Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, without changing how you work.
Clients Assistant links your existing spreadsheet to HMRC for quarterly updates and your final declaration — or lets you record your income and expenses here instead. No bank feeds, no complicated accounting software to learn.
Recognised by HMRC · Ref B2D5MT
"Easy to follow instructions from start to finish."
"Clear steps and genuinely easy to navigate. Awesome site."
"Simple interface, everything I needed was right where I expected it."
"Straightforward even for the less common forms."
"Ten minutes start to finish once I had my figures ready."
Six steps, most of them one-off
Sign up
Create your Clients Assistant account in a couple of minutes.
Connect your UTR and National Insurance number
A one-off step that links your account to your HMRC record.
Choose how you'll keep records
For each business, link your existing spreadsheet with our bridging templates, or record your income and expenses in Clients Assistant.
Add your figures
Drag and drop your completed template, or add each income and expense as it happens — on HMRC's own categories.
Submit quarterly updates
Review the figures and send each update to HMRC in a few clicks.
Submit your final declaration
Complete your end-of-year declaration by 31 January the following year.
Your spreadsheet, or ours — you choose
Keep the spreadsheet you already use, or record your income and expenses straight into Clients Assistant. Either way, your quarterly updates and final declaration go to HMRC from the same place.
Link your spreadsheet
Keep your records in our template, or link it to the spreadsheet you already use. Upload it each quarter, and the figures go to HMRC with no re-typing.
- Templates for self-employment, UK property and foreign property
- Your spreadsheet stays exactly as it is
Record keeping in Clients Assistant
No spreadsheet? Add each income and expense as it happens. Your quarterly updates are worked out from your entries.
- Only HMRC's own categories for each kind of business, so nothing needs mapping
- Self-employment, UK property and foreign property, including foreign tax credit relief
Use one way for each business in a tax year, so nothing is counted twice. Different businesses can use different ways, and you can switch at the start of a new tax year.
What it costs
Half price for your first year, on every plan, while the offer lasts.
All prices exclude VAT. Customers are charged 20% VAT on top at checkout — so £2.80 a month is £3.36 including VAT.
- Self-employment, UK & foreign property
- Quarterly updates, amendments and your final declaration
- Live tax liability estimates
- Filing deadline reminders
- Everything in Individual
- Up to 10 income tax registrations
- Shared access with your accountant
- HMRC submission receipts
- Everything in Family & Groups
- 11+ income tax registrations
- Exported filing confirmations
- Friendly UK-based support
Why file MTD Income Tax with Clients Assistant
Simple bridging templates
Download a template, link your records, and upload it in minutes.
Your choice of workflow
Carry on with your spreadsheet, or record income and expenses in Clients Assistant — no need to move to full accounting software.
Your data, your control
No bank accounts to connect, and optional two-step sign-in with an authenticator app to protect your account.
HMRC-recognised
Submit updates directly to HMRC with confidence they'll be accepted.
Try it free
Your first return is free on any tier — no card needed to start.
Live tax insights
See your estimated tax position as you go — no year-end surprises.
Never miss a deadline
Reminders for every key date, and alerts if something looks missing.
Work together
Invite your accountant, business partner or spouse by email to work on your returns with you, each with their own login.
See it before you sign up
Bridging templates & example records
Self-Employment template
Record each income and expense; the template totals them for your quarterly update.
ClientsAssistant_ITSA_SelfEmployed_FULL_Template.xlsxUK Property template
Record each rent and expense; the template totals them for your quarterly update.
ClientsAssistant_ITSA_UKProperty_FULL_Template.xlsxForeign Property template
Record each property's rent and expenses; the template totals them for your quarterly update.
ClientsAssistant_ITSA_ForeignProperty_FULL_Template.xlsxMultiple Clients onboarding template
Template for onboarding multiple clients for MTD submissions by agents.
ClientsAssistant_MultipleClients_Template.xlsxExample records — self-employment Quarter 1
Explore what compliant digital records should look like.
ClientsAssistant_Sample_ITSA_SelfEmployed_FULL_Template_Q1.xlsxExample records — self-employment Quarter 2
Explore what compliant digital records should look like.
ClientsAssistant_Sample_ITSA_SelfEmployed_FULL_Template_Q2.xlsxExample records — property Quarter 1
Explore what compliant digital records should look like.
