QuickBooks Pricing UK Explained 2026: What You’ll Actually Pay (After the Discount Ends)
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The Discount Is 90%, Not 50%
QuickBooks pricing UK catches people out in exactly the way its own marketing sets up, and the scale of it is usually understated.
Intuit’s introductory offer is 90% off for the first six months, not the 50% commonly reported. So the price does not double in month seven. It goes up roughly tenfold.
| Plan | First 6 months | From month 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Sole Trader | £1 | £10 |
| Simple Start | £1.60 | £16 |
| Essentials | £3.80 | £38 |
| Plus | £5.60 | £56 |
| Advanced | £12.30 | £123 |
All ex-VAT, with 20% on top.
If you budget on the headline figure, a Plus subscription moves from £5.60 to £56 a month — £67.20 with VAT — on a date six months after you forget you signed up. That is the single thing to know about QuickBooks pricing, and the reason to do every calculation on the right-hand column.
QuickBooks Pricing UK: Every Plan
| Plan | Standard (ex-VAT) | With VAT | Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole Trader | £10 | £12 | 1 |
| Simple Start | £16 | £19.20 | 1 |
| Essentials | £38 | £45.60 | 3 |
| Plus | £56 | £67.20 | 5 |
| Advanced | £123 | £147.60 | 25 |
Note the gaps. Essentials is more than double Simple Start, and Plus is nearly four times it. The tier steps here are much steeper than in most UK software, which makes picking the right one the whole game.
What Each Tier Gives You
Sole Trader — £10
The entry product for freelancers and sole traders working on the cash basis. It is called Sole Trader; the older “QuickBooks Self-Employed” name has been retired.
Income and expense tracking, mileage via the mobile app, Self Assessment estimation, basic invoicing, one user.
The critical limitation: no VAT management and no MTD for VAT submissions. If you are VAT-registered, this plan cannot file your returns and you need Simple Start at minimum. No payroll, no multi-user, no inventory, no bill management.
Simple Start — £16
The entry point into the main accounting suite, and the cheapest plan that handles VAT.
Everything in Sole Trader plus VAT management and MTD for VAT filing, bank feeds and reconciliation, unlimited invoices and quotes, receipt capture. Still one user, which is the binding constraint — if your bookkeeper needs their own login, this plan is out. An annual plan runs £172 for the first year.
No payroll, no bill management, no time tracking, no inventory.
Essentials — £38
The jump to £38 buys three users, bill management and scheduled payments, multi-currency, and time tracking.
Multi-currency is the genuinely distinguishing feature — if you invoice or buy in anything other than sterling, this is the floor. Otherwise the three-user allowance is usually what drives the upgrade.
Payroll is not bundled.
Plus — £56
Five users, inventory tracking with quantities, costs and reorder points, project profitability, budgeting, and class and location tracking.
The standard pick for growing businesses, and the one where the month-seven jump bites hardest at £5.60 to £56. Worth it if you sell physical goods or need per-project costing. If you need neither, Essentials at £38 does most of what people buy Plus for.
Payroll is not bundled.
Advanced — £123
Twenty-five users, enhanced reporting, custom permissions, batch invoicing and expenses, workflow automation, a dedicated account manager and priority support.
At £123 ex-VAT, or £147.60 with VAT, this is a different budget category and overkill for most small businesses. It starts making sense above roughly ten to fifteen employees, or when you genuinely need the automation and permissions.
On payroll, bundling terms vary with whatever promotion is running, so treat payroll as a separate cost unless an offer explicitly says otherwise and you have it in writing.
The Annual Billing Detail Nobody Mentions
Paying annually saves 10% — but you cannot choose annual billing at sign-up. You have to set the account up on monthly billing and switch afterwards.
That is an odd piece of friction and it is worth knowing, because the 10% is real money on the upper tiers: £123 a month is £1,476 a year, so the saving is around £148.
Set a reminder to switch once you are set up, and set a second one for month five so the step to standard rates is a decision rather than a surprise.
Payroll Costs
Payroll is an add-on for Sole Trader through Plus, charged as a base fee plus a per-employee fee:
| Payroll plan | Base (ex-VAT) | Per paid employee/month |
|---|---|---|
| Core | £5 | £1.30 |
| Advanced | £10 | £1.30 |
The second tier is Advanced payroll, not “Premium”.
A worked example on the real figures: five employees on Core payroll is £5 + (5 × £1.30) = £11.50 a month ex-VAT, on top of your accounting plan. So Plus with payroll for five staff is £56 + £11.50 = £67.50 ex-VAT, or £81 a month including VAT.
