# Bookkeeping software that produces real books

Canonical: https://taxmo.co.uk/bookkeeping-software-uk
Last updated: 2026-04-25

Plenty of tools record income and expenses. Fewer produce something an accountant can actually work from. Taxmo keeps both: the simple day-to-day view, and a proper set of books underneath it.

## Double entry, when you want it

Every posting is a debit in one account and an equal credit in another, so the books can be proved rather than trusted. Journals cannot be saved unbalanced, and the trial balance shows immediately if anything is one-sided.

- A UK chart of accounts on the nominal ranges accountants already know
- Manual journals for depreciation, accruals and corrections
- A general ledger with a running balance per account
- A trial balance that proves total debits equal total credits
- A year-end close that moves the result to retained earnings

## Nominal codes an accountant recognises

The chart follows the conventional UK ranges: fixed assets low, then current assets, liabilities, capital, income, cost of sales and overheads. An accountant picking up your books does not have to learn a bespoke numbering scheme first.

## Closed years stay closed

Once a year is closed, its result has moved to retained earnings. Posting into it afterwards would leave your books disagreeing with themselves, so closed years are locked. Reopening is deliberate and recorded, not accidental.

## Common questions

### Do I need double-entry bookkeeping?

As a sole trader, usually not: income less allowable expenses is enough for Self Assessment. It matters if you have incorporated, if your accountant asks for a trial balance, or if you want a balance sheet rather than just a profit figure.

### Can my accountant get access?

Yes, through the accountant portal. Anything they do on your account is recorded in your activity log and marked as done on your behalf, so you can always see who changed what.

### What if my trial balance does not balance?

Something is posted one-sided. The trial balance shows the difference, and the pre-filing checklist treats it as a blocking problem rather than a warning, because a return built on unbalanced books is unreliable.

## Related pages

- [Accounting software for UK sole traders](https://taxmo.co.uk/accounting-software-sole-traders)
- [VAT return software for UK businesses](https://taxmo.co.uk/vat-return-software)
- [Making Tax Digital, in plain terms](https://taxmo.co.uk/making-tax-digital-software)

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This page explains how UK rules work rather than quoting thresholds, rates or allowances, which are indexed or reset at fiscal events. Check current amounts on GOV.UK.