Frequently Asked Questions

What is FreeAgent?

FreeAgent is online accounting software designed to help small business owners and landlords manage their financial admin.

Is FreeAgent owned by the NatWest Group?

Yes, the NatWest Group - formerly known as the Royal Bank of Scotland Group - acquired FreeAgent in 2018.

What is accounting software?

Business owners and accounting professionals use accounting software to process financial transactions, store financial data and automate certain bookkeeping and accounting tasks. Most modern accounting software, including FreeAgent, is cloud-based, which means that users access the data from devices connected to the internet. 

How much does FreeAgent cost?

The cost of a FreeAgent subscription depends on a few factors, including your business type and whether you pay for FreeAgent monthly or annually. Check out the full details of our pricing plans here. 

Is FreeAgent free?

FreeAgent is free with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business current account for as long as you retain your bank account. Find out more and get started here.

Mettle account holders get FreeAgent for free, as long as they make at least one transaction per month to or from their Mettle account. 

Once you’ve set up your free account, you may choose to add one or more optional add-ons, depending on your business’s specific needs. These offer enhanced functionality and may be chargeable.

What's the difference between each of FreeAgent’s account types?

FreeAgent has a few different account types, designed to suit the needs of various kinds of small businesses.

There are dedicated account types for UK businesses that are structured as sole traders, partnerships, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), limited companies and unincorporated landlords. Limited company FreeAgent accounts contain additional functionality for Corporation Tax computations and End of Year accounts filing.

The US account type is for USA-based businesses.

The Universal account type is primarily for businesses based in locations other than the UK or the USA. Please be aware that it doesn’t include features such as VAT, payroll, Self Assessment and Corporation Tax computations.

Does FreeAgent support HMRC's Making Tax Digital initiative?

Yes, FreeAgent supports Making Tax Digital for VAT and it's on HMRC’s list of compatible software for MTD for Income Tax for businesses. This means that you'll be able to use FreeAgent to follow the rules of MTD for Income Tax and make the required tax submissions to HMRC before the legislation comes into effect.

Learn more about how FreeAgent supports Making Tax Digital.

How do I sign up for FreeAgent?

You can begin your 30-day free trial and sign up to FreeAgent here.

If you have a business current account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank, you can get FreeAgent for free, for as long as you retain your bank account. Find out more here.

Mettle account holders get FreeAgent for free, as long as they make at least one transaction per month to or from their Mettle account. 

Optional add-ons may be chargeable for all accounts.

How do I get started with FreeAgent once I’ve signed up for an account?

Start by reading our Knowledge Base article on how to set up your account. Check out our Getting Started page too - it contains some handy videos on setting up your account, along with a recorded webinar that offers a guided tour of the software. You can also book a 20-minute Getting Started call with our support team.

You’ll find a whole host of more detailed information on how to get started with FreeAgent in the Knowledge Base. You can also select the blue ‘Help’ button in the bottom-right corner of the screen if you need assistance.

How safe will my data be in FreeAgent?

All information that passes between our servers and your computer is encrypted using a technology called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), the same technology that banks use to protect data.

FreeAgent data is held securely in data centres located in Ireland. These data centres meet the strictest security standards, including ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018 certification, and comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

FreeAgent also encrypts any information stored on your behalf, including data in the database and any files you upload, using 256-bit AES encryption.

Of course, you own your data. You can export all of your FreeAgent data at any time in Excel spreadsheet (XLSX) format, and analyse it or back it up yourself, as you see fit. Learn more about data and security.

We also take our customers' privacy very seriously. FreeAgent is built on the principle that only you (or people you give login access to) can access your data. We will never reveal any data to anyone unless required to do so by law. Find out more in our Privacy Policy.