KashFlow
A UK HMRC ledger: connect the bank, invoice, and file VAT. No US edition. Most US shops should pick something else.
Best for
UK sole traders, contractors, and small limited companies who want invoices, Open Banking recs, and MTD VAT in one cheap file, especially if an IRIS accountant already runs Connect.
Not ideal if
A US shop whose CPA will only open QuickBooks, who needs 1099s or US payroll, or who banks at a US bank with no Yapily Open Banking feed.
Standout
MTD VAT (and CIS reverse charge) lives in the same weekly bank match as the invoices, at a published UK list that undercuts Xero for a simple shop.
About KashFlow
KashFlow (sold as IRIS KashFlow) is the ledger. You connect a UK bank through Open Banking (Yapily), match the lines to invoices and bills, send quotes, and snap receipts. Those posts are the books. Profit and loss, the balance sheet, a trial balance, and an MTD VAT return come out of KashFlow. Invite your accountant through free KashFlow Connect, or export PDF and CSV reports.
It replaces QuickBooks Online and Xero. It does not sit on those files. There is no US edition. Bank feeds are Open Banking; if Yapily does not list the bank, you import a CSV. VAT files to HMRC. CIS reverse charge is on the published plans. FreeAgent is the other UK HMRC ledger in this directory, and NatWest can fund that licence. Wave and Kick are the US replacement ledgers. UK PAYE lives in KashFlow Payroll or IRIS Staffology, not in a US payroll run.
People who stick are usually UK sole traders, contractors, and small limited companies who want a cheap invoice-and-VAT file, often after an IRIS accountant put them on it. They stay for the 90% intro, MTD VAT in the same weekly rec, and a Connect seat for the firm. US owners who land here should treat it as the wrong country, not a cheaper QuickBooks.
What people who used it say
What they tend to like
Cheap and easy for a simple UK shop
r/ukaccounting: dead easy and cheap. r/UKPersonalFinance: used KashFlow plus HMRC's own payroll tool, and cited the six-month intro (then £1.25/month).
The IRIS accountant path is why people start
r/smallbusinessuk names KashFlow as an IRIS product they used after Sage. Connect is the free firm dashboard.
VAT and invoices in one weekly rec
Official MTD help: connect Gateway, pull obligations, submit from KashFlow. Homepage and pricing both put VAT on every plan.
What they hesitate about
Support and cancellation on Trustpilot
Trustpilot search this pass surfaces inherited-file frustration and cancellation complaints. The full review page returned 500 when fetched, so treat themes as directional.
Xero is the step up once volume grows
Older r/smallbusiness threads already compared KashFlow to Xero for a UK shop. Starter's 10-invoice and 25-rec caps make that step happen early.
US tax work is not the product
No US company type, no 1099 e-file, and no US payroll on pages opened. Bank feeds are Yapily Open Banking with a 90-day consent.
How it hits your books
- Replaces your ledger
- Yes
- QuickBooks Online
- No
- Xero
- No
- Multi-entity
- Partial
- Inventory
- Partial
- 1099s
- No
- Payroll
- No
Close is you: match the Open Banking feed (or the CSV), attach receipts, then run P&L, balance sheet, trial balance, and the VAT return in KashFlow. Nothing writes back to QuickBooks. US payroll and 1099s are not in this file.
Invite the accountant on free KashFlow Connect (branded login, client activity, consolidated views), or export PDF and CSV reports. Connect can also export in Sage and Digita formats. KashFlow does not e-file a US income tax return or 1099s. UK VAT submits to HMRC from the file.
Images
Features
Explain the bank feed, or import a CSV
Connect a UK (or other Yapily-listed) bank through Open Banking. Lines import; you match them to invoices, purchases, or a category. Consent lasts 90 days and must be renewed. If the bank is missing, import a CSV or type it in. Starter caps reconcile at 25 transactions. Business is unlimited.
Send invoices and collect on the invoice
Create quotes and convert them to invoices, with your logo and a pay button. Starter: unlimited quotes, 10 invoices, single user. Business: unlimited invoices, multi-user, multi-currency, and repeating invoices. IRIS Pay is included (no monthly fee); cards are 1.3% + 20p. Instant Bank Pay has no transaction fee on the help page. GoCardless, Square, and PayPal are the other named processors.
