| What is BrightTax? |
BrightTax is a cloud-based tax and accounts production platform for accountants and tax professionals. It allows you to prepare and submit Individual Tax Returns, Corporation Tax returns, Partnership Tax Returns, VAT returns, and Year End Accounts — all from one place, using a single BrightID login.
Because BrightTax is cloud-based, there is nothing to install or update. You always have access to the latest version, from any device with an internet connection.
| What Can BrightTax Do? |
| Module | What You Can Do |
|---|---|
| Individual Tax Return (ITR) | Prepare and submit Self Assessment returns (SA100, SA110, and all supplementary pages) to HMRC |
| Corporation Tax | Prepare and submit CT600 returns, attach iXBRL accounts, and manage CT computations |
| Partnership Tax Return | Create and submit partnership returns and allocate income across partners |
| Accounts Production | Produce FRS 102 and FRS 105 Year End Accounts and submit to Companies House |
| VAT | Create and submit VAT returns to HMRC via Making Tax Digital |
| Reports | Run status reports, trial balance variance reports, and MTD qualifying income reports |
| Integrations | Connect to FreeAgent, BrightAP, Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage |
| How BrightTax is Organised |
BrightTax is built around three core concepts: Clients, Tasks, and the Dashboard.
- Clients — every piece of work in BrightTax is linked to a client record. You need to create a client before you can create any tasks for them.
- Tasks — a task is a specific piece of work for a client, such as an Individual Tax Return for a given tax year, or a Year End Accounts file. Each task has its own status, history, and submission record.
- Dashboard — your central view of all active and completed tasks across all clients. This is your starting point every time you log in.
| Your Account and Organisation |
BrightTax uses your BrightID — the same login used across all Bright products — to access the platform. Your organisation is managed through BrightHub at hub.brightsg.com, where you can:
- Invite and manage team members
- Manage your BrightTax subscription and licences
- Set up two-factor authentication for your organisation
- Update your billing and organisation details
| ✔ Tip: If you are new to BrightTax and have not yet set up your organisation in BrightHub, start there before configuring BrightTax. See the BrightHub Overview in the related articles below. |
| What to Do First |
Once you have access to BrightTax, complete the following setup steps before creating your first client or task:
- Set up your company information — practice name, address, and contact details
- Enter your HMRC filing credentials — required to submit any return to HMRC
- Enter your Companies House presenter details — required to file accounts with Companies House
- Create your first client
- Create your first task
See the related articles below for step-by-step guidance on each of these steps, or follow the Your First 30 Days guide for a structured walkthrough.
| Logging In |
BrightTax is accessed at app.brighttax.com (or via your organisation's BrightTax link). Log in using your BrightID email address and password. If your organisation has enabled two-factor authentication, you will be prompted to verify your identity after entering your credentials.
| ⚠ Important: BrightTax is a cloud application — you do not need to install any software. If you are being asked to install a desktop application, you may be looking at BTC Software, which is a separate legacy product. |
| Frequently Asked Questions |
Q: Is BrightTax the same as BTC Software?
A: No. BrightTax is a cloud-based platform and the successor to BTC Software. If you are migrating from BTC desktop, see the Migrating from BTC Desktop section of the Help Centre for guidance.
Q: Can multiple users work in BrightTax at the same time?
A: Yes. BrightTax supports multiple concurrent users. Each user has their own login and permissions, managed through BrightHub.
Q: What browsers does BrightTax support?
A: BrightTax works on all modern browsers including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. Chrome and Edge are recommended for the best experience.
Q: How do I reset my password?
A: On the BrightTax login page, click Forgot password and follow the instructions sent to your registered email address.
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