While being your own boss has its bonuses, self employment means you’re tackling everything on your own. But in today’s digital world, there are plenty of apps and software options to ease the burden. Paul Bulpitt, head of accounting at Xero and co-founder of the Wow Company, lists his top five apps for iOS and Android to help the self-employed to win.

1. HMRC – Cost: Free

The official app from HMRC can help you get your head around your taxes. You can quickly and easily work out your tax, break down your income, and show how much you can claim back as a self employed person. Download here.

2. Xero – Cost: from £10 a month

If numbers aren’t your forte, fear not. Cloud accounting solutions like Xero simplify your numbers, enabling you to send and receive invoices, track expenses and upload receipts — all on a beautiful interface. Plus, as it operates on the cloud, you can check your numbers, anywhere, anytime. Click here to try for free for 30 days.

3. Evernote – Cost: Free

An idea can come to you at any time, so you better be ready to jot it down. Evernote allows you to quickly save pictures, business cards, web links and notes all in one place. Download here.

4. HelloSign – Cost: From free to approx £32 a month

This app is a little unusual, but for people who are always on the move it’s a must. HelloSign enables you to electronically sign and fill out forms, contracts and other documents before emailing back to the recipient and saving. Perfect for those times when you’re nowhere near a printer and scanner. Download here.

5. Harvest – Cost: From £10 a month

Harvest streamlines your entire billing process, from tracking your time to getting paid. From the web or your smartphone, simple and quick time entry means you will have the data you need to bill accurately and budget wisely. Click here to try it free of charge for 30 days.

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Source: Xero