Canny or an accountant?
A good accountant gives advice that software can't: how to pay yourself, whether to register for VAT, what to do when something unusual happens. If your affairs are complicated, use one. For a simple one-person company, though, most of the fee pays for work that is now mechanical: turning bank lines into accounts and sending them in.
Read this first. Canny is in development and not yet recognised by HMRC or Companies House. This page compares the planned first release with what An accountant offers today. Facts about An accountant come from this page, checked on 14 November 2026. If something is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.
Side by side
| Canny | An accountant | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Native Mac and iPhone app for UK micro-companies and sole traders | A person, not software |
| Runs as | Native Mac and iPhone app | — |
| Bookkeeping and bank import | Yes | Sometimes, for a higher fee |
| VAT returns (Making Tax Digital) | Yes | Yes |
| Company tax return (CT600) and accounts | Yes, in the same app | Yes |
| Where your data lives | Your own iCloud | Their systems |
| Price | £49 once, plus £79 for each year you file | A yearly or monthly fee; ask for a quote |
| Cost of a typical first year | £128: the app (£49) plus one year-end pack (£79) | Varies with the firm and what's included. Get a written quote. |
| Available now | No, in development | Yes |
Choose An accountant if
- You have employees, property, several companies or overseas income.
- You want someone else to be responsible for getting it right.
- You'd rather not think about any of it.
Choose Canny if
- Your company is simple: you invoice, you pay a few costs, you pay yourself.
- You're comfortable checking your own numbers.
- You'd like to pay an accountant for an hour of advice when you need it, not for data entry every year.
What Canny looks like
One window for the whole year: bank lines to review, receipts from your iPhone, and the next deadline always in view.
