By: Money Navigator Research Team
Last Reviewed: 12/02/2026
FACT CHECKED
Quick Summary
Tide Accounting is an optional accounting add-on inside Tide that aims to centralise bookkeeping-style tasks (and, for eligible users, certain tax workflow features) while also offering connections to third-party accounting platforms via bank feeds.
Costs are typically a monthly subscription, and integrations commonly sync transaction data on a periodic basis rather than instantly.
This article is educational and not financial advice.
What “Tide Accounting” is (and what it isn’t)
Tide Accounting is best understood as a paid add-on within the Tide ecosystem, rather than a replacement for every feature found in full accounting suites.
Tide positions it as a set of accounting tools that sit alongside the Tide business account experience, with optional connectivity to external accounting software. Tide outlines the add-on concept and eligibility at Tide Accounting software for small businesses.
What it isn’t: it’s not automatically the same thing as “invoicing” or “membership plan features”. Tide separates membership plans, accounting add-ons, and invoicing tools in its product structure, so costs and access can vary depending on which components are active. For a broader grounding in account-level fees and add-ons across the market, see what fees business bank accounts charge.
What Tide Accounting typically does in practice
In day-to-day use, Tide Accounting tends to focus on bookkeeping-style organisation and admin simplification: keeping transaction information usable for categorisation, reconciliation, and reporting workflows, and providing a structured place to manage accounting-related tasks tied to the account.
Two practical points matter more than the marketing label:
Eligibility and feature boundaries can matter. Tide’s own description includes restrictions for some tax-related workflows (for example, it describes limitations around Self Assessment and VAT submission depending on business type and scheme). The current boundaries are described by Tide at Tide Accounting software for small businesses.
Invoicing tools may be packaged separately. Tide describes “Admin Extra” as a bundle that combines Tide Accounting and Invoice Assistant, with Invoice Assistant also available on its own. Tide sets this out at What accounting add-ons do Tide offer, and how much are they?. For a deeper dive into Invoice Assistant as a distinct product line, see Invoice Assistant pricing.
What Tide Accounting integrates with (and what “integration” usually means)
Tide describes integrations with multiple accounting platforms (including Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, KashFlow, Crunch and ClearBooks) at Which accounting software does Tide integrate with?.
In most cases, “integration” means a bank feed / transaction data connection so transactions can be pulled into the accounting platform for reconciliation and bookkeeping.
The connection process typically involves authentication and consent, and Tide provides workflow steps across providers at Connect to your accounting software.
A key operational expectation: integrations often work on a cleared-transaction schedule, which can feel “delayed” compared with what is visible inside the banking app at a given moment.
Tide’s own integration guidance describes feeds updating on a periodic basis (commonly daily) rather than continuously, at Connect to your accounting software.
What it costs (headline monthly pricing and common bundles)
Tide publishes headline monthly prices for Tide Accounting and the Admin Extra bundle at What accounting add-ons do Tide offer, and how much are they?. In summary, Tide lists:
Tide Accounting (monthly subscription; pricing differs for sole traders vs limited companies)
Admin Extra (bundle that includes Tide Accounting + Invoice Assistant)
Invoice Assistant (available separately)
Important for interpreting “what it costs” in real life: the amount paid in a given month can depend on billing timing, start date, plan/bundle structure, and how Tide treats add-ons versus membership plans.
The deeper billing mechanics (including how invoices and billing cycles are presented) are covered separately in Tide Accounting add-on pricing.
Summary Table
| Scenario | Outcome | Practical impact |
|---|---|---|
| Tide Accounting subscription is active | Accounting tools are available within Tide | Admin and categorisation tasks are centralised inside the Tide experience, depending on the features enabled |
| Admin Extra bundle is active | Tide Accounting + Invoice Assistant features are available | Invoicing workflows can sit alongside accounting tools, but costs/entitlements differ from standalone Tide Accounting |
| Using a third-party platform (e.g., Xero/QuickBooks) | Tide can connect via an integration route | Transaction data may import periodically, so reconciliation may lag real-time banking activity |
| VAT-registered business on a scheme Tide excludes for its VAT submission workflow | Some submission features may be unavailable | VAT record-keeping and submission may need to remain in external software, even if a Tide add-on is active |
| Tide Accounting cancelled during a paid period | Access typically ends based on the cancellation rules Tide sets | Operational planning may need to account for end-of-period access rather than immediate removal (depending on the scenario) |
Scenario Table
| Scenario-level | Process-level | Outcome-level |
|---|---|---|
| Connecting Tide to accounting software | Authenticate, grant consent, select the Tide account(s) to link | The accounting platform can import transaction data for reconciliation |
| Transactions appear in Tide immediately but not in the accounting platform | Feed updates occur on a schedule and can prioritise cleared items | The accounting ledger may lag the banking view; “missing” items can be timing-related |
| Multiple people manage finance admin | Access is controlled by Tide roles/permissions and the accounting platform’s own permissions | Some users can view/export data without being able to change settings or connect integrations |
| Using separate invoicing tooling | Invoice Assistant may be separate or bundled | Invoicing capability does not automatically equal “accounting add-on included” |
| Reviewing “total cost” of Tide usage | Membership plan fees and add-on fees can be separate lines | Total monthly spend can be a combination of plan + add-ons rather than a single price |
Tide Business Bank Account
Tide offers UK business accounts with optional paid plans and add-ons that can be layered onto the core account features.
