Snap a receipt, keep a Making Tax Digital record.
Upload a photo of a receipt and FileThat reads the date, the shop and the total, and suggests a category. You check it and save it as a digital record. Then the photo is deleted.
Free to use
Photo deleted once read
You check every figure
How receipt scanning works
Take a photo of the receipt on your phone, or pick an image from your computer, and upload it. FileThat reads the text with Google's text recognition and picks out the date, the shop name and the total.
A category is suggested from the shop name, such as fuel for a petrol station. Everything it found is shown for you to check and correct, because a crumpled or faded receipt will not always read cleanly.
When it looks right, convert it to a digital record, choosing the category, the tax year and any VAT. That record then counts towards your quarterly update.
What it does
Reads the receipt
The date, the shop name and the total are picked out of the photo for you.
Suggests a category
Common shops and costs are recognised, so a fuel receipt starts out as fuel. You can change it.
You check it first
Nothing becomes a record until you have looked at it and converted it.
Deletes the photo
The image is deleted as soon as it has been read. FileThat keeps the figures, not the picture.
What HMRC expects you to keep: HMRC digital record keeping.
From receipt to record
Snap it
Photograph the receipt, flat and in good light.
Upload it
Add the photo on the Receipts page, from your phone or your computer.
Check it
Correct the date, shop, total or category if anything was misread.
Convert it
Choose the tax year and any VAT, and it becomes a digital record.
Good to know
Keep the paper, or attach a copy
Because the photo is deleted, keep your original receipts as you normally would. If you want a copy online, attach the file to the digital record, which keeps it.
Photos, not PDFs
Scanning works on image files up to 10MB. A PDF receipt cannot be scanned, but you can attach one to a digital record.
VAT is yours to enter
The VAT on a receipt is not read from the photo. You choose it when you convert the receipt, so your VAT return only reclaims what you have checked.
Free, and outside the AI limit
Scanning receipts never uses a credit and does not count towards the 150 AI messages a month.
Reclaiming VAT on purchases? See MTD VAT returns.
Straight answers
What does FileThat read from a receipt?
The date, the shop name and the total, and it suggests a category from the shop name. It does not read the VAT amount, the VAT number or the individual items, so you add the VAT yourself when you turn the receipt into a digital record.
Do you keep a copy of my receipt?
Not from scanning. The photo is deleted as soon as its text has been read, and only the figures are kept. If you would like a copy stored, attach the image or a PDF to the digital record, and FileThat keeps it with that record.
Do I still need to keep paper receipts?
HMRC expects you to keep the records that support your figures, usually for at least five years after the 31 January deadline for the tax year. As the scanned photo is deleted, keep the originals, or attach a copy to the digital record.
Can I scan a receipt on my phone?
Yes. Open FileThat in your phone's browser, go to Receipts and upload a photo. Your phone will offer to take a picture or pick one from your photos. Any image file up to 10MB can be scanned.
Does scanning receipts cost anything?
No. Scanning receipts and keeping digital records are free, and scanning does not count towards the monthly AI allowance. You only pay when you file a quarterly update or a VAT return, from £3.99, with no subscription.
Clear the receipts out of your wallet
Free to sign up, free to scan and keep records. 4 free credits for your first filings, no card needed.
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