Payroll is also subject to introductory discounting, so expect the same step up when the promotional period ends.
VAT on Your Subscription
Every QuickBooks UK price is quoted excluding VAT, and 20% goes on top.
If you are VAT-registered you reclaim it as input tax, so this is a cash-flow matter. If you are below the £90,000 VAT registration threshold and not registered, that 20% is a real cost — Plus at £56 is £67.20 out of the bank, and Advanced at £123 is £147.60. Our VAT guide covers where registration becomes compulsory.
CIS, If You Are in Construction
Worth stating because it is often assumed to be a premium feature: QuickBooks includes CIS functionality across its plans, so you do not need to step up a tier to handle Construction Industry Scheme deductions.
If you engage subcontractors, the CIS rules sit alongside this: deductions at 0%, 20% or 30% depending on verification status, monthly returns by the 19th, and nil returns mandatory again from 6 April 2026. Our guide to insurance and tax when hiring subcontractors covers the obligations, and the construction software guide covers how this fits a wider stack.
MTD: Where Things Actually Stand
MTD for VAT
Live and compulsory for all VAT-registered businesses. Supported from Simple Start upwards. The Sole Trader plan does not file VAT returns, which is the single most important gating fact in QuickBooks’ range.
MTD for Income Tax Is Live
This needs correcting wherever you read it, because most guidance still describes it as forthcoming.
MTD for Income Tax has applied since 6 April 2026 to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000 — qualifying income being gross turnover rather than profit, assessed on an earlier tax year. The thresholds continue to fall:
- £50,000 — since 6 April 2026
- £30,000 — from April 2027
- £20,000 — from April 2028
If you are in scope, your quarterly update deadlines are 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May, with a Final Declaration by 31 January. The November deadline is days away.
Advice to “confirm support before April 2026” is seven months out of date. If MTD for Income Tax applies to you, confirm with QuickBooks now which of your plans files quarterly updates and whether the Sole Trader plan covers it, because that is a live compliance question rather than a planning one.
For comparison, Zoho Books is HMRC-recognised for MTD for Income Tax and offers it from its free plan, albeit enabled on request — covered in our Zoho Books integration guide if you are weighing alternatives.
FAQ
What does QuickBooks actually cost after the discount?
£10 for Sole Trader, £16 Simple Start, £38 Essentials, £56 Plus and £123 Advanced, per month ex-VAT. The first six months are 90% off, so the step up is roughly tenfold rather than double.
Which plan do I need if I am VAT-registered?
Simple Start at minimum, £16. The Sole Trader plan at £10 cannot file VAT returns.
Can I pay annually?
Yes, for about 10% less, but not at sign-up — you set up on monthly billing and switch afterwards.
How much is payroll?
Core is £5 a month plus £1.30 per paid employee; Advanced payroll is £10 plus £1.30. Five employees on Core is £11.50 a month ex-VAT on top of your accounting plan.
Does QuickBooks handle CIS?
Yes, across the plans, so construction businesses do not need a higher tier for it.
Is there a free trial?
QuickBooks typically offers a 30-day trial, and the trial and the six-month promotional discount are usually mutually exclusive — you take one or the other. Given the discount is 90%, it is normally the better deal if you are reasonably confident.
Does my accountant count towards my user limit?
No. You can invite an accountant as an accountant user at no extra cost, and they do not consume one of your billable seats. That matters most on Simple Start, where you only have one.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
You lose access to the live software but can export reports and transaction history first, with read-only access for a period afterwards that varies. Export everything before you cancel rather than after.
QuickBooks Pricing UK: The Bottom Line
Budget on £10, £16, £38, £56 and £123 ex-VAT, add 20%, and treat the first six months as a windfall rather than a price.
The three decisions that matter. Simple Start at £16 is the cheapest plan that files VAT, so if you are registered, the £10 tier is not an option. Essentials at £38 buys three users and multi-currency, which is what most people are actually upgrading for rather than inventory. And Plus at £56 is only worth it for stock or project costing — the step from £38 is £216 a year.
Then two reminders worth setting on the day you sign up: one for month five, so the jump to standard rates is a decision, and one to switch to annual billing for the 10%, since you cannot do it when you join.
And if MTD for Income Tax applies to you, that is a now problem rather than an April one.
Pricing and features correct at time of writing. Plans and capabilities are subject to change — always confirm current details on the provider’s website before purchasing. This article is general information, not tax advice; check your own position with HMRC or a qualified accountant.