Making Tax Digital — Income Tax
Making Tax Digital
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 — no bank feeds, no new accounting software to learn.
Recognised by HMRC · Ref B2D5MT
No bank feeds — your financial data stays private
Built for the self-employed and landlords
First return free, no card required
Tax year 2026/27 — self-employment
Q1 updateFiled
Q2 updateFiled
Q3 updateDue 5 Feb
Q4 updateNot started
Final declarationDue 31 Jan
★★★★★
"Easy to follow instructions from start to finish."
George S.
★★★★★
"Clear steps and genuinely easy to navigate. Awesome site."
Elizabeth W.
★★★★★
"Simple interface, everything I needed was right where I expected it."
Patrick I.
★★★★★
"Straightforward even for the less common forms."
Abiodun O.
★★★★★
"Ten minutes start to finish once I had my figures ready."
Emmanuel O.
Getting started
Six steps, most of them one-off
01
Sign up
Create your Clients Assistant account in a couple of minutes.
02
Connect your UTR and National Insurance number
A one-off step that links your account to your HMRC record.
03
Add income and expenses
Use our bridging templates to digitally link your existing records.
04
Upload your linked spreadsheet
Drag and drop the completed file — no setup beyond that.
05
Submit quarterly updates
Review the figures and send each update to HMRC in a few clicks.
06
Submit your final declaration
Complete your end-of-year declaration by 31 January the following year.
Pricing
What it costs
Half price for your first year, on every plan, while the offer lasts.
Monthly
Annual
save 2 months
Individual
£5£2.80/month
Submit for one person — self-employment or rental income.
- Self-employment, UK & foreign property
- Unlimited submissions & amendments
- Live tax liability estimates
- Filing deadline reminders
Family & Groups
£8£6.25/month
Submit for up to 10 people — partners, couples, or family.
- Everything in Individual
- Up to 10 income tax registrations
- Shared access with your accountant
- HMRC submission receipts
Extended
£20£15/month
11-15 people — for relatives, friends, or multiple clients.
- Everything in Family & Groups
- 11+ income tax registrations
- Exported filing confirmations
- Friendly UK-based support
Key benefits
Why file MTD Income Tax with Clients Assistant
Simple bridging templates
Download a template, link your records, and upload it in minutes.
Keep your workflow
Carry on using spreadsheets — no need to move to full accounting software.
No bank feeds
You stay in control of your data — no bank accounts to connect.
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.
Secure sharing
Safely give access to an accountant, business partner, or spouse.
Demo videos
See it before you sign up
How to connect an MTD IT registration
How to file an MTD IT return
Filing for UK property income
Filing for foreign property income
Downloads
Bridging templates & example records
Self-Employment template
Bridging template for self-employment MTD submissions.
ITSA_SelfEmployed_FULL_Template.xlsxUK Property template
Bridging template for UK property MTD submissions.
ITSA_UKProperty_FULL_Template.xlsxForeign Property template
Bridging template for foreign property MTD submissions.
ITSA_ForeignProperty_FULL_Template.xlsxMultiple Clients onboarding template
Template for multiple clients onboarding for MTD submissions by agents.
MultipleClients_Template.xlsxExample records — self-employment
See what compliant digital records should look like.
Sample_ITSA_SelfEmployed_FULL_Template.xlsxExample records — property
A worked example for a UK property business.
Sample_ITSA_UKProperty_FULL_Template.xlsxWhat is MTD IT
Making 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
Who is affected
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
Timeline
When it becomes mandatory
From April 2026
Mandatory for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000.
From April 2027
Mandatory for qualifying income over £30,000.
From April 2028
Mandatory for qualifying income over £20,000.
Later, TBD
Possible extension below the £20,000 threshold.
Key changes
What's actually different from Self Assessment
Filing must go through MTD-compliant software
Digital records must link digitally to your submission
Four quarterly updates per business, not one annual form
Live estimates of your tax liability throughout the year
One final declaration still covers all income, once a year
FAQs
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.
