Self-employed accounting software for your business
Running your own business means juggling everything at once. Xero's accounting software for self-employed freelancers and sole proprietors helps you manage bookkeeping and invoicing from any device, wherever you're working. 4.6 million subscribers trust Xero with their accounting.
Three ways Xero's self-employed accounting software saves you time
Xero brings together the tools you need to manage your finances. Designed to make bookkeeping intuitive, giving you control and clarity.
Automate your bookkeeping and bank feeds
Set up bank feeds and your transactions flow into Xero automatically, ready for you to review and reconcile.
Send invoices and get paid up to twice as fast
Create professional invoices with Stripe, ACH debit, and Tap to Pay.
Know your numbers with Xero’s financial reports
P&L, cash flow forecasts, and business performance reports update with your transactions. Get them on any device!
Save hours with bank feeds
Connect your US bank and Xero pulls in transactions automatically. Hubdoc automatically extracts information from bills and receipts, then creates transactions in Xero to help you process paperwork without manual data entry. No more manual data entry – and no more scrambling at tax time.
- Get time back for billable work – 4 in 5 Xero customers say they save 6 hours a month by eliminating manual data entry.
- Upload PDF bank statements directly into Xero in under 35 seconds.
Get paid faster with professional invoicing
Let customers pay directly from their invoices – add Stripe, ACH debit, Klarna, bank transfers, SMS invoicing, and Tap to Pay. Then set automated payment reminders and ask JAX, Xero's AI assistant, to create and send invoices. Faster invoices with more payment options mean you get paid sooner!
- You can also create and send invoices from the Xero Accounting app on iOS or Android – great if you're at a client site or on the move.
- Get paid up to twice as fast with online invoice payments (Xero SB Storybook V2 – Approved Claims).
Track expenses and claim every deduction
Snap a receipt with the Xero Accounting app and Hubdoc automatically extracts the data and creates a transaction in Xero. Bill entry is automated too – Xero flags duplicates and tracks due dates.
- Capture receipts on the go – no more stacks of paper. Your expense data stays organized and ready whenever you need it for tax time.
- 91% of customers agree Xero is easy to use (Xero survey of 2,634 SBs in UK, AU, and US, May–June 2024).
Stay on top of your self-employed taxes
Xero supports 1099 contractor information reporting, automatically calculates sales tax across 13,000 US jurisdictions via Avalara on invoicing, and helps keep your records organized year round.
- Xero keeps your financial data organized throughout the year – so tax time is just a review, not a rush.
- 88% of customers agree Xero helps improve financial visibility (Xero survey of 2,634 SBs, May–June 2024).
Pay your bills at no extra cost
Free standard ACH bill payments are now included in Xero business plans.*
Early
for the first 3 months
Then $25 per month
An easy financial foundation - track cash flow with the essentials.
- Send quotes and 20 invoices†
- Accept online invoice payments^
- 5 bills
- Reconcile bank transactions
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with basic graphs
- 30 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
Growing
for the first 3 months
Then $55 per month
Go beyond the basics - automate tasks and access performance dashboards.
- Send invoices and quotes
- Accept online invoice payments^
- Automate bill entry and track bills
- Auto-reconcile bank transactions (Beta)
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with graphs
- 60 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
- Customize performance dashboards
- Tailored financial health scorecards
Forecast with clarity
Forecast with clarity
Established
for the first 3 months
Then $90 per month
Future proof your scaling business - with advanced tools and analytics.
- Send invoices and quotes
- Accept online invoice payments^
- Automate bill entry and track bills
- Auto-reconcile bank transactions (Beta)
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with graphs
- 180 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
- Customize performance dashboards
- Tailored financial health scorecards
- Analyze KPIs and ratios
- Use multiple currencies
- Track time and costs for projects
- Employee expense and mileage claims
- Benchmark against the industry
- Make online bill payments (International)
Manage your finances from anywhere, anytime
The Xero Accounting app lets you send invoices, capture receipts, and view reports on your phone. Cloud-based access means your business information is stored in the cloud, so it’s always backed up. Your data updates automatically, and multiple security layers protect your data.
