Budgeting apps, full accounting software, and dedicated tax dashboards compared — which actually tracks what you owe HMRC.
A “tax dashboard” means different things depending on what you need: some people want a general budgeting app that happens to show spending categories, others want something that actually tracks income, expenses and an estimated tax bill throughout the year. Here's how the main types of tool compare, including where our own Tax Dashboard fits.
| Tool type | Examples | Tracks tax owed? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| General budgeting apps | Emma, Snoop, Money Dashboard | No — spending categories only | Personal budgeting, subscription tracking, spotting overspending |
| Full accounting software | Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent | Yes, as part of full bookkeeping | Sole traders and businesses needing invoicing, MTD submission, and full accounts |
| PayToolkit Tax Dashboard | — | Yes — income, expenses, profit and estimated tax set-aside | Self-employed people who want a free, lightweight view of their tax position without full accounting software |
General budgeting apps like Emma and Snoop are genuinely good at what they do — tracking spending, flagging wasted subscriptions, and helping with day-to-day budgeting — but none of them calculate what you owe HMRC. Full accounting software does calculate tax, but comes with a monthly cost and more setup than many people want for simply keeping track of a side income or sole trader profit.
Our free Tax Dashboard pulls together income and expense entries from the Expense Tracker to show running profit, an estimated tax and National Insurance liability, and how much to set aside — without needing a paid subscription or full accounting setup. It's not a replacement for accounting software if you need invoicing or MTD submission, but it's a genuinely useful middle ground for tracking your tax position throughout the year.
We're not affiliated with Emma, Snoop, Money Dashboard, Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent. This is a factual comparison of different tool categories, not a ranked review of each individual product.
Yes — it's completely free, with no signup required to use the core features, and an optional free account only if you want your data to sync across devices.
Budgeting apps like Emma or Snoop are great for personal spending insight, but none of them calculate an estimated tax bill — you'd need a dedicated tool or accounting software for that.
No — it gives you a running estimate to help you plan and avoid surprises, but for filing your actual Self Assessment return or complex situations, an accountant or accounting software is still the right call.
If your income is over the MTD threshold, yes — the Tax Dashboard helps you track your position day-to-day, but you'll need HMRC-recognised software to actually submit quarterly updates.