Record OS has launched publicly after raising USD $2 million in pre-seed funding led by Episode 1. The UK startup is targeting the self-assessment and Making Tax Digital market.
The round also included angel investors, including former chief financial officers and senior leaders from Wise, Revolut, Deliveroo and Alphabet.
Founded by former Wise employees Dhruv Chadha and José Luis De La Peña, the business is building software for individuals, sole traders, freelancers and professionals with more complex tax affairs. It has also expanded beyond its original focus on accounting firms and now offers a direct-to-consumer service.
The launch comes as the UK tax system adjusts to the rollout of Making Tax Digital. Under the changes, self-employed workers and landlords earning more than £50,000 must submit quarterly digital updates to HMRC from April 2026.
Founders' experience
The founders said their own experiences helped shape the company. Chadha said he found an error in his tax return despite paying for professional support, while De La Peña said he struggled with HMRC processes after moving to the UK.
Every filing on the platform is reviewed by a qualified tax professional before submission, combining software automation with human review.
Pricing starts at £125 for standard filings, rising to £250 for more complex returns and £500 for specialist cases involving trusts, offshore income and complex investments. The company has a six-person team in central London made up of engineers and tax specialists.
Episode 1 said the investment reflects the scale of change facing the market.
"The UK tax system is undergoing one of its biggest shifts in decades. Dhruv and José combine deep operational experience with a genuine obsession for solving customer pain points. We're excited to back them as they build what we believe could become the default platform for self-assessment and digital tax filing," said Hector Mason, General Partner at Episode 1.
Before starting Record OS, Chadha and De La Peña met while working at Wise during the company's growth period. They later reconnected after leaving the fintech group and decided to start the business together.
The company initially built software for accounting firms handling self-assessment work. As development progressed, the founders concluded that many of the same problems also affected taxpayers directly, prompting the expansion into a consumer product.
That shift places Record OS in a market where taxpayers are seeking cheaper, simpler ways to manage returns while still seeking reassurance that their filings are accurate. Its approach is to keep a human review step in the process rather than rely solely on software.
Chadha linked the business to his own uncertainty over whether a return had been completed properly.
"We started by building software for accountants, but realised the problem still existed on a personal level. When I found an error in my own tax return while testing the platform, I was shocked. I'd paid for professional help, I work in finance, and I was still left wondering whether everything had actually been done correctly. That simply shouldn't still be the case in 2026, and is the inspiration for the business today," said Dhruv Chadha, Co-founder of Record OS.
De La Peña said the company wants to reduce friction for both taxpayers and accountants as more people are brought into digital filing.
"No one becomes an accountant to mechanically fill tax returns, and taxpayers often think of self-assessments as almost a punishment for success, or for starting a venture. We want this friction gone and we know there's a better way. As Making Tax Digital brings more people online, we're building a platform that combines the speed of technology with the reassurance of expert review," said José Luis De La Peña, Co-founder of Record OS.