FileThat vs GoSimpleTax for Making Tax Digital.
GoSimpleTax sells a Making Tax Digital plan for quarterly updates and a separate product for VAT. FileThat does both on one account, priced per submission. Here is a year of each.
Prices from GoSimpleTax
Checked 1 October 2026
VAT included
A year of Making Tax Digital: FileThat and GoSimpleTax
| Software | How you pay | A year, sole trader (4 updates) | A year, VAT registered (4 updates and 4 VAT returns) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FileThat | £3.99 to £5.99 per submission, set by your income. Final declaration and NIL VAT returns free. At most £55 a year. | £15.96 to £23.96 | £31.92 to £47.92 |
GoSimpleTax Making Tax Digital Checked 1 October 2026, GoSimpleTax pricing | £12.99 a month, signed up through Coconut | £155.88Making Tax Digital | £213.77Making Tax Digital plus MTD VAT |
Regular prices, including VAT where the provider quotes without it. A VAT-registered business not on the Flat Rate Scheme can usually reclaim that VAT.
Where GoSimpleTax is the better choice
Self Assessment only
If you are not in Making Tax Digital yet, GoSimpleTax's Self Assessment plan files an ordinary tax return for £69.99 a tax year.
Several VAT companies
GoSimpleTax's MTD VAT product is priced for up to five companies or more, for someone filing VAT for several businesses.
A long track record
GoSimpleTax has filed UK tax returns for years. FileThat is newer, with fewer users.
Every provider side by side: compare MTD software.
Where FileThat is the better choice
One account for both
Quarterly updates, final declarations and VAT returns on the same account, with nothing extra to subscribe to.
Pay for what you file
Four quarterly updates cost £15.96 to £23.96 a year, against a monthly fee whether you file that month or not.
Never more than £55
Once you have paid £50 in a tax year, everything else you file is free. The most you can pay is £55.
FileThat's prices in full: FileThat pricing.
Straight answers
Does GoSimpleTax file VAT returns?
Through a separate product. GoSimpleTax's Making Tax Digital plan covers quarterly updates and the annual submission, and MTD VAT is sold on its own at £12.06 a quarter plus VAT for one company. FileThat files both from one account.
Is FileThat cheaper than GoSimpleTax?
For filing, usually. A sole trader's four quarterly updates cost £15.96 to £23.96 a year on FileThat, against £155.88 a year on GoSimpleTax Making Tax Digital (£12.99 a month, as listed). GoSimpleTax may still be worth more to you if you need what it does besides filing.
Can I move from GoSimpleTax to FileThat part way through the year?
Yes. Bring your records for the year so far, by upload or by hand, and connect FileThat to HMRC. Quarterly updates you have already sent stay with HMRC, and because updates are cumulative, your next one covers the whole year to date.
Does FileThat file the final declaration?
Yes, and it is free, as are amendments and NIL VAT returns. FileThat files quarterly updates, the annual submission, the final declaration and VAT returns directly to HMRC. Only a new quarterly update or a VAT return that is not NIL uses a credit.
Does FileThat connect to my bank?
No. There is no live bank feed. You download a CSV of your transactions from online banking and upload it, and FileThat reads it into records. It is a deliberate choice to hold less of your data, and it does mean one more step than a bank feed.
See if per-submission suits you
4 free credits, no card needed. No subscription, and never more than £55 in a tax year.
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