The clearest way to separate “account plan” from “accounting add-on” is to start with the plan structure and then map which add-ons sit on top of it. Our breakdown of plan tiers and what typically changes between them is in Tide plans: Free vs Smart vs Pro vs Max.
Where multiple people are involved, operational control often hinges on permissions rather than the accounting tool itself.
For how access typically works when an accountant needs visibility without full control, see giving your accountant access and Tide view-only access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tide presents Tide Accounting as an add-on subscription, and it also describes circumstances where access may be included with certain tiers or bundles. The practical distinction is that “plan benefits” and “accounting add-on benefits” can be priced and billed differently, even when the user experience sits inside the same app.
That separation matters when comparing monthly costs: a plan can change transaction allowances and account features, while Tide Accounting focuses on accounting tooling. Where costs feel inconsistent month-to-month, it’s often because users are looking at combined plan + add-on spend rather than a single product price.
A bank feed connection is primarily about moving transaction data into a third-party ledger so it can be reconciled, categorised, and reported on within that platform. Tide’s integration guidance frames this as an import/sync workflow rather than an instant mirror of the banking screen, at Connect to your accounting software.
Tide Accounting, by contrast, is positioned as a set of accounting tools that exist inside Tide itself. In practice, that usually means some accounting-focused admin can happen without leaving Tide, while integrations remain relevant for businesses whose bookkeeping, VAT workflow, or reporting lives in external software.
Tide describes eligibility boundaries for tax-related workflows within Tide Accounting. For example, Tide notes limits depending on whether a sole trader is using certain schemes, and it also describes constraints around VAT submission in some cases, at Tide Accounting software for small businesses.
Even where a feature exists, the accounting workflow still depends on how the business keeps records and what scheme it’s using. In practice, some businesses use Tide Accounting tools for organisation while continuing submission steps in their main accounting platform, especially where scheme eligibility or reporting requirements differ.
Tide lists integrations with multiple providers (including Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, KashFlow, Crunch and ClearBooks) at Which accounting software does Tide integrate with?.
Integration availability can also be influenced by geography, product variants, and provider-side connection methods. Where an integration exists, the “shape” of the integration is usually transaction feed–led (imports/sync), rather than a full replication of every Tide feature inside the accounting platform.
In most bank feed style integrations, the core data that syncs is transaction information required for reconciliation (date, amount, payee/merchant descriptors, and related metadata).
Tide’s own “how to connect” guidance is framed around enabling the feed and importing transactions, at Connect to your accounting software.
Non-transaction features (for example, permissions, payment approvals, or certain product-specific tooling) do not automatically “sync” just because a bank feed exists.
This is why businesses sometimes find that banking controls and accounting controls remain separate, even when the transaction ledger moves across systems.
Tide’s published integration steps describe updates that occur on a schedule and refer to feeds updating with cleared transactions rather than continuously. Tide’s help-centre integration guide includes examples of updates occurring roughly daily, at Connect to your accounting software.
That timing difference can create two common perceptions:
- “the transaction is missing” when it’s simply pending or not yet included in the last sync window
- “the balance doesn’t match” because accounting software is reflecting reconciled transaction states rather than the live banking balance at a given moment
Making Tax Digital for VAT is an HMRC programme that requires compatible software for VAT record keeping and submissions for affected businesses. HMRC’s overview and the software finder tool are set out at Find software that's compatible with Making Tax Digital for VAT.
Whether Tide Accounting is used in an MTD context depends on (a) the business’s VAT position and scheme, and (b) which tool is actually being used to keep VAT records and submit returns.
Some businesses keep VAT workflows in their primary accounting suite even if Tide Accounting is active, particularly where scheme constraints or reporting needs sit outside what Tide describes as supported.
Access normally depends on the permission model inside Tide. In practice, accountants often need the ability to view/export data and supporting documents rather than the ability to change banking settings or connect services. The operational implications of granting access are covered in giving your accountant access.
Where “view-only” access is used, it can be suitable for transparency while limiting change risk. The boundaries of what can be seen versus what can be changed are outlined in Tide view-only access, which can be relevant when integrations require account-owner-level authentication.
Tide publishes separate headline monthly prices for sole traders and limited companies, and it also lists bundle pricing for Admin Extra at What accounting add-ons do Tide offer, and how much are they?.
The “real” amount paid can be affected by timing and product structure (for example, whether an add-on is bundled). For the billing-cycle mechanics, invoice presentation, and cancellation/billing edge cases, the dedicated breakdown is in Tide Accounting add-on pricing.
Tide describes cancellation outcomes that differ depending on whether access is part of a trial or a paid period, including scenarios where access continues until the end of a paid month. Tide sets this out at How do I cancel my Tide Accounting subscription?.
Operationally, the key is the difference between “stop renewing” and “lose access immediately”. Where access continues until the end of the paid period, reporting workflows and bookkeeping handovers may still be possible during that window. Where access ends immediately (for example, trial-related scenarios), the workflow shift can be more abrupt.
Accounting tools inside a banking app often exist in a narrow space between two systems: the banking ledger (authoritative for balances and payments) and the accounting ledger (authoritative for reconciliation, categorisation, and reporting).
“Integrations” typically act as controlled data pipes between the two, rather than merging them into one system.
This is why businesses commonly see timing gaps and permission friction: the bank feed updates on a schedule, may prioritise cleared transactions, and may require specific user roles to authorise data sharing.
Separately, the add-on subscription model allows providers to price accounting tooling independently of banking plan features, which is why “Tide plan price” and “Tide Accounting price” often need to be read as separate components rather than a single headline figure.
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