- Whether you're at a client's office, a coffee shop, or at home, your accounting stays up to date – and accessible on any device.
- 91% of customers agree Xero is easy to use (Xero survey of 2,634 SBs in UK, AU, and US, May–June 2024).
Expert help whenever you need it
Get 24/7 support from Xero experts and personalized 1:1 onboarding. Add your accountant or bookkeeper at no extra cost – unlimited users are included on all plans. Use JAX, Xero's AI assistant, to handle admin and find answers faster. Xero is a 2025 Fintech Breakthrough Award winner.
- You don't need accounting experience to use Xero – but if you want professional help, let your accountant access your data in Xero directly.
- 4.6 million subscribers trust Xero for their accounting software (Xero SB Storybook V2).
FAQs on self-employed accounting software: answers for US freelancers and sole proprietors
Self-employed accounting software is cloud-based software that helps freelancers, sole proprietors, and independent contractors manage their accounting tasks in one place. Xero, for example, helps you manage your bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking, and tax preparation in a single package.
Xero connects to your bank for fast, simple reconciliation, automates data entry, and brings your accounting data into easy-to-read reports to help you stay organized at tax time.
4 in 5 Xero customers say they save 6 hours a month by eliminating manual data entry – freeing them to focus on their business.
Self-employed accounting software is cloud-based software that helps freelancers, sole proprietors, and independent contractors manage their accounting tasks in one place. Xero, for example, helps you manage your bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking, and tax preparation in a single package.
Xero connects to your bank for fast, simple reconciliation, automates data entry, and brings your accounting data into easy-to-read reports to help you stay organized at tax time.
4 in 5 Xero customers say they save 6 hours a month by eliminating manual data entry – freeing them to focus on their business.
Self-employed accounting software focuses on common workflows for people working on their own, like invoicing, recording business expenses, and keeping financial records up to date. Small business software can add features like payroll and multi-user access as your business grows.
Xero is flexible enough to cover both. You can start simple as a freelancer and add functionality as your business grows – for example, by adding payroll via Gusto (launching Q4 FY26) when you're ready.
Self-employed accounting software focuses on common workflows for people working on their own, like invoicing, recording business expenses, and keeping financial records up to date. Small business software can add features like payroll and multi-user access as your business grows.
Xero is flexible enough to cover both. You can start simple as a freelancer and add functionality as your business grows – for example, by adding payroll via Gusto (launching Q4 FY26) when you're ready.
Xero’s real-time financial reports help you track income and expenses throughout the year, so you have organized records ready for tax time. Your Xero profit and loss report shows what you’ve earned minus what you’ve spent, helping you track profit and understand your business performance.
Xero’s real-time financial reports help you track income and expenses throughout the year, so you have organized records ready for tax time. Your Xero profit and loss report shows what you’ve earned minus what you’ve spent, helping you track profit and understand your business performance.
The essential features for self-employed accounting are:
- automated bank feeds and bank reconciliation
- professional invoicing with online invoice payments
- expense tracking and receipt capture
- 1099 tracking
- real-time financial reporting
- mobile access
Xero offers these features across its business plans.
The essential features for self-employed accounting are:
- automated bank feeds and bank reconciliation
- professional invoicing with online invoice payments
- expense tracking and receipt capture
- 1099 tracking
- real-time financial reporting
- mobile access
Xero offers these features across its business plans.
Xero has options for people who are self-employed and need a simple way to monitor their finances and reduce admin. You can start a 30-day free trial and choose the plan that best suits your business needs.
Xero offers three plans – Early, Growing, and Established. If you’re new to Xero, you can sign up for a plan straight away or start a 30-day free trial.
Visit the Xero pricing page
Xero has options for people who are self-employed and need a simple way to monitor their finances and reduce admin. You can start a 30-day free trial and choose the plan that best suits your business needs.