ClientsAssistant_Sample_ITSA_UKProperty_FULL_Template_Q1.xlsxExample records — property Quarter 2
Explore what compliant digital records should look like.
ClientsAssistant_Sample_ITSA_UKProperty_FULL_Template_Q2.xlsxExample records — Foreign Property Quarter 1
Explore what compliant digital records should look like.
ClientsAssistant_Sample_ITSA_ForeignProperty_FULL_Template_Q1.xlsxMaking Tax Digital for Income Tax, in plain terms
MTD for Income Tax is a major change to how self-employed people and landlords report to HMRC, gradually replacing the annual Self Assessment return. Instead of one yearly form, you'll keep digital records and send regular updates throughout the year.
Payment deadlines don't change — your final declaration and any balance owed are still due by 31 January.
Under MTD IT, you'll:
- Use MTD-compatible software, like Clients Assistant, to report income
- Keep digital records of income and expenses
- Digitally link those records to your submissions
- Send four quarterly updates per business
- See real-time estimates of your tax position
- File one final declaration covering all income, as before
Rolled out by income, not by profession
If you earn over the threshold from self-employment and/or property, MTD IT applies to you — regardless of what that work is.
Self-employment
- Sole traders, freelancers & contractors
- Taxi, rideshare and delivery drivers
- Online sellers and content creators
- Consultants and personal service providers
- Tradespeople and driving instructors
Property income
- Landlords, UK or overseas
- Short-term and holiday lets
- Rent-a-room scheme
- Joint property owners
- Student accommodation landlords
Also includes
- Side income alongside employment
- Combined employment and self-employment income
- Multiple income sources together
When it becomes mandatory
Mandatory for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000.
Mandatory for qualifying income over £30,000.
Mandatory for qualifying income over £20,000.
Possible extension below the £20,000 threshold.
What's actually different from Self Assessment
Questions people ask
The total gross income — turnover, before expenses — from your self-employment and property businesses combined.
No. You'll submit quarterly updates and an end-of-period statement, but balancing payments and payments on account keep the same 31 January and 31 July deadlines.
HMRC uses a points-based penalty system — one point per late submission, with a fine once you cross the threshold. Late payments can attract separate penalties and interest.
No. You can keep using spreadsheets as long as bridging software digitally links your records to HMRC — that's exactly what Clients Assistant does. If you'd rather not keep a spreadsheet, you can record your income and expenses in Clients Assistant instead.
For different businesses, yes: for example, upload your self-employment spreadsheet and record your rental income in Clients Assistant. For the same business, choose one way for each tax year, because HMRC's quarterly figures would otherwise count the same income twice. Clients Assistant keeps them apart for you, and you can switch at the start of a new tax year.
Data has to flow from your spreadsheet into the bridging tool without manual copy-and-paste. A formula referencing between two spreadsheets satisfies that requirement.
Yes — you'll need to sign up for MTD IT through your HMRC online account and add your business or property details before they're visible in any software.
Yes — for example if it's not practical to use digital tools due to age, disability, or remote location, or on religious grounds. You'd apply to HMRC directly for confirmation.
You can still use Clients Assistant — just keep separate records per business, submit a quarterly update and EOPS for each, and file one final declaration covering everything.
Yes. An admin invites each person by email from the Users page. They accept by creating an account, or by signing in with an existing Clients Assistant account. They can then prepare and submit your updates and returns with you. Each plan includes a set number of users per company; a company without a subscription has only the person who set it up.
Your account is protected by your password, and you can add two-step sign-in for free. Turn it on under Settings > Business Setup > Sign-in Security: after your password, you enter a 6-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone, such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, so someone who learns your password still can't sign in. It's optional, and you can turn it off at any time. If you lose your phone, Clients Assistant support can reset it, and we email you whenever that happens.
Not ready for MTD IT yet?
MTD VAT
Need to file VAT returns too? Our MTD-compatible VAT product works the same way.
Clients Assistant MTD VAT →Book Keeping
Run a limited company too? Keep its books here, with your first 20 invoices free.
Clients Assistant Book Keeping →Corporation Tax
Now live: run a limited company too? Prepare its CT600 and accounts free, then file the CT600 with HMRC.
Clients Assistant Corporation Tax →