FreeAgent – What You Need to Know

FreeAgent's MTD Compliance

FreeAgent for Landlords covers UK property income for MTD purposes, with quarterly updates and final declarations submitted directly to HMRC. The platform auto-populates the UK Property (SA105) pages of the Self Assessment form. However, there are two important limitations for landlords with broader income needs.

First, FreeAgent does not support sole trader income within the landlord plan. Landlords who also run a self-employed business would need a separate FreeAgent sole trader account — and critically, they cannot submit a combined return from both accounts simultaneously. FreeAgent's own documentation confirms: if a landlord uses a separate sole trader FreeAgent account to record other income, they can only make a Self Assessment submission from one version of the software, and must manually enter figures from the other. This creates unnecessary admin burden and error risk for mixed-income landlords.

Second, FreeAgent for Landlords does not support agent filing. Accountants can view and work within a client's FreeAgent account, but cannot submit MTD returns on the landlord's behalf directly from the platform.

FreeAgent's Property Management Features

FreeAgent for Landlords is correctly positioned as a financial accounting tool, not a property management tool. It tracks money — income, costs, and tax — but it does not manage the landlord-tenant relationship. Landlords can record income and costs against each property and track profitability. FreeAgent added per-property ownership splits in February 2025, allowing joint owners to operate under a single licence with income and expenses automatically allocated based on ownership ratios. However, there is no tenant CRM, lease management, inspection tracking, or any functionality relating to the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (effective May 2026). Landlords who need these capabilities must use third-party tools alongside FreeAgent.

FreeAgent's Bookkeeping

FreeAgent is built on a robust general accounting foundation covering invoicing, bank feeds, expense tracking, payroll, VAT returns, and Self Assessment. For landlords, the platform allows income and costs to be recorded against each property. FreeAgent's smart categorisation automatically explains new bank transactions based on previous descriptions, reducing manual reconciliation. The platform supports double-entry bookkeeping and includes journal entries, bank reconciliation, and a full chart of accounts — though this is designed for general small businesses rather than specifically for the property sector. Payroll is included as standard across all plans at no extra charge, including RTI filing directly to HMRC — a genuine differentiator versus competitors who charge extra.

FreeAgent's Invoicing

FreeAgent's expense management is powered by Smart Capture and automated bank feeds. Smart Capture offers automatic data extraction, transaction matching, and categorisation from receipt and bill images — up to 10 uses per calendar month included as standard, with unlimited use available at £5/month extra (excl. VAT). FreeAgent's smart categorisation automatically explains new bank transactions based on previous descriptions, reducing manual reconciliation. Invoicing is comprehensive — automated invoices, payment reminders, and one-click payment links are available via Stripe, GoCardless, Tyl by NatWest, and PayPal.

FreeAgent's Reporting

FreeAgent's reporting suite is mature and well-regarded. The Tax Timeline gives users a real-time running estimate of tax owed and upcoming deadlines, covering Self Assessment, VAT, and Corporation Tax — helping landlords and business owners set aside the right amount throughout the year and avoid surprise bills. The 90-day cashflow forecast uses account data to project incomings and outgoings, surface potential shortfalls, and offer smart suggestions. The Radar feature delivers tailored trend-spotting and business performance insights based on actual account data.

FreeAgent's Collaboration & Integrations

FreeAgent offers a free Practice Dashboard for accountants and bookkeepers, giving them a centralised view of all client data, the ability to reconsent bank feeds on clients' behalf, and run reports across their entire client base. Unlimited users are included at no extra cost across all FreeAgent plans — a notable advantage for small businesses with multiple team members. However, FreeAgent does not support agent filing: accountants can work within a client's account, but cannot submit MTD returns directly on their behalf.

FreeAgent's User Interface & Learning Curve

FreeAgent is available on web, iOS, and Android — providing full cross-device access for landlords and sole traders who want to manage their finances on the go. Free Agent's broader feature set (payroll, VAT, Self-Assessment, tax timeline, mileage tracking) means more to configure and more to learn, particularly for users who are new to cloud accounting. Its design is clean and well-regarded, however, and its onboarding flow and in-platform guidance are strong. It also has a knowledge base, email and chat support, and UK-based phone support. FreeAgent's webinar and training resources are well-established, particularly given its long history and large user base. For NatWest/RBS/Mettle customers using FreeAgent through their bank, additional support via their bank's business banking team may also be available.