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.
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 →For accountants & agents
MTD Income Tax filing, run for every client at once.
Clients Assistant links each client's spreadsheet to HMRC for quarterly updates and final declarations — manage the whole book from one dashboard, without asking anyone to change how they keep their records.
Recognised by HMRC · Ref B2D5MT
Built for practices managing multiple MTD IT clients
Clients keep their own spreadsheets — no re-training
Free to trial, no card required
Client queue — this week
Halden & Cross BookkeepingReady to file
P. Anand — self-employmentDue 5 Feb
T. Ferreira — UK propertyReady to file
M. Okafor — foreign propertyAwaiting authorisation
J. Whitfield — combined incomeDue 5 Feb
★★★★★
"Every client's filing status on one screen — our whole team works from it now."
Halden & Cross Bookkeeping
★★★★★
"Clients kept their spreadsheets. That was the whole reason we switched."
Priya Anand, Chartered Accountant
★★★★★
"Authorisation requests go out and come back in a couple of hours, not days."
Tom Ferreira, Practice Manager
★★★★★
"Setup for a new client takes ten minutes once the template's linked."
Marjorie E., Sole Practitioner
★★★★★
"Support answered a query on a client authorisation the same afternoon."
George M.
Getting started
From sign-up to first filing in four steps
01
Connect your Agent Services Account
Link your existing ASA once — Clients Assistant uses it to retrieve obligations and file on your behalf.
02
Add your clients
Bring clients in individually or in bulk, and group them however your practice is organised.
03
Send authorisation requests
Each client approves access digitally by email — no paper, no separate HMRC login for them.
04
File and track from one dashboard
See what's due across every client, upload linked spreadsheets, and submit in a few clicks.
Agent Services Account connected
18 clients added
15 clients authorised
3 authorisations pending
Q3 filings not yet started
Pricing for agents
Pay per client, or commit annually for less
Choose per-month pricing with no minimum, or an annual plan that gets cheaper as your client count grows.
Per month
Annual
best value at scale
Basic
Ideal for sole practitioners
£3.50/client per month
- Self-employment, UK & foreign property
- Unlimited submissions per month
- Live tax calculations & estimates
- Client management dashboard
- Submission receipts & audit trail
Pro
For practices with teams
£9.50per year
- Everything in Basic
- Muntiple Clients onboarding
- For onboarding 10 clients
Annual plans are billed per client, per year, with volume discounts above 10 clients. Contact us for practices above 100 clients.
Features
Built for the way a practice actually files
One dashboard, every client
See each client's status at a glance — what's due, what's ready, and what's waiting on authorisation.
Keep clients on their own spreadsheets
Link the required fields with our template — no client needs to move to new accounting software.
Never miss a client's deadline
Set reminders for every key date across your book, and get alerted if a return looks incomplete.
Built-in validation before you file
Common errors get caught before submission, with downloadable HMRC receipts for your records.
Team-wide access control
Add unlimited users, assign clients to individuals or groups, and require partner sign-off before filing.
Enterprise-grade security
Two-factor authentication and industry-standard protection on every client's data.
Authorise once, file directly
Connect your Agent Services Account once, then retrieve obligations and file straight to HMRC.
Multiple agent accounts
Manage more than one Agent Services Account from the same Clients Assistant login where needed.
Support that knows the product
Friendly, UK-based support plus onboarding materials to get your team filing quickly.
Downloads
Bridging templates & client resources
Self-Employment template
Bridging template for self-employment MTD submissions.
ITSA_SelfEmployed_FULL_Template.xlsxUK Property template
Bridging template for UK property MTD submissions.
ITSA_UKProperty_FULL_Template.xlsxForeign Property template
Bridging template for foreign property MTD submissions.
ITSA_ForeignProperty_FULL_Template.xlsxClient onboarding checklist
A simple checklist to help clients gather what's needed for MTD Income Tax.
Client_Onboarding_Checklist.docxExample digital records — self-employment
Share with clients so they can see compliant record-keeping in practice.
