Quickbooks – What You Need to Know
An in-depth look at Quickbooks — features, strengths, limitations, and who it's best for.
At a Glance
Key facts about Quickbooks at a glance.
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| Software Type | General Business Accounting |
| Target Users | Businesses, Sole Traders, Accountants |
| Income Sources Supported | Sole Trader + I-JK Property + Foreign Property |
| Free MTD Software Plan | No — 30-day trial; from EIO+VAT/month |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes |
| Invoice Creation | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Yes |
| Property Portfolio Management | No |
| Tenant Management | No |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | No |
| Payroll | Yes |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | No |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
What Is Quickbooks?
What Is Quickbooks?
Smart Tools. Better Business
QuickBooks, developed by Intuit and used by 6.5 million subscribers worldwide, is one of the most recognised accounting platforms in the UK. It offers a comprehensive range of tools covering invoicing, VAT returns, bank reconciliation, payroll, mileage tracking, and reporting — all in a cloud-based interface accessible via web and mobile apps. QuickBooks is HMRC-recognised for both MTD for VAT and MTD for Income Tax, and covers sole trader, UK property, and foreign property income for MTD purposes.
The core limitation for landlords is structural: QuickBooks was designed for businesses, and every landlord-specific function requires manual configuration. Properties must be set up using Classes or Locations — a workaround in QuickBooks' business accounting framework. There are no properties or tenants in QuickBooks natively; landlords enter tenants as "Customers" and properties as "Classes," which multiple independent sources describe as confusing, error-prone, and increasingly difficult to maintain as portfolios grow. As Landlord Studio's independent analysis notes, "QuickBooks isn't designed for managing multiple accounts and as you add properties it can quickly become a mess." In March 2026, QuickBooks partnered with Hammock specifically to address the property income gap, allowing landlords to use Hammock for property accounting and QuickBooks for sole trader income — but this requires two separate subscriptions.
Strengths
- HMRC-recognised for MTD across all three income types
- Sole Trader plan at £10+VAT/month is a competitive entry point
- Strong full-feature accounting: VAT, payroll, mileage, multi-currency
- 7-day phone and live chat support included on paid plans
- Mobile receipt capture on all plans
- ProAdvisor accountant network for collaboration
- 4.4 stars on Trustpilot from 16,000+ UK reviews
- 30-day free trial on all plans
Limitations
- Not built for landlords — manual property configuration required
- No native property management, tenant management, or HMO support
- Cannot track income at unit level for HMOs
- No landlord-specific SA105 pre-mapping
- Complex setup — tenants as "Customers," properties as "Classes"
- Price increases have been a recurring complaint from users
- Mixed-income landlords need a Hammock integration (second subscription)
- No free plan
Making Tax Digital Compliance
QuickBooks's MTD Compliance
QuickBooks is HMRC-recognised for MTD ITSA across all three income types and includes quarterly filing and the Final Declaration on all plans. The Sole Trader plan (£10+VAT/month) supports MTD for Income Tax, making it among the lowest-cost paid options from a major provider. For property income, landlords need to correctly configure Classes or Locations to separate income by property and map expenses to SA105 categories — setup that typically requires accountant involvement. In March 2026, Intuit QuickBooks and Hammock launched a formal integration designed to address the complexity facing landlords with both rental and self-employment income, allowing property income to be managed in Hammock and sole trader income in QuickBooks. This integration provides a more complete solution for mixed-income landlords but requires two separate subscriptions.
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | Yes |
| UK Property Income | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | Yes |
| Multiple Income Streams | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes |
Property Management
QuickBooks: No Native Property Management
QuickBooks has no tenant management, no rent tracking, no HMO unit-level tracking, no compliance document alerts, and no joint ownership automation. To track property income in QuickBooks, landlords must use the Classes or Locations feature — a business accounting workaround in which each property is assigned as a class or location tag. Tenants are entered as "Customers" and owners as "Vendors." This setup allows basic per-property P&L reporting but cannot track at unit level for HMOs, generates no tenancy records, and produces no compliance reminders. QuickBooks' own community forum reflects the confusion this setup causes, with users regularly requiring complex multi-file or multi-account configurations to manage property portfolios correctly. Independent analysis notes that 72% of investors find ROI tracking challenging with QuickBooks, and 57% struggle to track profitability accurately.
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| Property Portfolio Management | No |
| Tenant Management | No |
| Rent Tracking | No (manual) |
| Property Expense Allocation | Yes |
| Multiple Property Support | Yes |
| HMO Property Support | No |
| Joint Ownership/Profit Sharing | No |
| Maintenance Tracking | No |
| Tenant Screening | No |
| Compliance Document Alerts | No |
| Arrears Tracking | No |
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Digital Record Keeping
QuickBooks: Comprehensive General Accounting
QuickBooks provides a full general ledger, customisable chart of accounts (importable from Excel), journal entries, automated bank feeds, bank reconciliation, and receipt capture via its mobile app on all plans. VAT returns are supported on Simple Start and above. Multi-currency is available on Essentials and above. Payroll is an optional add-on. Cash flow forecasting, advanced budgeting, and inventory tracking are available on higher plans. For property income, the chart of accounts and categories require manual
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts | No (only generic) |
| Journal Entries | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | Yes |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | No |
| Xero Integration | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes |
Invoicing, Expense Tracking
QuickBooks: Strong Invoicing with Business-Oriented Automation
QuickBooks provides unlimited invoicing on all plans, automated payment reminders, online payment collection, and mobile receipt capture on all plans. Mileage tracking is available on the iOS and Android apps — a useful feature for landlords visiting properties. Bank transaction rules automate categorisation of recurring expenses. However, QuickBooks' categorisation rules are generic and are not pre-configured with landlord-specific expense categories or SA105 mapping. Employee expense claims are available on Essentials and above.