Receipt capture and mileage
Snap or upload a receipt. Quick Capture OCR reads the document, including VAT reverse charge and SA103 disallowed expenses. Starter is limited to 30 captures a month. Official help: uploaded images need a Dropbox connection. Log mileage and attach fuel receipts from KashFlow Go (iOS confirmed; official site also says Android).
File MTD VAT from the same file
Connect Government Gateway credentials. KashFlow pulls VAT obligations from HMRC, shows the summary, and you submit the return. CIS Domestic Reverse Charge VAT is on the published Starter and Business cards. Self Assessment reports exist. MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment is described as being enhanced for the April 2026 roll-out, not as a finished filing product on pages opened this pass.
UK payroll as a companion, not US payroll
KashFlow Payroll is HMRC-recognised RTI software (FPS, joiners, leavers, directors' NIC, auto-enrolment). The current payroll marketing page points new buyers at Staffology Payroll. The dedicated pricing page lists "Payroll up to 5 employees" on Starter and Business; homepage plan cards omit that line. This is UK PAYE. It is not Gusto-style US payroll or 1099 e-file.
Reports, stock counts, and accountant Connect
P&L, balance sheet, trial balance, VAT, income, and spend reports export to PDF or CSV. Stock management tracks quantity in and out when you invoice or receive a purchase; valuation uses product price, not a full COGS inventory system. One legal entity per subscription. Extra businesses are extra accounts (£1/month off each extra on the Business plan). KashFlow Connect for accountants is free.
Pricing
A US shop should not pick this to save money versus Wave or Kick; there is no US list. A UK sole trader who fits Starter pays £13.50/month after the intro, or £97/year + VAT. That Starter cap (10 invoices, 25 recs, one user, 30 receipt captures) will not hold a 5-person / ~500-txn shop. That shop is on Business at £27.50/month after the intro, or £178/year + VAT. New customers get 90% off monthly for six months (£1.35 / £2.75). A second legal entity is another subscription (£1/month off each extra on Business). IRIS Pay cards add 1.3% + 20p. UK payroll is a second product (Staffology from £43/month for 1–19 payslips on IRIS's own page, or legacy KashFlow Payroll with no current public sticker found). Monthly cards do not print +VAT; annual cards do.
Starter
UK sole traders and contractors with few invoices. 14-day trial, no card. Single user.
- Unlimited quotes, 10 invoices
- Reconcile up to 25 bank transactions
- Single user, bank feeds, MTD VAT
- CIS reverse charge, purchases, mileage
- Receipt capture (30/month on help)
- IRIS Pay, mobile app, 50+ reports
Business
UK limited companies and growing shops that need unlimited invoices, unlimited recs, and extra users.
- Unlimited quotes and invoices
- Unlimited bank recs, multi-user
- Multi-currency, repeating invoices and purchases
- Bank feeds, MTD VAT, CIS reverse charge
- IRIS Pay, receipt capture, mobile app
- 50+ reports
Starter annual
Same Starter caps, paid upfront. New-customer annual promo on the buy-it-now page.
- Unlimited quotes, 10 invoices
- Reconcile up to 25 bank transactions
- Single user, bank feeds, MTD VAT
- CIS reverse charge, purchases, mileage
- IRIS Pay, mobile app
Business annual
Same Business features, paid upfront. The usual pick if you already know you need unlimited invoices.
- Unlimited quotes and invoices
- Unlimited bank recs, multi-user
- Multi-currency
- Bank feeds, MTD VAT, CIS reverse charge
- IRIS Pay, receipt capture, mobile app
Integrations
Platforms
Audience
Pick something else instead of KashFlow
QuickBooks Online
Stay in QuickBooks Online if you are a US shop, your CPA will only open that file, you need 1099s, US payroll, inventory, or classes. KashFlow replaces the file; it does not sit next to it.
Xero
Pick Xero instead if you want the other paid cloud ledger, a larger US accountant network, or you have already outgrown KashFlow's Starter caps and bank rules on the UK side.
FreeAgent
Pick FreeAgent instead if you want the other UK HMRC ledger, a funded NatWest / Mettle licence, or a thin US company type with sales-tax reports. KashFlow has no US edition.
Kick
Pick Kick instead if you want a US replacement ledger that categorises bank and processor feeds and hands your CPA a year-end package, without a UK tax engine.