01 · Record
Write it once
Income and expenses in the categories HMRC already uses. Snap a receipt, import a bank CSV, or log mileage. One trade. No payroll, stock, or a chart of accounts from 1998.
Built for Making Tax Digital
The books HMRC now wants. Not another accounting suite.
For self-employed people still on a spreadsheet. Log the job, log the spend, get an email before each quarterly date, send your accountant a file.
14 days free. Add a card at signup. You are charged when the trial ends.
Already have books? Log in
Self-employment · 2026/27
This quarter
On track
Next HMRC date
5 Jan 2027 · 77 days
Date
Entry
Amount
12 Apr
Loft conversion · Whitaker
+£1,240
14 Apr
Screwfix · materials
−£86.40
18 Apr
Mileage · 42 miles
−£23.10
21 Apr
Bathroom first fix
+£2,100
02 May
Van insurance (portion)
−£64.00
09 May
Kitchen quote paid
+£860
Income
£4,200
Expenses
£174
02 · Remind
The four dates
5 July, 5 October, 5 January, 5 April. Brass emails you before each one with the running totals ready.
03 · Hand over
Accountant pack
PDF, CSV, or a read-only link. Brass does not replace your accountant. They file. You keep the books they actually need.
The law
From 6 April 2027, self-employed income over £30,000 has to be digital.
HMRC wants digital records and a quarterly summary. Xero is a lot of software for that job. Brass is the books, the nudge, and a file you can email.
Q1
5 July
6 Apr to 5 Jul
Q2
5 October
6 Jul to 5 Oct
Q3
5 January
6 Oct to 5 Jan
Q4
5 April
6 Jan to 5 Apr
From 6 April 2026 the £50,000 threshold already applies. From 6 April 2027 it drops to £30,000, which is most self-employed people who actually make a living. Check GOV.UK for your year. Brass is not HMRC.
Who it is for
One trade. One set of books. Not a practice.
If you invoice as a sole trader and your income sits roughly between £30,000 and £80,000, this is the job Brass does. If you have staff, stock, or a property portfolio, it is not.
Trades
Builders, electricians, plumbers, joiners. Job paid, materials bought, van costs in.
Hair and beauty
Chair rental, product, courses. Takings in, stock out, no salon suite.
Tutors and coaches
Lessons, deposits, travel. Simple income, few expense types.
Drivers and couriers
Jobs, fuel, insurance, phone. Mileage without a fleet system.
Photographers
Shoots, edits, kit, mileage. One business, not a studio empire.
Consultants
Day rates, software, train fares. You already know what you earned.
A normal week
Two minutes after the job, not a Sunday with a shoebox.
-
Monday
Paid
Whitaker paid £1,240 for the loft. You add one income line. Category: turnover. Done.
-
Wednesday
Spent
Screwfix £86.40 with a photo, 42 miles at HMRC rates, van insurance portion. Three expense lines. Categories HMRC already uses.
-
The date
Nudge
A few days before 5 July you get an email: income, expenses, what is still blank. Export PDF and CSV. Send it on.
Compared with the usual options
A spreadsheet is free. Xero is a lot. Brass is the bit in the middle.
| Spreadsheet | Xero and the like | Brass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you keep | A file you format later | A full set of accounts | Income, expenses, running totals |
| Quarterly dates | Your calendar, if you remember | In there somewhere | Four emails a year |
| Accountant | You tidy it in January | They log into another product | A pack, or a read-only link |
| Payroll, VAT, stock | No | Yes | No. On purpose. |
| Price | Free | Often £15 to £40+ a month | £9 a month or £79 a year |
The pack
What your accountant actually gets
We are not asking them to learn Brass. You send a file, or a read-only link. They file the return. If the year is weird, you still pay a human.
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PDF summary
Income, expenses, and the four quarterly totals in categories HMRC already asks for.
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CSV of every line
Date, description, category, amount. Opens in Excel if they want it that way.
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A read-only link
Optional. They open the books without an account. Stop sharing and it dies. No comment thread.
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What it is not
Not a tax computation. Not a portal they have to learn. Not a substitute for advice.