For UK accountancy practices, the software you recommend to clients is now inseparable from the client experience of your firm. With MTD ITSA landing from April 2026, the wrong choice means quarterly chaos; the right one means a running feed of clean data into your workflow.
Here's what to look for when evaluating a bookkeeping app for a client portal.
1. MTD compatibility — but check the small print
Being on HMRC's list of recognised MTD software is table stakes. What matters is how the software submits — does it file directly, or does it hand off to a bridging tool you'll have to buy separately?
2. A genuine multi-client dashboard
The pain of running 50+ clients on a consumer app designed for one user is real. Look for:
- One login that spans every client
- A "who's behind on receipts / mileage / exports" view at a glance
- Per-client role and permission controls
- Fast switching between client tenants without re-logging in
3. Frictionless capture for clients
The best bookkeeping software in the world fails if clients don't use it. On-phone receipt capture, live mileage tracking and email-in for invoices remove the friction that stops a client sending you data. If the client's step is "take a photo", adoption is dramatically higher than any workflow that starts with "log in".
4. Clean exports into your practice tools
You're not throwing your existing tax stack away. What you want is a source of clean data that flows into Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, TaxCalc, IRIS or wherever your workflow already sits. Look for:
- CSV exports with clear column headings and no hand-cleaning required
- Nominal-code mapping per client
- Receipts attached in a ZIP alongside the CSV for audit trails
- Date-range and category filters, not just "all-time"
5. Onboarding at the speed of your practice
You add clients in batches — after tax deadlines, at the start of the year, when a referral lands. The onboarding flow should support that: invite by email, batch import, clear per-client checklists, and a way to see who's actually completed setup.
6. Pricing that scales with clients, not with features
Consumer bookkeeping apps sold per-user turn into a bad joke at 200 clients. Look for practice pricing tied to client slots, with the same feature set across the board — no surprise "premium" tiers to unlock exports or receipts.
7. Data ownership and security
- UK data residency or clear GDPR-compliant hosting
- Row-level security so clients can't see each other's data (and neither can staff who shouldn't)
- Access logs and permission changes you can audit
- Full data export on demand, if you ever want to move
Where LedgeIt fits
LedgeIt was built specifically for UK accountancy practices and their sole-trader and small-business clients. Clients capture receipts and track mileage on their phone; you get a multi-client dashboard with per-client CSV exports, nominal-code mapping, and slot-based pricing that scales with your practice.