Xero offers three plans – Early, Growing, and Established. If you’re new to Xero, you can sign up for a plan straight away or start a 30-day free trial.
Visit the Xero pricing page
Yes. Xero helps you customize professional invoices and offer online payment options, including bank transfer, card payments, and payment services like Stripe and Tap to Pay.
Xero’s automated payment reminders help you spend less time chasing payments, and invoices get paid up to twice as fast when customers can make convenient online payments.
Yes. Xero helps you customize professional invoices and offer online payment options, including bank transfer, card payments, and payment services like Stripe and Tap to Pay.
Xero’s automated payment reminders help you spend less time chasing payments, and invoices get paid up to twice as fast when customers can make convenient online payments.
It’s pretty easy. Just:
- sign up for your free trial
- connect your US bank account to Xero
- customize your invoice template
- set up tracking categories
You can also invite your accountant or bookkeeper (at no extra cost) so they can work on your finances with you in Xero. Once they accept the invite, they’ll be added to your Users tab and can access your Xero organization based on the role you assign.
Xero support, including personalized 1:1 setup assistance, is ready to help if you get stuck.
Here’s more info on getting started with Xero
It’s pretty easy. Just:
- sign up for your free trial
- connect your US bank account to Xero
- customize your invoice template
- set up tracking categories
You can also invite your accountant or bookkeeper (at no extra cost) so they can work on your finances with you in Xero. Once they accept the invite, they’ll be added to your Users tab and can access your Xero organization based on the role you assign.
Xero support, including personalized 1:1 setup assistance, is ready to help if you get stuck.
Here’s more info on getting started with Xero
Yes. Xero’s bank feeds and reconciliation tools help you keep accurate records of money moving in and out of your business. For best results, open a dedicated business bank account to keep things cleaner from the start.
Yes. Xero’s bank feeds and reconciliation tools help you keep accurate records of money moving in and out of your business. For best results, open a dedicated business bank account to keep things cleaner from the start.
Xero integrates with more than 1,000 apps, so your accounting connects to the tools you already use:
- payroll via Gusto
- payment services like Stripe and PayPal
- a wide range of industry-specific tools
When tax time comes, share your Xero financial reports directly with your CPA – just invite them to your accounts at no extra cost.
And for extra help with your taxes, you can also share your Xero financial reports directly with your CPA – just invite them to access your accounts at no extra cost.
Xero integrates with more than 1,000 apps, so your accounting connects to the tools you already use:
- payroll via Gusto
- payment services like Stripe and PayPal
- a wide range of industry-specific tools
When tax time comes, share your Xero financial reports directly with your CPA – just invite them to your accounts at no extra cost.
And for extra help with your taxes, you can also share your Xero financial reports directly with your CPA – just invite them to access your accounts at no extra cost.
Xero uses multiple layers of security to protect your financial info. Cloud-based access means your data is stored securely off-device and backed up automatically. This beats local spreadsheets, which can be lost if your device fails.
With Xero, your data is accessible from any device, and you control who can see it through Xero's user roles and permission settings.
Xero uses multiple layers of security to protect your financial info. Cloud-based access means your data is stored securely off-device and backed up automatically. This beats local spreadsheets, which can be lost if your device fails.
With Xero, your data is accessible from any device, and you control who can see it through Xero's user roles and permission settings.
Next steps for your self-employed accounting
These resources help you get started, make confident decisions, and get the most from your Xero accounting software – however you work.
Your freelancer accounting setup checklist
Walk through Xero's onboarding: connect your bank, set up tracking categories, and send your first invoice.
Xero vs QuickBooks: how they compare
See how Xero stacks up against QuickBooks on features, pricing, and ease of use.
Accounting software for sole proprietors
Find guides and resources to help you get started, stay organized, and understand your business performance.
Get one month free
Purchase any Xero plan, and we will give you the first month free.
Explore useful features to run your business
Xero’s online accounting software is designed to make life easier for small businesses – anywhere, any time.
*Fees apply for other payment methods.