London, UK – 25 February 2026 – Sage, (FTSE:SGE) the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses, today announced the launch of Sage Copilot in Sage Sole Trader, a free accounting app for non-VAT registered sole traders, formerly known as Sage Individual. The update introduces the powerful Payments Agent, designed to help sole traders save time and improve cash flow.
Available in the Sage Sole Trader mobile app, which simplifies record keeping, invoicing and tax for sole traders, Payments Agent tackles one of their biggest challenges: the burden of invoicing and late payments. By automating these tasks, Payments Agent turns hours of manual work into a seamless, intelligent workflow, helping users get paid faster and freeing up valuable time to focus on their customers.
The hidden cost of late payments
Late payments are a persistent and costly issue for UK businesses. According to research from Sage, small businesses are owed an average of £42,000 in overdue invoices, a figure that has risen for three consecutive years. This restricts cash flow and limits the ability of small businesses to pay staff, cover day-to-day costs and invest in growth. For some, it can threaten the very survival of their business.
Sage’s Payments Agent streamlines the entire invoicing journey from start to finish. Users can create invoices in seconds using voice or text, then effortlessly track their status, monitor payments, and send reminders to encourage faster payment. Customers can pay instantly using the built‑in Pay Now button, and incoming payments are automatically matched to the right invoices. This reduces admin and frees up time for more valuable work, while keeping users firmly in control, with every action requiring their approval.
“Sole traders spend valuable hours on admin, which takes them away from what matters most – serving their customers and growing their business,” said Neal Watkins, EVP of Sage’s Small Business & Accountants Division. “Payments Agent gives them that time back, making it easier to stay organised, get paid promptly, and maintain accurate records. All with the reassurance of Sage’s human-first AI working quietly in the background. It’s about empowering sole traders to focus on their passion, while Sage takes care of the routine admin.”
Designed for simplicity
The Payments Agent is fully integrated into Sage Sole Trader, making it easier than ever to maintain accurate, up-to-date records. Providing sole traders with one free app with simple setup to manage income, payments and taxes.
For more information and practical guidance on how Sage customers can make the most of AI Agents, view our AI Agents video series.
About Sage
Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid Sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitalising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our AI-powered platform connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.
Notes to editors
What is Sage Sole Trader?
Sage Sole Trader (previously known as Sage Individual) is Sage’s accounting software designed for sole traders. It helps users stay organised and manage cash flow with simple bank feeds, receipt capture and sales invoicing, while tracking income, expenses and overall business performance. The software also supports tax management, helping sole traders prepare for Self Assessment and get ready for upcoming Making Tax Digital (MTD) deadlines.
What is Sage Copilot?
Sage Copilot is an intuitive AI-powered assistant embedded across Sage’s products that turns complex tasks into simple choices and frees customers from routine admin. Tens of thousands of customers already use Sage Copilot to guide decisions and streamline work. Early adopters say it’s like having an extra pair of hands in the office – saving them over 5 hours each week on manual tasks.
What’s new in Sage Copilot?
This launch also introduces additional Copilot capabilities designed to simplify everyday admin, from automatic transaction categorisation and smart reminders to tailored experiences for sole traders and landlords — all helping users stay organised and prepared for tax obligations.
What are Sage AI Agents?
Sage’s AI Agents are intelligent digital assistants built into its software that take on specific, sometimes repetitive jobs for finance teams. Unlike traditional software features that require manual steps, Agents are designed to complete operational tasks independently, retrieving and analysing data, delivering insights and suggesting actions, and taking action.
How are Sage AI Agents different from other AI tools?
Unlike generic AI tools, Sage AI Agents are embedded directly into products and designed for the workflows and insights that matter most to finance teams. Agents are accounting-trained, tuned for high accuracy, and act within user permissions for security. Users are firmly in charge with Agent actions always approved by the user. They combine automation, intelligence and autonomy to deliver accurate, trusted outcomes — freeing people to focus on insight and decision-making rather than admin.
What powers Sage AI Agents?
Sage AI Agents are built on the Sage Platform, a foundation that delivers innovation faster, more securely and with trust at its core. By connecting products, services and data across Sage, the platform ensures new AI capabilities can be embedded seamlessly into existing workflows without disruption.
The Sage Platform enables Agents to work together as a connected system, sharing data, insights and actions across the finance function. For finance teams, this means closing faster, paying smarter, and operating with greater accuracy and confidence.
How does Sage Sole Trader and its Payments Agent help sole traders prepare for Making Tax Digital (MTD)?
Sage Sole Trader reduces the burden of MTD by simplifying core compliance tasks such as the process of digital record keeping, quarterly updates, and end-of-year submissions. It also helps reduce the fear of unexpected tax bills through up-to-date tax estimates.
The app’s Payment Agent compliments this by improving cash flow. It speeds up customer payments through real-time alerts for late payments, built-in invoice creation and payment flows, and automatic invoice matching when payments arrive.
Together, these capabilities help sole traders stay organised, maintain accurate records, and manage cash flow with confidence – creating a stress free path to MTD, with the right funds available to pay the right amount of tax, at the right time, every time.
