An honest comparison of the two leading tax compliance platforms for UK accounting firms, with clear recommendations for different practice types.
Comprehensive tax software with MTD support, loved by UK accountants for its depth and reliability.
Best for: Firms wanting powerful tax compliance with MTD readiness
Pricing: From around £250/year for individual products. Practice bundles available. Volume pricing for larger firms.
Cloud-first tax compliance from IRIS, with strong integration across the IRIS ecosystem.
Best for: Firms already using IRIS products or wanting a fully cloud-based tax solution
Pricing: Part of IRIS Elements suite. Contact IRIS for practice pricing.
How TaxCalc and TaxFiler compare across the features that matter most for UK tax compliance.
| Feature | TaxCalc | TaxFiler |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Assessment (SA100) | Full SA100 with complex scenarios | Full SA100 filing |
| Corporation Tax (CT600) | Comprehensive CT600 with iXBRL | CT600 with iXBRL tagging |
| Partnership Returns | SA800/SA900 with automatic allocation | Partnership support available |
| MTD for VAT | Fully compliant | Fully compliant |
| MTD for Income Tax | In development, on roadmap | In development via IRIS |
| Accounts Production | Built-in with iXBRL tagging | Built-in with iXBRL tagging |
| HMRC Direct Submission | All return types supported | All return types supported |
| Cloud Access | Cloud and desktop versions | Cloud-native only |
| Integration Ecosystem | Xero, QBO, Sage, Companies House | Best within IRIS ecosystem |
| Complex Tax Scenarios | Handles advanced scenarios well | Good for standard scenarios |
| User Interface | Functional, improving steadily | Modern cloud-native design |
| Pricing Flexibility | Individual products or bundles | Part of IRIS Elements suite |
The right choice depends on your firm's ecosystem and needs. Here is our recommendation for each scenario.
TaxCalc
TaxCalc is the more comprehensive and flexible option for most UK accounting firms. The wider range of return types, strong independent integration ecosystem, and flexible pricing make it the safer default choice. If you are setting up tax compliance from scratch, start here.
TaxFiler
If your firm already uses IRIS products for practice management or other workflows, TaxFiler is the natural choice. The integration within the IRIS Elements suite is seamless, and the cloud-native platform means no installation headaches.
Consider Silverfin
If you process hundreds of returns and want to automate compliance workflows at scale, Silverfin offers more powerful automation capabilities than either TaxCalc or TaxFiler. The higher investment pays off at volume.
Book a free discovery call and we will help you choose the right tax compliance tools for your specific needs.
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