QuickBooks
Big US brand with strong UK MTD support.
by Intuit
A strong all-rounder, especially for CIS subcontractors. Watch the post-intro pricing.
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Overview
QuickBooks Online is Intuit's cloud accounting product. Regular heavy discounts (often 90% off for 6 months) make it effectively cheap to start. Full MTD VAT and Income Tax support.
QuickBooks at a glance
How QuickBooks stacks up on the dimensions that matter when picking MTD software.
Full MTD coverage for VAT and Income Tax, plus deep CIS handling, Construction Industry Scheme deductions are tracked automatically, which is unusual at this price point. HMRC-recognised across all relevant submission types.
Wide report library, profit & loss, balance sheet, AR/AP ageing, sales by customer, expense by category, and a customisable dashboard. Slightly less elegant than Xero's reporting, but functionally comparable.
Full double-entry bookkeeping. Bank feeds via Open Banking, automated bank rules, and AI-powered transaction categorisation. Solid against Xero on day-to-day bookkeeping; QuickBooks edges ahead on receipt capture quality.
Included on Plus plan and up. Tracks stock quantities, low-stock alerts, and cost of goods sold. More accessible than Xero (which gates inventory behind the £36/mo Standard plan), and a frequent reason small product businesses pick QuickBooks.
Available on Plus plan and up. Project profitability, time tracking and billing in one. Particularly strong for trades and contractors who also use the CIS features.
Mature receipt capture via the QuickBooks mobile app, snap, the app reads it, the transaction posts to your books. Mileage tracking is built into the mobile app with automatic trip detection. One of QuickBooks' strongest features for sole traders.
Lenders widely accept QuickBooks exports. Intuit also runs QuickBooks Capital in some markets, and the platform integrates with UK lenders via Open Banking. Solid choice when credit applications are part of the plan.
A safe pick for new businesses, especially in construction, trades, or anywhere CIS matters. Aggressive intro discounts make the first six months very cheap. Watch the price jump after the intro period.
Polished mobile app and a mature web UI. Onboarding nudges can feel salesy compared to Xero, and the post-intro price jump catches people out, but day-to-day usability is strong.
+Pros
- ✓Strong CIS support for subcontractors
- ✓Aggressive launch discounts
- ✓Mature mobile app
−Cons
- ✕Price jumps after intro period
- ✕UK-specific features sometimes lag behind Xero
QuickBooks, frequently asked questions
How much does QuickBooks cost?+
QuickBooks Online starts from around £12 per month, but it's frequently discounted heavily, often 90% off for the first six months. Watch the price jump once the introductory period ends.
Does QuickBooks support MTD for Income Tax?+
Yes. QuickBooks is HMRC-recognised and supports both MTD for VAT and MTD for Income Tax, including digital records and quarterly updates.
Is QuickBooks good for CIS subcontractors?+
Yes, CIS support is one of QuickBooks' strengths. It handles Construction Industry Scheme deductions, which saves a lot of manual reconciliation for subcontractors who also need to report income under MTD.
What are the alternatives to QuickBooks?+
Xero is the closest direct competitor, with a cheaper £7/mo entry plan. FreeAgent is worth a look if you bank with NatWest Group. For CIS specifically, QuickBooks is hard to beat among the major platforms.