4. Expanded Feature Catalog (What UK Practices Ask For)
These are features that practices with MTD clients ask for, or that competitors sell. Each is classified with the same honesty as the original list. Demand doesn't mean you should build it.
Legend: TS = Table stakes, D = Differentiator, X = Distraction, L = Liability. Priority: P0 = v1 (for the 7 Feb 2027 quarter), P1 = next (months 4–9), P2 = later (months 10–24), — = don't build.
4.1 The quarterly chase (the core, so lean in)
| Feature | Demand signal | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTD client list with type (landlord, sole trader, both), quarter type (standard or calendar) and contact channel | Every practice needs it on day 1 | TS | P0 | CSV import in v1. The standard and calendar periods have different start dates but the same deadlines (GOV.UK, verified). |
| Deadline board per quarter: in, partial, missing, "nothing new", chased N times | The core view | D | P0 | The screen the practice opens every morning in the 3 weeks before a deadline. |
| Chase schedule by WhatsApp, SMS and email, with escalation (friendly, firm, "fee applies") | "It added the chasing" (AccountingWEB) | TS → D | P0 | Templates per step. The practice approves them once. |
| Login-free client page: snap or upload, 3–5 questions, "nothing new", "my software is up to date" | The late clients don't log in | D | P0 | A magic link that expires after the quarter. Median target: under 2 minutes. |
| Chase log and late list exportable per quarter | Practices charge late-records fees and need evidence | D | P0 | This is the money outcome. The practice decides what to bill. |
| Forward files to Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, in a folder per client per quarter, auto-named | Everyone asks "where do the files go?" | TS | P0 | Delete from DocChase after 30 days. |
| Bulk send and recurring quarterly schedule | Content Snare has both | TS | P0 | Set once per client, and it runs every quarter. |
| Xero Practice Manager client import | Content Snare has it | TS | P1 | Needed for the Xero App Store listing. |
| "Chase only what's missing": read the client's Xero or QuickBooks (with the practice's access) for bank-feed coverage and uncategorised transactions this quarter, and skip clients who are up to date | Nobody in the verified set does it | D | P1 | The one feature that gets better with data. Read-only, and never categorise or extract (that's bookkeeping). |
| File check: is this a bank or rental statement, and does it cover the quarter's dates? | Wrong-period uploads are a common complaint (unverified) | D | P1 | Classify the document type and read the date range only. No transaction extraction, which is StatementKit's job. |
| Ask a third party directly: send the request to the client's letting agent for rental statements, with the client's consent | "Rental statements turn up three weeks late" (AccountingWEB) | D | P2 | Unusual, and useful for landlord-heavy practices. Test demand first. |
| Self Assessment year-end request for non-MTD clients (Oct–Dec) | Extends use outside MTD quarters | TS | P1 | Same engine, one more template set. |
| QuickBooks Online and FreeAgent client-list import | Practices are mixed | TS | P2 | After XPM. |
| Practice dashboard across quarters: on-time rate trend, worst 10 clients | Supports fee conversations and "fire the client" decisions | D | P2 | Cheap once the data exists. |
4.2 Security and trust
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK hosting, encryption, MFA, audit log | TS | P0 | Practices send you clients' bank statements. |
| DPA template, ICO registration, privacy notice for end clients | TS | P0 | UK GDPR: the practice is controller, you are processor. |
| Cyber Essentials | TS | P0 (by day 90) | Cheap and recognised (price unverified; the IASME page blocked fetching). |
| ISO 27001 | TS for 20+ staff firms | P2 | Only after $10k MRR or 3 lost deals that cite it. |
| SOC 2 | X | — | US standard; not what UK small practices ask for. |
| Two-factor verification for the client (PIN by SMS) | D / TS | P1 | Content Snare offers PIN protection. |
4.3 Asked for, but not yours
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General forms builder and client onboarding | X | — | Content Snare's core. |
| Engagement letters, proposals, e-signature | X | — | Socket, Ignition, GoProposal and the suites own this. |
| Tasks, time, billing, workflow | X | — | Karbon, TaxDome, BrightManager, XPM. |
| AML and ID verification | L | — | Regulated, specialist vendors. |
| Transaction extraction, categorisation, bookkeeping | L / X | — | Dext, Hubdoc, the ledgers themselves, and StatementKit in this portfolio. |
| Filing the MTD quarterly update to HMRC | L / X | — | Recognised MTD software already does it. |
| Collecting fees from the end client (client-pays model) | L | — | Glasscubes' choice. It puts you inside the practice's fee conversation. |
| Native iOS and Android apps | X | — | The link is the app. |
| Other professions (legal, mortgage, immigration) | X | — before $10k MRR | See 01. |
| AI chatbot answering clients' tax questions | L | — | Tax advice liability. Clients should ask their accountant. |
4.4 Net effect
Of about 35 features, about 8 are real differentiators for this wedge and about 7 belong in v1. Everything else is table stakes you'll add slowly, or other companies' products you should integrate with, not rebuild.