Q1 2026 Product Updates: What’s New Across Bright
From simplified MTD IT to automated batch processing and visual practice analytics, here's a recap on product updates we've launched in 2026.
·6 min read
Over the past few months, we’ve launched dozens of updates across our product suite. We know it’s easy to miss things when you’re busy running your practice, so we’ve pulled together the highlights.
From simplified MTD accounting to automated batch processing and visual practice analytics, here’s a recap on what’s already launched in 2026.
MTD Gets Bigger
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD IT) coverage expanded significantly this quarter. When we launched our MTD IT pilot last year, we started with self-employed clients. By March, we’d rolled out full support for UK property landlords across BrightBooks.
Whether your client owns a single buy-to-let or manages a portfolio, BrightBooks now handles their quarterly property income submissions directly to HMRC. Track submission status in real time, see which quarters have been filed, and flag any that are overdue.
For landlords who aren’t ready for full digital bookkeeping, we added the Excel Bridging Tools specifically for UK property clients. Import their quarterly data via spreadsheet and still submit digitally to HMRC. No manual entry required, just download the template, fill it in, and upload. What used to take hours now takes seconds.
We also introduced 3-Line Accounting for smaller property businesses. If your client’s property income is under the £90,000 threshold, they can now file quarterly returns using just three lines: total income, total expenses, and profit. It’s the same simplified approach we launched for self-employed clients earlier in the year, now extended to landlords too.
Practice Management & Visibility
Track Unbilled Work by Portfolio
In March, BrightManager added two new views to the Aged WIP report: by Client Manager and by Client Partner.
Both reports show outstanding WIP grouped by the people responsible for managing those client relationships. See which portfolios have work sitting unbilled, drill down to individual clients, then click through to the specific time recordings behind any figure.
This complements the existing views by Client and by Staff, so you can now analyse WIP from multiple angles. Tracking partner-level profitability? Identifying which manager needs support with billing? The data’s there when you need it.
This is perfect for partners and managers who need visibility over their own portfolios, and for practices that want better accountability and cash flow oversight at every level.
See Your Audit Data in New Ways
MyWorkpapers launched visual analytics in February, turning audit data into interactive insights that help you spot patterns faster.
The Risk Matrix plots every identified audit risk on a colour-coded grid using likelihood and magnitude scoring. Instead of scrolling through planning documentation to understand your risk landscape, you see it immediately. High-risk items stand out visually. When the engagement partner asks about significant risks, you can show them the matrix in seconds.
The GL Transaction Flow Chart shows how transactions move between accounts using a Sankey diagram. Unusual patterns jump out—if sales revenue is flowing to refunds in unexpected volumes, or accounts payable is connecting to odd expense categories, the diagram flags it immediately. Hover over any flow to see transaction counts, then click to drill down to the GL page with filters already applied. (Note: Requires Xero GL import to use this feature.)
These aren’t bolt-on analytics. They’re built for audit workflows, designed around actual audit procedures. Use the Risk Matrix during planning to assess overall risk profile. Use the Transaction Flow Chart during fieldwork to identify unusual patterns requiring investigation. Both tools are included in your MyWorkpapers subscription at no additional cost.
Time-Saving Automation
If you’re managing dozens or hundreds of payroll clients, you’ll know the pain of repetitive tasks. Opening each employer individually to request payroll data or approval isn’t just tedious, it’s a genuine time-sink when you’re trying to scale.
That’s why we were keen to get batch operations for Payroll Entry and Payroll Approval Requests into BrightPay Cloud. Instead of clicking through employer after employer, select multiple clients at once, hit “Start,” and BrightPay handles the rest. The system automatically sends requests to all relevant Client Portal users in one coordinated batch.
From your home screen, select employers by colour code or just tick “Select All” and let it run. BrightPay shows you upfront if there are any issues—like an employer without Client Portal users set up, or one with an active request already in progress. What used to take an hour of clicking through individual employers now takes minutes.
We also rolled out major reporting enhancements. The new Bureau Statistics Report gives you visibility into what’s happening across your entire practice—payslips finalised, leavers, starters, RTI submissions, Auto Enrolment activity—all in one place. View it by specific employer, by payroll reference, or across a date range, then email, download, or print directly from BrightPay.
Here’s where it gets properly useful: you can now export multiple reports to a single PDF, or batch them into a ZIP file. If you’re preparing client packs or need to send several reports at once, you’re no longer stitching documents together manually or sending five separate emails.
Compliance Made Easier
This quarter focused on getting practices ready for year-end work and streamlining statutory compliance. BrightAccounts
We also added the ability to exclude the Accountant’s Report from sole trader accounts, as some clients don’t need it and were manually deleting it from PDFs. Now you can just toggle it off. Finally, nominal code mapping became more flexible: when importing trial balances from other software, you can now create reusable mapping templates that automatically translate incoming codes into your house chart of accounts.
Inform Direct now streamlines ECCTA compliance with automated PSC verification statement (VS01) filing that submits personal codes overnight, and seamless BrightChecks integration for biometric ID verification of directors and PSCs. Simply enter personal codes and activate automation, the system handles Companies House submissions automatically.
We’ve also updated BrightTax templates for 2025/26 Individual and Partnership Tax Returns, and our MTD approach supports year-end declaration capabilities while giving clients flexibility to use their preferred bookkeeping software.
What’s Next
Q1 was all about giving you the tools to work faster, stay compliant, and gain clearer visibility across your practice. But this is just the beginning.
We’ve got an ambitious roadmap for 2026, with deeper integrations, smarter automation, and new features designed to take even more work off your plate.
Very soon, we’ll be introducing powerful AI capabilities that will transform how you manage your entire client lifecycle. From instant, automated client onboarding to AI-assisted year-end reviews, these tools are built to remove friction at every step.
One early example is Oscar, our AI-powered payroll onboarding agent. Already live with early adopters, Oscar handles the entire employee data collection process via WhatsApp. No chasing. No manual entry. Just clean, accurate data flowing straight into BrightPay, ready for your review.
And this is only the start.
These aren’t bolt-on extras, they’re seamlessly built into the platform you already use. Everything is designed around one goal: eliminating repetitive work so you can focus on the high-value advisory relationships that really matter.
Faster. Smarter. Still fully in your control.
This content may have been developed with the assistance of AI tools. Content is reviewed by a member of the Bright team before publication. Guidance on legislation can be obtained from your industry body.
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