The UK Landlord Tax App That Handles Everything
Track allowable expenses, model Section 24 impact, calculate your tax liability, and submit to HMRC — all from one app designed exclusively for UK property landlords.
Understanding Your Tax Obligations as a UK Landlord
If you receive rental income from UK property, you are required to report it to HMRC and pay Income Tax on your profits. This applies whether you own a single buy-to-let property or manage a large portfolio. Your taxable profit is calculated as your total rental income minus allowable expenses.
Landlords must currently report their rental income through Self Assessment, filing an annual tax return. From April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax will require quarterly digital submissions instead. Either way, keeping accurate, up-to-date records of all income and expenses is essential — and that's exactly what LandlordGuru automates for you.
The app categorises your income and expenses in real time, calculates your running tax liability, and ensures you have everything ready when submission deadlines arrive — whether that's the annual Self Assessment deadline or the new quarterly MTD schedule.
Section 24: How It Affects You and How the App Models It
Section 24 of the Finance Act 2015 fundamentally changed how mortgage interest is treated for individual landlords. Before Section 24, landlords could deduct the full amount of their mortgage interest from rental income before calculating tax. This meant a higher-rate taxpayer with £10,000 of mortgage interest saved £4,000 in tax.
Under the current rules, mortgage interest is no longer deductible as an expense. Instead, all landlords receive a flat 20% tax credit on their finance costs. For basic-rate taxpayers, the net effect is similar. But for higher-rate (40%) and additional-rate (45%) taxpayers, the impact is significant — you're now taxed on rental income as if the mortgage interest didn't exist, then given back only 20% as a credit.
LandlordGuru's Section 24 analysis report shows you exactly how this restriction affects your portfolio. It calculates your effective tax rate on rental income, compares your position before and after Section 24, and helps you understand the real return on each property after tax. This visibility is critical for making informed decisions about your portfolio.
Allowable Expenses: Track Every Deduction
Claiming all your allowable expenses is the single most effective way to reduce your property tax bill legally. LandlordGuru makes it easy to capture and categorise every expense as it occurs, so nothing slips through the cracks at year-end.
- Automatic Categorisation — Connect via Open Banking and the app automatically categorises property-related transactions from your bank feed.
- Receipt Scanning — Snap a photo of any receipt and the app extracts the amount, date, and vendor using OCR technology.
- HMRC-Aligned Categories — Expenses are organised into HMRC's property income categories: repairs and maintenance, insurance, letting agent fees, legal costs, and more.
- Property-Level Tracking — Expenses are assigned to individual properties, giving you a clear profit-and-loss view for each asset in your portfolio.
- Mileage and Travel — Log travel to and from your properties with built-in mileage tracking at HMRC's approved rates.
Self Assessment and MTD Integration
Whether you're filing under the current Self Assessment system or preparing for MTD ITSA, LandlordGuru generates all the figures you need. The app produces a complete property income summary that maps directly to the UK property pages (SA105) of your Self Assessment return.
When MTD becomes mandatory for you, there's no migration needed — the same records you've been keeping feed directly into the quarterly submission process. LandlordGuru submits your updates to HMRC via their official API, handles your End of Period Statement, and processes your Final Declaration. One app, one set of records, complete compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What expenses can landlords claim against rental income?
Allowable expenses include letting agent fees, insurance, property repairs and maintenance, council tax (when paid by you), utility bills, accountancy fees, legal fees for tenancy agreements, tenant-finding costs, and travel expenses for property management. Capital improvements are not deductible as revenue expenses but may qualify for other reliefs.
How does Section 24 work for landlords?
Section 24 replaced the full deduction of mortgage interest with a basic rate (20%) tax credit. You can no longer deduct mortgage interest from your rental income before calculating tax. Instead, your tax is calculated on the full rental profit, then reduced by a 20% credit on your finance costs. Higher-rate taxpayers are most affected.
Do I still need an accountant with LandlordGuru?
Many landlords with straightforward portfolios find the app replaces the need for an accountant. It handles expense categorisation, tax calculations, Section 24 modelling, and HMRC submissions. For complex situations — overseas properties, corporate structures, or capital gains — professional advice alongside the app may still be beneficial.
When is the tax deadline for landlord Self Assessment?
The online Self Assessment deadline is 31 January following the end of the tax year (5 April). Under MTD ITSA (from April 2026), quarterly deadlines are 5 August, 5 November, 5 February, and 5 May, followed by a Final Declaration by 31 January.
Take Control of Your Landlord Tax
Stop overpaying and start claiming every expense you're entitled to. Try LandlordGuru free — no credit card required.