord-specific chart of accounts or P&L reporting
- No AI receipt capture or OCR (planned)
- No invoicing capability
- £6/month cost — no permanently free plan
- No property compliance tracking (EPC, gas safety)
- Basic feature set limits use for complex portfolios
- No per-property income tracking or portfolio analytics
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 TaxNav Handles MTD Compliance
TaxNav covers all three qualifying income categories — self-employment (SA103), UK property (SA105), and foreign property (SA106) — under a single licence, with no additional charge for covering multiple income types. Users can submit via direct manual entry within TaxNav's interface, or via its bridging mode which accepts Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers files. Quarterly updates are submitted as cumulative year-to-date summaries, not transaction-by-transaction data — HMRC only sees the summary totals. Each new update replaces the previous one as all periods are cumulative from the start of the tax year. The Final Declaration (replacing Self Assessment) is supported, and users can add additional income items such as bank interest, capital gains, and pension contributions at year-end. Agents and accountants can submit on behalf of clients via HMRC's Agents Gateway.
TaxNav also supports users opting to report using calendar quarters (1 April to 31 March) rather than the standard tax quarters. Both cash and accrual accounting methods are supported.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes | Yes |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | Yes | Yes |
| UK Property Income | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple Income Streams | Yes | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux wins for being HMRC-recognised for all three qualifying income types, support agent filing, and are active in the HMRC pilot. It has bridging mode, receipt capture, automated bank feeds, and a full property management layer.
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.
TaxNav: No Property Management Capability
TaxNav was designed as a compliance and filing tool. It does not include property portfolio tracking, tenant management, rent tracking per property, joint ownership automation, compliance document alerts, HMO support, or mortgage tracking. For joint property owners, TaxNav's FAQ confirms that each owner can keep full digital records of their share of income and expenses, or record single totals quarterly — but this is handled manually by each individual co-owner, not automated by the platform.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| 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 %) | Manual |
| Maintenance Tracking | No | No |
| Tenant Screening | No | No |
| Compliance Document Alerts | Yes | No |
| Arrears Tracking | No | No |
Winner: RentalBux — TaxNav has no property management features. For landlords wanting to manage properties, tenancies, compliance certificates, and MTD filings in one place, RentalBux is the only viable option between these two.
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.
TaxNav: Guided Digital Record-Keeping with Spreadsheet Bridging
TaxNav offers two approaches to digital record-keeping. Users can enter income and expenses directly within the platform via a clean, guided interface — transactions can be entered daily, weekly, or at quarter-end, and edited before submission. Alternatively, TaxNav's bridging mode allows users to maintain their records in Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers, import quarterly summaries via TaxNav's import worksheet, and submit to HMRC without changing their existing workflow. TaxNav's FAQ notes that bank feeds and AI receipt capture are planned future features. The platform supports both cash and accrual accounting — offering more accounting method flexibility than RentalBux — but does not provide a formal chart of accounts, journal entries, double-entry bookkeeping, or per-property expense tracking.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built, Landlord-Tailored) | Yes (pre-built + custom) | No |
| Journal Entries | Yes | No |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | No |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes (Major UK banks) | No |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes | No |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | Yes | No |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | Yes |
| Xero Integration | No | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux for landlords wanting full accounting structure and automation. TaxNav for landlords who want to keep their spreadsheets, value maximum simplicity, or need accrual basis accounting.
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.
TaxNav: AI Error Checking and Guided Expense Entry
TaxNav's primary automation feature is AI error checking — the platform reviews data before submission to catch potential mistakes. Real-time tax estimates update after each transaction entry or quarterly submission, helping users plan for their year-end tax bill. For expense capture, TaxNav relies on manual entry or spreadsheet import — there is no automated bank feed or OCR receipt scanning currently, though TaxNav's FAQ notes both are planned future additions based on user demand. Quarterly deadline reminders are built in to prevent missed submissions.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes | No |
| Mileage Tracking | No | No |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | No |
Winner: RentalBux — TaxNav provides real-time tax estimates and full submission transparency, but no formal financial reporting. RentalBux delivers formal P&L per property, balance sheet, and a full financial dashboard far beyond MTD compliance.
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.
TaxNav: Real-Time Tax Estimates and Submission Transparency
TaxNav provides a real-time running tax estimate that updates after each entry or quarterly submission, giving users an ongoing view of their likely year-end tax position. The platform also provides a detailed view and download of all income and expense transactions — allowing accountants or users to review exactly what has been submitted. However, TaxNav does not produce formal profit & loss reports, per-property breakdowns, balance sheets, or trial balances. Its reporting is focused on MTD submission transparency rather than broader financial analysis.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Yes (formal) | No |
| Balance Sheet | Yes | No |
| Trial Balance | Yes | No |
| Dashboard/Overview | Yes | Yes |
| Real-Time Financial Data | Yes | Yes |
| Cash Flow Reporting | No | No |
| Tax Estimate/Forecast | Yes | Yes |
| AI-Powered Features | Coming soon | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux — TaxNav provides real-time tax estimates and full submission transparency, but no formal financial reporting. RentalBux delivers formal P&L per property, balance sheet, and a full financial dashboard far beyond MTD compliance.