Example_Records_SelfEmployed.xlsxExample digital records — property
A worked example covering both UK and foreign property income.
Example_Records_Property.xlsxDemo videos
See the agent dashboard in action
Connecting your Agent Services Account
Adding and authorising your first client
Filing a quarterly update as an agent
FAQs
Questions agents ask
This usually means HMRC's systems are temporarily down or there's a connection issue on our end. Try refreshing first; if it persists, contact support and we'll check your connection status.
Go to account settings and choose to reconnect your Agent Services Account, then follow the on-screen steps to complete authorisation again.
That client hasn't completed the authorisation step yet. Send them an authorisation request; once they approve it, their details and obligations appear automatically.
No — you can add as many clients as your practice needs, organise them into groups, and file for all of them from the same dashboard.
From the client management dashboard, select the client and choose to deactivate or remove them. Historical filing records are retained for audit purposes.
Clients also need to file VAT?
MTD VAT
File VAT returns the same way — link straight from each client's spreadsheet.
Clients Assistant MTD VAT →Making Tax Digital
File VAT without leaving your spreadsheet.
Clients Assistant links the nine boxes on your VAT return straight from Excel, so you stay compliant with Making Tax Digital without changing how you work.
Recognised by HMRC · Ref B2D5MT
Free on every plan: your first VAT return, on us
No card required to try it
Keep your VAT workflow. Just make it compliant.
Most bridging tools ask you to abandon the spreadsheet you've used for years. Clients Assistant does the opposite: we link into it. Add our template to your working file, and your nine boxes flow straight through to HMRC.
- Digital links maintained from your source file to submission — no re-typing figures
- Full history of past returns, liabilities and payments in one dashboard
- Add multiple VAT registrations and invite colleagues or your accountant
RegistrationGB 420 4034 56
PeriodQ2 2026
Box 5 (net VAT due)£4,218.30
StatusReady to file
Last submissionon time, 7 Apr 2026
What early users say
★★★★★
"I kept my old spreadsheet exactly as it was. Clients Assistant just plugged into it — that was the whole selling point for me."
Priya Anand, Chartered Accountant
★★★★★
"Filed my first return in under ten minutes. Support answered a question the same afternoon."
Tom Ferreira, Sole Trader
★★★★★
"We manage twelve client registrations from one dashboard now instead of twelve logins. Genuinely saves us a day a month."
Halden & Cross Bookkeeping
How it works
01 / download
Add our template to your file
Drop the Clients Assistant worksheet into your existing VAT working file — nothing else about your spreadsheet changes.
02 / link
Link your nine boxes
Point each of the nine VAT boxes at the right cells. It's a one-off setup that carries forward every period.
03 / file
Upload and submit
Upload the file to Clients Assistant, check the figures, and file directly with HMRC from your dashboard.
Pricing for business
Monthly
Annual
save 2 months
1 registration
£3/month
- View historic VAT info
- File unlimited returns
- Automatic return checks
2–5 registrations
£15/month
- Everything in 1 registration
- Add up to 5 registrations
- Filing deadline reminders
6–20 registrations
£29/month
- Everything in 2–5 registrations
- Add up to 20 registrations
- Unlimited team members
Questions people ask before switching
Yes — as long as adjustments are clearly labelled in the working file and kept on record for at least six years, as HMRC requires.
Every new account gets one VAT return filed free, on any tier, with no card details needed up front.
No. Only the nine VAT box figures are sent to file your return. Your underlying working file and its data stay with you.
Yes, provided your source file already calculates the correct figures for boxes 1 through 9 — Clients Assistant files whatever those boxes contain.
Any recent version of Excel or a compatible spreadsheet application. Clients Assistant runs in the browser, so it works on any operating system.
Also need to file Income Tax?
MTD Income Tax
Self-employed or a landlord? Our MTD Income Tax product links your spreadsheet the same way.
Clients Assistant MTD Income Tax →