TaxRoot vs FreeAgent
FreeAgent is popular MTD-compatible software for UK freelancers and landlords (free with NatWest/RBS/Mettle accounts, otherwise £9.50-£33/month). It lets you file quarterly updates yourself. TaxRoot does the same filings for you at £34/month with a UK accountant, the Penalty-Free Filing Guarantee, and coverage of the End of Period Statement and Final Declaration.
Feature by feature
The full breakdown.
Real scenario
Landlord with 2 rental properties + £40k self-employed income
From April 2027 (£30k threshold), landlords and self-employed in your combined-income position are mandatory MTD filers. You need 4 quarterly updates per income stream, 2 EOPS, and one Final Declaration each year. FreeAgent can handle the quarterly submissions but EOPS/Final Declaration get complicated fast with mixed income.
Why founders pick TaxRoot
4 reasons TaxRoot is the better choice for most UK founders.
Free-with-NatWest ≠ free compliance
Even if FreeAgent itself is free, you still have to do the quarterly submissions, EOPS, and Final Declaration yourself — and those take 3-6 hours each quarter for a non-accountant. TaxRoot charges £34/month and does them for you.
DIY software raises audit risk
HMRC is tightening MTD compliance. A self-prepared submission with mis-coded transactions is a red flag. TaxRoot submissions are reviewed by a UK accountant — they're built to stand up to HMRC enquiry.
Penalty-Free Filing Guarantee
Miss a FreeAgent-filed quarterly and you pay £100 first penalty then £10/day. TaxRoot covers any penalty caused by our error.
EOPS + Final Declaration are the hard bits
Quarterly updates are relatively simple. The year-end EOPS and Final Declaration — with adjustments, capital allowances, disallowables — is where DIY breaks. TaxRoot handles both as part of the £34/month plan.
Where FreeAgent genuinely wins
An honest acknowledgement.
No product is perfect. Here’s what FreeAgent does well — if this matches your needs, they may be the right fit.
Which one is right for you?
A quick decision helper.
Choose TaxRoot if…
- You'd rather pay £34/month and spend zero hours on MTD filings
- You want a Penalty-Free Filing Guarantee standing behind every submission
- Your tax picture has any complexity (property + self-employed, capital allowances, multiple income streams)
- You'd prefer a real UK accountant reviewing before HMRC sees it
Choose FreeAgent if…
- You are a NatWest/RBS/Mettle customer who wants free MTD software and is confident filing yourself
- You enjoy bookkeeping and want full control of categorisation
- Your situation is genuinely simple and you have time to handle EOPS / Final Declaration
Still comparing?
See how TaxRoot stacks up against other UK options.
Ready to switch from FreeAgent?
We manage the full handover for free. Authorise us as your HMRC agent in under 2 minutes — we take it from there.