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| Invoice Creation & Sending | Yes |
| Invoice Customisation/Branding | Yes |
| Online Payment Collection | Yes |
| Payment Tracking/Reminders | Yes |
| Expense Tracking | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR/Photo) | Yes |
| Expense Categorisation | Yes |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes |
| Mileage Tracking | Yes |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | Yes |
Reporting & Tax Forecasting
QuickBooks: Comprehensive Business Reporting Suite
QuickBooks delivers one of the most extensive reporting suites in cloud accounting: P&L, balance sheet, trial balance, cash flow reports, budget management, and advanced analytics on higher plans. VAT reporting is available on Simple Start and above. Tax liability estimates — giving users a running view of what they owe — are included across plans, a practical feature that helps sole traders and landlords avoid year-end surprises. For landlords, property-level reports require correct Classes or Locations setup to be accurate.
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Yes |
| Balance Sheet | Yes |
| Trial Balance | Yes |
| Dashboard/Overview | Yes |
| Real-Time Financial Data | Yes |
| Cash Flow Forecasting | Yes |
| Tax Estimate/Forecast | Yes |
| AI-Powered Features | Yes |
Collaboration & Mobile Apps
QuickBooks's Collaboration & Integrations
QuickBooks covers the same core accountant collaboration features — portal, multi-user access, and agent filing — and extends further with API access and 750+ third-party app integrations. The app marketplace covers a wide range of business tools: payment processors, CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, inventory management, project management, and sector-specific tools for landlords and tradespeople. The open API allows custom integrations for businesses with bespoke software needs or accountants who want to build workflow tools on top of QuickBooks' data.
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| Accountant / Advisor Portal | Yes |
| Multi-User Access | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes |
| Bank Integration | Yes |
| Platform | iOS, Android |
| Web Browser Access | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
Ease of Use, Support & Security
QuickBooks: User Interface & Learning Curve
QuickBooks is available on web, iOS, and Android — providing consistent access across devices for landlords and sole traders managing their finances on the move. QuickBooks' broader feature set creates a more complex interface with a steeper initial learning curve, particularly for users new to cloud accounting. Its onboarding experience is well-developed, however, with in-platform guidance, tutorial videos, webinars, and a large global user community providing substantial support resources.
| Feature | Quickbooks |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes |
| Chat Support | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes |
| Help Centre / Knowledge Base | Yes (business focused) |
| FCA Regulated | Yes |
| Enterprise-Grade Security | Yes |
Unique Features Only QuickBooks Offers
7-Day Phone and Live Chat Support
QuickBooks offers phone support Monday to Friday, 8am–7pm, and live message support 7 days a week — available to all paid subscribers. This human support availability is a genuine practical advantage over platforms with chat-only or no phone support.
Tax Liability Estimate
QuickBooks provides a running estimate of tax owed, helping sole traders and landlords plan for their year-end bill.
VAT Returns
VAT support is included from the Simple Start plan (£16+VAT/month) — essential for landlords with commercial properties or VAT-registered businesses.
Payroll
Payroll is available as an add-on on all plans — useful for landlords or sole traders who employ staff. QuickBooks Core Payroll and Advanced Payroll are available separately.
Mileage Tracking
Mileage is tracked automatically via the iOS and Android apps — a useful allowable expense for landlords who visit properties.
Multi-Currency
Available from the Essentials plan (£33+VAT/month), multi-currency supports overseas income in non-GBP currencies.
ProAdvisor Accountant Network
QuickBooks' ProAdvisor programme certifies accountants and bookkeepers in QuickBooks. If your accountant is a ProAdvisor, collaboration and year-end reporting are streamlined directly within the platform.
Who Should Choose QuickBooks?
QuickBooks is the stronger choice for:
Sole traders without rental income who want a low-cost, full-featured MTD solution
The Sole Trader plan at £10+VAT/month is among the most affordable paid options from a major provider, and is well-suited to straightforward self-employment income.
Landlords running VAT-registered businesses
QuickBooks supports both MTD for VAT and MTD for Income Tax from one subscription.
Landlords and sole traders who want 7-day phone support
QuickBooks' phone and live chat support seven days a week is a genuine differentiator for those who value human assistance.
Landlords whose accountant is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor
If your accountant works primarily in QuickBooks, the collaboration model is seamless and may come with discounted access.
Landlords who need payroll
For those employing a property manager or other staff alongside their property business.
Landlords who want a tax liability estimate
QuickBooks' running tax estimate helps sole traders and landlords plan for their tax bill throughout the year.