Light in the United Kingdom
Built for how the UK does business
Run your UK entities on the same platform as the rest of the world. UK GAAP reporting, MTD VAT submissions to HMRC, every UK VAT rate including reverse charges, and direct bank connectivity — handled by agents, reviewed by your team.
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The world's most demanding finance teams run on Light.
Everything a UK finance team needs
Whether you're a UK company expanding abroad or a global company landing in Britain, Light keeps every entity on one ledger.
01
UK GAAP
Report under UK GAAP (FRS 102 and FRS 101) and group standards side by side with multibook — no parallel spreadsheets.
02
UK VAT rates
Standard, reduced, zero-rated, and exempt supplies out of the box — plus domestic and cross-border reverse charges applied automatically as transactions post.
03
MTD VAT
Prepare and submit Making Tax Digital VAT returns to HMRC directly from the platform, with digital links from return to ledger.
04
UK banking
Connect UK bank accounts via host-to-host integration or bank feeds — transactions reconcile automatically, and vendors get paid via Faster Payments and BACS.
VAT, from invoice to HMRC
Light handles the full UK VAT lifecycle in the ledger — rates applied at posting, returns built continuously, and submissions filed without leaving the platform.
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MTD VAT submission
Light is MTD-compatible: VAT returns are built continuously from posted transactions and submitted to HMRC in the platform, with unbroken digital links from each box on the return down to the underlying entries. Review, approve, and file — no bridging software, no CSV exports.
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Every UK rate, including reverse charges
Standard 20%, reduced 5%, zero-rated, and exempt supplies are applied via tax codes as transactions post. Domestic reverse charge for construction services and reverse charge on services from abroad are handled automatically — both sides of the entry posted, and reflected in the right boxes on the return.
Postponed VAT accounting on imports is supported too, so goods clear customs without cash-flow surprises.
Per diem and mileage, out of the box
Statutory UK travel and vehicle rates come natively with the platform — applied automatically, no rates to track down and enter by hand.
Per diem (subsistence rates)
HMRC's benchmark scale rates for meals on business travel are applied automatically on every expense claim, and update the moment new rates are published.
Mileage (Mileage Allowance Payments)
HMRC's approved mileage rate for privately owned vehicles is applied automatically to every claim, split at the statutory 10,000-mile threshold with no manual rate lookups.
Bank connectivity, your way
Choose the integration depth that fits each account — both feed the same ledger and the same automatic reconciliation.
01
Host-to-host
Direct, secure connections with major UK banks for statement collection and payment files — built for high volumes and treasury-grade control.
02
Bank feeds
Open banking feeds stream transactions into the ledger as they clear — quick to set up, no files to move.
03
Automatic reconciliation
Whichever route you choose, transactions auto-match against posted entries and cash balances stay current across every entity.
One platform, every country you operate in
The United Kingdom is one of the many countries Light supports out of the box — same ledger, same close process, local requirements handled per entity.
What it replaces
Replace the ERP.
Lose the Frankenstack.
The ERP was built for a different era. The Frankenstack just patched its gaps. Light replaces both, and what you keep connects as an app.
The Frankenstack ERP · Accounts payable · Accounts receivable · Cards · Bank · CRM · Spreadsheets · Bank connectors · Tax software
Replaces ERP
- NetSuite
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Sage Intacct
- SAP
- One Xero or QuickBooks per entity
Replaces tools
- Card and expense tools such as Pleo, Spendesk and Ramp
- Bill pay products
- Subscription billing tools
- Consolidation spreadsheets
Connects as apps
- Your banks
- Payroll
- CRM
- BI and planning tools
- E-invoicing networks
Migration
Officeguru was live in 7 days.
Leave your frankenstack behind. Work with Light or an implementation partner using Light’s methodology and quality standards to build the Light you need.
1
Connect the source
2
Clean and map with agents
3
Review & go live
How it works
Agents do the work. Your team approves.
That is the pattern across Light: agents work inside the policy you write, and your team approves what needs a human. Take one example, a supplier bill.
1. The invoice arrives.
Forward a supplier PDF to your Light inbox. It becomes a draft bill in the same system as your ledger.
Explore bill payments2. An agent codes it.
The Bill Agent reads the invoice and codes the draft, using your instructions and that vendor’s previous bills.
Meet the agents3. Your team approves.
Approval follows the rules you set for entity, vendor or amount. Anything that needs attention is corrected before it posts.
See approval workflows4. It posts to the ledger.
Approval posts the bill to the ledger, ready for payment. Follow the entry through entity and group reports.
See reportingCustomers
What changed for the finance teams that moved.
The platform
Light ledger. Light apps. Light agents.
Start with one set of books for every company you own. Add only what your business needs, when it needs it. Then let the routine work happen on its own, within the rules your team sets.
Knows the business.
Every company you own, every country, every number, on one ledger. Accounting, payables, receivables, cards and consolidation share it, so you move from the group view to the transaction behind any number.
See the ledgerAdapts to the business.
In Light, a connection is an app. The App Store has 600+: your banks, payroll and CRM, plus apps for mileage, per diems and reporting. They heal and improve over time instead of aging.
Explore the appsOperates the business.
Agents code the bills, clear the bank, book the month-end accruals and chase the missing receipt, inside the policy your team writes: what runs on its own, what needs review, and who approves. Every action is logged to the agent that took it.
Meet the agents
Customer story
“Group entity management has saved every member of the team hours and hours.”
Harriet Stewart · Head of Business Systems, Tillo
Tillo replaced eight ledgers with one and reduced its close from 12 days to 5 across four entities.
Read the Tillo storyCompliance
Built for global businesses.
For finance teams managing multiple entities, currencies and countries. Explore the controls and e-invoicing coverage for your requirements.
Migration
A clear plan from migration to first close.
Agree your entities, data, integrations and timeline before you start. Light or an implementation partner leads delivery, with a named lead accountable for the project and Light’s methodology and quality standards.
Agree responsibilities and integration needs. Bring your chart of accounts, balances and open items into a guided dry run.
Configure workflows together, reconcile the imported balances and test real transactions. Your team signs off each process.
Your team approves the final setup before cutover. Support continues through your first month-end close, so you can run Light yourselves.
The questions CFOs ask first.
“How long does implementation take?”
Plan for 4–16 weeks from signature to your first month-end close. The timeline depends on your entities, data readiness and integrations; we agree the scope and milestones with you. Go-live is one milestone within that plan.
“What happens to our history?”
We agree the history to migrate as part of your scope. Opening balances and open items are in place for go-live; historical transactions can follow. All Gravy brought six years of history into Light, with each year reconciled before import.
“How do we know we are ready to switch?”
Your team reconciles the migrated balances and tests real transactions, workflows and integrations. Formal sign-off gates go-live. We agree the cutover and ledger close dates together, with support through your first close.
“Who manages implementation—and who runs Light afterwards?”
We agree the delivery team, scope and responsibilities with you before implementation begins. Your project is led by Light or an implementation partner working to Light’s methodology and quality standards, with a named lead accountable for delivery. Your finance team reviews and approves the setup before go-live. Afterwards, they run Light day to day, with the knowledge to manage workflows and make changes themselves.
Why we built Light
Finance should help shape the business.
Your team should spend less time moving numbers between systems and more time deciding what comes next.
That belief is why we built Light. Read the thinking behind it.
Jonathan Sanders · Co-founder & CEO
Read the manifesto