# Canny

> Canny is a native Mac and iPhone app that keeps the books of a small UK limited company or sole trader and files its tax: VAT (Making Tax Digital), the company tax return (CT600) with micro-entity accounts, and Companies House accounts. Data is stored in the user's own iCloud; there is no Canny server or account. It is sold as a one-off purchase plus a pack for each year filed, not a subscription.

Status: in development as of November 2026. Not yet released, and not yet recognised by HMRC or Companies House. It will not file real returns until it has passed their software tests. The website collects email addresses from people who want to be told at launch.

The iPhone app and the Mac app each do everything on their own; neither is a companion to the other. It is not sold to accountants or bookkeeping practices: it is for the owner of the business.

## Who it is for
- Directors of one-person UK limited companies (contractors, consultants, freelancers) who do their own books. Micro-entities and dormant companies only: two of turnover up to £1m, balance sheet up to £500k, up to 10 employees.
- UK sole traders (planned after the limited company release).
- Not for: companies with stock, several employees, CIS, groups, property or overseas income. No Windows, Android or web version. No payroll.

## Why it exists
- HMRC and Companies House closed their free joint filing service (CATO) on 31 March 2026: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/closure-of-the-service-to-file-your-company-accounts-and-tax-return
- From 1 April 2028 Companies House accepts accounts only from software: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/companies-house-update-to-accounts-filing-from-april-2028
- Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to sole traders and landlords with income over £50,000 from April 2026, £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028.

## What it does
- Bank: imports CSV, OFX or PDF statements from any UK bank; suggests a category for each line on the device.
- Receipts: photographed on iPhone, read on the device, saved to the user's iCloud, shown on the Mac and matched to the bank payment.
- VAT: nine-box Making Tax Digital return built from the books and submitted to HMRC.
- Year end: seven-step checklist producing micro-entity accounts (FRS 105, iXBRL), the corporation tax calculation, the CT600 to HMRC and the accounts to Companies House.
- Deadlines: local reminders for VAT, accounts, corporation tax payment, CT600 and the confirmation statement.

## Pricing (planned, including VAT)
- App: £49 once (bookkeeping, receipts, VAT; Mac and iPhone)
- Year-end pack: £79 per company per year filed
- Dormant company pack: £29 per year
- The tax calculation is free; payment is needed only to file.

## Comparison (checked 14 November 2026)
| Software | Runs as | Bookkeeping | VAT (MTD) | Company tax return + accounts | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canny | Native Mac and iPhone app | Yes | Yes | Yes, in the same app | Your own iCloud | £49 once, plus £79 for each year you file |
| Xero | Web app, plus mobile apps | Yes | Yes | Optional add-on: “Company accounts and tax”, £120 a year + VAT | Xero's servers | £18 to £70 a month + VAT |
| FreeAgent | Web app, plus mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes: final accounts and corporation tax return filed from FreeAgent | FreeAgent's servers (FreeAgent is owned by NatWest Group) | £33 a month or £330 a year + VAT for a limited company; free with some bank accounts |
| QuickBooks | Web app, plus mobile app | Yes | Yes | — (not mentioned on its pricing page) | Intuit's servers | Monthly subscription; see their pricing |
| TinyTax | Web app | No, year end only | No | Yes | TinyTax's servers | £59 + VAT a year |
| GoFile | Web app | No, year end only | — | Yes | GoFile's servers | From £49.99 a year |
| An accountant | — | Sometimes, for a higher fee | Yes | Yes | Their systems | A yearly or monthly fee; ask for a quote |

## Pages
- [Home](https://cannybooks.com/)
- [For limited companies](https://cannybooks.com/limited-companies/): what a company files each year and how the app does it
- [For sole traders](https://cannybooks.com/sole-traders/): Making Tax Digital thresholds and what is planned
- [Receipts](https://cannybooks.com/receipts/): iPhone capture, iCloud sync, record-keeping rules
- [Compare](https://cannybooks.com/compare/): against Xero, FreeAgent, QuickBooks, TinyTax, GoFile and an accountant

Contact: hello@cannybooks.com