We filed the world’s first tax submission from space

FreeAgent makes tax submissions easy – on Earth and beyond. See how we put Making Tax Digital to the ultimate test, 26km up.

A logo saying "Making Tax Digital: From Space" hovers over the Earth
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Photos show engineers building a small craft to hold a tablet computer.

See how we took Making Tax Digital to new heights

  • First, we built great accounting software. Since 2007, we’ve helped small businesses, and their accountants and bookkeepers. In 2014, we let them file tax submissions straight to HMRC. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax? Easy.
  • Next, we sent it to space. With help from Sent Into Space (SIS), we used a high-altitude balloon to launch a computer into the stratosphere.
  • Then, we got online. FreeAgent connected to a satellite and filed the tax return flawlessly. (The Wi-Fi password up there? E.T.ph0n3h0m3!.)

Still curious about how we pulled this off? Check out our behind-the-scenes article for the full story.

Go behind the scenes

How we minimised the mission’s environmental impact

“We conducted this mission, like all our projects, with environmental care, reducing impact wherever possible.”
- Dr Chris Rose, Head of Projects & Business Development, SIS

  • Renewable fuel. Hydrogen was used as a lifting gas, produced from water with oxygen as the only by-product.
  • Biodegradable material. The balloon was crafted from undyed, natural latex, which breaks down as quickly as an oak leaf.
  • Spacecraft recovery. We kept waste to a minimum and recovered the spacecraft to reuse for future adventures.
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With FreeAgent, you’ll never be lost in space about MTD for Income Tax

  • Auto-fill your form: FreeAgent uses business data to pre-fill most of the tax submission.
  • File directly to HMRC: send quarterly tax submissions straight to HMRC, anytime, anywhere.
  • Collaborate easily: small businesses and accountants can work together, making tax teamwork a breeze.
  • Award-winning support: if you ever think, “Houston, we have a problem,” our expert UK-based team is here to help.
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Don't take our word for it!

Our customers say FreeAgent helps them relax about tax.

FreeAgent helps me with my tax submissions, because I can really easily keep my bookkeeping up to date.

portrait photo of Jennifer Maslin

Jennifer Maslin
Singer, violinist and music teacher

We look forward to showing our clients how technology like FreeAgent can empower them and seamlessly manage the transition to the new Making Tax Digital rules over the coming year and beyond.

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Julie Falchevska
Maslins accountants

I really love that I can submit my tax return right in FreeAgent. It actually makes doing a tax return stress-free.