UK Tax App - Prototype Development

Project description – UK Bookkeeping & Tax App (Phase 1: Test Platform)

I am building a UK-focused bookkeeping and tax application designed for **self-employed individuals**, particularly **builders and CIS subcontractors**. The aim of this first phase is to create a **test/staging version of the app** that demonstrates the core user journey and validates the product concept. This is **not** a full production or compliance-ready system at this stage.

Objective

The goal of Phase 1 is to:
* Validate the end-to-end user flow
* Test usability with real users
* Demonstrate basic categorisation and tax calculation logic
* Prepare the groundwork for future HMRC (MTD) integration

Scope of Work (Phase 1)

Core functionality
The test platform should include:
User authentication
* Basic user sign-up and login
* No advanced security or compliance requirements at this stage

Dashboard
* Simple, clean dashboard showing uploaded data
* Overview of categorised income/expenses
* Indicative “draft tax figures” (clearly labelled as estimates)

File uploads
* Upload bank statements (CSV, PDF, or similar)
* Optional: upload CIS statements
* Files should be stored and processed within the app

Categorisation logic
* Basic categorisation of transactions (rules-based or simple AI is acceptable)
* Accuracy is not critical at this stage — functionality and flow are the priority
* Ability to display categories clearly to the user

Draft tax output
* Simple summary of estimated income, expenses, and tax
* For demonstration purposes only (not submission-ready)

AI requirements
* AI integration can be **basic, mocked, or rules-based**
* The purpose is to demonstrate categorisation and user interaction, not final accuracy
* Please clearly state what AI approach or tools are being used

HMRC / MTD integration
**Live HMRC integration is explicitly out of scope for Phase 1**
HMRC sandbox integration is optional but not required
No tax filing or submission is expected in this phase

Technical & delivery requirements
* The app can be delivered as a **web application**
* Clean, readable code suitable for future extension
* Delivered as a **test/staging environment**
* Reasonable documentation or walkthrough of the setup

Ownership & handover (mandatory)
I must have **100% ownership of all source code**
Full access to:
Code repository (e.g. GitHub)
Hosting environment (if used)
No ongoing dependency on the developer’s personal accounts
Clean handover at the end of the project
What this project is NOT
To avoid confusion, this phase does **not** include:
* Production-ready security or compliance
* Live HMRC API filing
* Ongoing maintenance or support
* Legal or tax compliance responsibility

Timeline & budget

* This is a **short, fixed-scope build**
* Fast delivery is preferred, but clarity and quality are more important than speed
* Please outline exactly what will be delivered within the quoted budget