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Switch from QuickBooks Self-Employed to QuickBooks Online or Sole Trader Plus

by Intuit•205• Updated 2 days ago

Learn how to switch from QuickBooks Self-Employed to QuickBooks Online or Sole Trader Plus and prepare for Making Tax Digital (MTD).

This article is for QuickBooks Self-Employed customers who are switching to QuickBooks Online or Sole Trader Plus.

The way you work is changing

We have released our QuickBooks Online platform experience, including Sole Trader Plus. All customers using QuickBooks Sole Trader will be moving to this upgraded experience.

Why now? If your business revenue was more than ÂŁ50,000 for the 2025-2026 tax year, you must move to MTD IT-compliant software before 6 April 2026, with those earning over ÂŁ30,000 following suit in April 2027 and over ÂŁ20,000 in April 2028.

Learn more about your MTD Income Tax obligations in QuickBooks.

Find the right fit for your business. Compare plans and see current offers on our Plans & Pricing page.

What happens when you switch

When you move from QuickBooks Self-Employed, you’ll be using QuickBooks on the Intuit Platform. You can transfer up to seven years of data, including Transactions, Invoices, Customers, Mileage and Receipts.

Your information stays with you — it’s simply organised within a more detailed accounting system.


Before switching: Save your reports

We recommend downloading copies of your reports for your records. To do this:

  1. Go to Reports.
  2. From the Tax details section, select a tax year from the â–Ľ dropdown.
  3. Select Download.
  4. Repeat for each year stored in QuickBooks.

You should also download your: Profit and loss, Mileage log, and Receipts. Select Download from the â–Ľ dropdown for Profit and loss and Mileage log.


How to switch

  1. Update the app to the latest version from the Google Play Store.
  2. Sign in to QuickBooks on the Sole Trader app.
  3. On the homepage, you'll see a prompt to move to Sole Trader Plus.
  4. Select Move now and follow the steps.

Note: If you bought QuickBooks Sole Trader via an annual subscription (Apple App Store or Google Play Store), you can only move during the final month of your subscription. You'll be notified when that window opens.

If you subscribed directly through our website, you can upgrade online:

  1. Sign in to your QuickBooks account.
  2. Go to Settings âš™.
  3. Select Upgrade from the Profile column.
  4. Follow the prompts.

Important: Wait for confirmation before adding new transactions

Once your migration begins, do not add any new transactional data until you receive a confirmation email that your migration is complete. This ensures your data transfers correctly and prevents duplication or errors.


After switching

After migrating, you’ll be asked a few questions about your business. This helps tailor your experience and ensures your account is set up correctly.

To help you get started, see:

QuickBooks Self-Employed