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.
TaxNav: Agent Submissions, TaxNavHQ, and Browser-Based Mobile Access
TaxNav supports accountant and agent access: agents can submit on behalf of clients via HMRC's Agents Gateway. TaxNav also has a dedicated product for accountants — TaxNavHQ (taxnavhq.co.uk) — designed for practices managing multiple clients under MTD, where accountants can review client transaction data and support the year-end declaration process. The platform is browser-based and works on any device including smartphones and tablets, but there is no dedicated native mobile app for iOS or Android. TaxNav's FAQ confirms that most users can start using the platform in under ten minutes and it works on iPad and smartphones via the browser.
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant/Advisor Portal | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-User Access | Yes | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Integration | Yes | No |
| Platform | iOS, Android | Web browser only |
| Web Browser Access | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux - RentalBux leads on native mobile apps. It support agent filing and have dedicated accountant products.
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.
TaxNav's Ease of Use
| Feature | RentalBux | TaxNav |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes | Yes |
| Chat Support | Yes | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes |
| Help Centre/Knowledge Base | Yes | Yes |
| 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 TaxNav Offers
Spreadsheet Bridging — Excel, Google Sheets & Apple Numbers
TaxNav's import worksheet integrates directly with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers. Users add the worksheet to their existing file, enter or maintain their income and expense summaries as they normally would, and TaxNav imports those totals for direct submission to HMRC — with compliant digital links established between the spreadsheet and HMRC. No migration, no retraining, no disruption to existing workflows.
CIS Deduction Retrieval Direct from HMRC
TaxNav retrieves Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) deduction data directly from HMRC via their API. CIS subcontractors and construction workers can always see exactly what has been deducted from their payments and ensure it is correctly claimed back in their MTD submissions — without manual entry.
Accrual Basis Accounting
TaxNav supports both cash and accrual accounting methods, allowing users to switch between them. For landlords or sole traders who operate on an accruals basis — recognising income and expenses when they are earned or incurred rather than when cash is received or paid — TaxNav offers the only option between these two platforms.
Built by the Team Behind MTD for VAT — Since 2014
TaxNav was developed by a team that built MTD for VAT software and has followed the MTD IT programme since its earliest stages in 2014. The company's CEO Paul Oldridge developed a leading MTD for VAT product that was white-labelled by one of the world's top 10 accounting practices. This depth of HMRC API experience and institutional knowledge of how MTD works at a technical level is a genuine differentiator for users who want software built by people with proven, long-standing HMRC integration expertise.
TaxNavHQ — Dedicated Accountant Practice Product
TaxNavHQ (taxnavhq.co.uk) is TaxNav's dedicated product for accountants and bookkeepers managing multiple clients under MTD IT. It allows accountants to oversee client record-keeping, review transaction data, and support the year-end Final Declaration process — complementing TaxNav's client-facing submission platform with a practice-level layer.
Maximum Simplicity — Start Using in Under 10 Minutes
TaxNav is designed specifically for non-accountants. The platform's guided step-by-step workflows, video tutorials, email support, and help centre mean most users can be fully operational within ten minutes. The browser-based design — no download, no installation, no configuration — removes barriers for less tech-confident users. TaxNav's FAQ confirms this is a deliberate design priority.
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 TaxNav?
TaxNav is the better MTD software choice for:
Landlords and Sole Traders Who Prefer Spreadsheets
TaxNav's bridging mode supports Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers — allowing users to continue using existing spreadsheet workflows and simply submit those totals to HMRC. For users who are deeply familiar with their spreadsheet systems and resistant to migration, TaxNav removes any friction.
Multi-Property Landlords Who Want One Flat-Rate Cost
At £60/year with no per-property charges, TaxNav is very cost-effective for landlords with multiple properties who need MTD compliance and nothing beyond it. TaxNav's flat annual cost may be more economical if property management features are not needed.
CIS Construction Workers Alongside Rental Income
TaxNav's direct CIS deduction retrieval from HMRC makes it particularly well-suited for tradespeople in construction who also own rental properties — combining sole trader CIS management and property income under a single licence.
Sole Traders and Landlords Who Value Accrual Accounting
TaxNav supports both cash and accrual accounting methods — the only option between these two platforms for users who operate on an accruals basis.
Non-Tech Users Who Want Maximum Simplicity
TaxNav's browser-based interface, step-by-step guided workflows, and 10-minute onboarding make it one of the most accessible MTD tools for users who are not comfortable with technology or accounting software.
Accountants with Spreadsheet-Based Clients
For accounting practices whose clients keep spreadsheet records and have straightforward income, TaxNavHQ provides a practice-level view of client submissions. TaxNav's low per-user cost at £60/year makes it a cost-effective way to onboard spreadsheet-using clients to MTD compliance without requiring them to adopt new record-keeping systems.