Your Profile is the foundation of everything in RentalBux. Think of it as your personal accounting environment, your properties, your income sources, your financial records, and your HMRC connection all live inside it. Getting it configured correctly from the start saves a lot of headaches later.
What a Profile is
A Profile is a self-contained management area that holds all your RentalBux activity. Every user has their own Profile, and Profiles are completely private — no one else can see your data unless you explicitly invite them.
Inside your Profile, you manage income sources (the different types of income you earn), properties, tenancies, accounting records, MTD submissions, and documents. If you're a joint property owner, each co-owner has their own separate Profile — RentalBux links them at the property level to handle profit splitting automatically.
Profile Categorisation types — Which one to choose
When you sign up to RentalBux and set up your profile for the first time, you need to choose the income and expense categorisation for your profile.
Categorisation type | What it does | Who should choose it |
|---|---|---|
HMRC Categorisation | Organises your finances using HMRC's approved income and expense categories. Directly aligned with MTD quarterly update requirements. | All landlords and sole traders filing under MTD. Straightforward Compliance. |
Detailed Categorisation | Broader categorisation system for more complex accounting needs. Goes beyond standard MTD categories. | Landlords with complex portfolio structures who want advanced reporting beyond basic MTD compliance. Recommended by RentalBux |
Quick Tip
If you're not sure, choose Detailed Categorisation. It covers everything you need for MTD compliance and is the option RentalBux is optimised for.
Setting up your Profile step by step
What each piece of information is used for
Field | Used for |
|---|---|
Legal name | Appears on invoices, reports, and HMRC correspondence |
VAT Registration Number | If registered, need to charge VAT and use it when submitting VAT returns to HMRC |
NINO (National Insurance Number) | HMRC identity verification step when authorising the MTD connection |
Profile Categorisation type | Determines how income and expenses are categorised throughout RentalBux |
Tax year start | Sets the beginning of your reporting year for all reports and MTD submissions |
Can I change my Profile type later?
No, Profile Categorisation type is a one-time setup and will affect how your historical transactions are categorised. If you switch from HMRC Categorisation to Detailed Categorisation (or vice versa) after you've been recording transactions for a while, some categories may need to be remapped. Hence, changing this is disabled for the user. Contact support@rentalbux.com if a change is required and you're unsure of the impact.
Managing multiple Profiles
Most landlords only need one Profile. However, if you manage properties in a Limited Company structure AND in your personal name, you may want separate Profiles for each — one for the company, one for your personal rental income. Each Profile has its own set of income sources, properties, accounting records, and HMRC connection.
Take five minutes to complete your Profile fully before adding properties or income sources. A correctly set-up Profile means your reports and MTD submissions will be accurate from day one.