Is there any free Making Tax Digital software for plumbers?

Yes. On 18 October 2026, 33 products on HMRC's software finder listed a free version ready now for sole traders. If homeowners pay you direct, you do not need the CIS feature, so you can choose from all 33.

Free versions can have limits, and some need you to bank with the provider, so check what each covers.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD) means keeping digital records, sending HMRC four updates a year and filing your tax return through software. HMRC's campaign guide says it has no MTD software of its own. GOV.UK says free products are available for those with simple tax affairs, but there may be limits, such as a set number of transactions. HMRC does not recommend any product or software provider.

Do you need CIS in free software?

HMRC's CIS 340 guide says private householders are not counted as contractors. A homeowner paying you direct for a boiler swap, a leak or a new bathroom takes no Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) deduction. CIS 340 says the scheme includes installing complete systems, such as heating, in new builds or buildings being redeveloped, and that if you do covered work for a contractor who is working for a householder, the contractor must operate the scheme. See does CIS apply to plumbers and heating engineers.

If deductions are taken from your pay, even for part of the year, pick software that shows CIS as ready now. GOV.UK says HMRC adds the CIS deductions it holds to your MTD tax return, and you must check them before you submit.

The 33 free versions on the finder

On 18 October 2026, 13 of the 33 also showed CIS as ready now. Those 13, and what each vendor says its free version covers, are in our free MTD software for builders guide, checked the same day. The other 20 are below. "In development" means the provider has committed to building CIS in time for the 2026 to 2027 tax return. We counted what the finder states; we have not tested them.

Across all 33, 30 create digital records, 20 are bridging software for spreadsheets, and 14 list an Android or iPhone app. Several are run by banks or card providers, so check whether the free version needs their account. Starling's accounting page lists the end-of-year tax return as "coming soon", and Tide's page says its Self Assessment tool is for sole traders "not using the construction industry scheme". See free software with your bank account and our MTD software census for full counts.

What a plumber needs from free software

• A way in for card takings and merchant receipts. GOV.UK says software that creates records can link to your business bank account, scan receipts or let you type entries in. The finder does not show which, so check the vendor's site.
• The tax return, not just the updates. Check the free plan files your tax return as well as the quarterly updates.
• Room to grow. GOV.UK says you can change software at any time, but it may be easier at the end of the tax year. Mid-year, you import or recreate this year's records. See changing software mid-year.

What this means for you

MTD started on 6 April 2026 for qualifying income over £50,000. It starts on 6 April 2027 if your 2025-26 qualifying income was over £30,000, and on 6 April 2028 if it was over £20,000 in 2026-27. Qualifying income is self-employed and property income before expenses.

If you keep tidy records and will send the updates and return yourself, a free app may be enough. The best MTD software for plumbers covers paid options, the van and the cash basis.

If you would rather hand it over, our Trades Tax plan is £35 a month including VAT. The founding offer for the first 500 trades clients is £5 a month for your first 3 months, then £35 a month. Cancel any time. We'll remind you before it changes. Our tax plans start once our HMRC registrations are complete. Until then you can join the waitlist, and no payment is taken.

Steps to choose free software

1. Use the free MTD check to confirm when MTD starts for you.
2. Look at last year's work: was any of it paid by builders or developers with CIS deductions?
3. On HMRC's finder, check free version and sole trader show ready now, plus CIS if you need it.
4. Read the vendor's free plan: limits, how long it stays free, whether it files the tax return and whether it needs their bank account.
5. Try it on a month of real card takings and merchant receipts before your first quarter.

There are more guides in the trades section.