MTD for Sole Traders support
Friendly, practical MTD for sole traders support to help you understand what’s changing, what records you may need and how to get your bookkeeping ready.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax can feel like a big shift, especially if you’re used to pulling your records together once a year for self assessment.
The Accountant’s Best Friend can help you talk it through, understand what may affect you and review whether your current bookkeeping process is ready for what comes next.
You don’t need to become a tax expert. You just need to know what applies to you, what needs sorting and what can be done now to make things easier later.
“There’s no need for a last-minute panic about MTD!
Let’s look at where your records are now and work out the next practical step together.”
Donna Beddis, The Accountant’s Best Friend
Financial Understanding
What is MTD for sole traders?
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is changing how many sole traders and landlords keep records and report income and expenses to HMRC.
Instead of only thinking about tax once a year, affected sole traders will need to keep digital records and use recognised software to send updates.
That can sound daunting if your current records are kept in spreadsheets, notebooks, paper files or a system you’re not fully confident using.
TABF can help you understand what MTD means in normal language, what may need to change and how to start preparing without turning it into a bigger job than it needs to be.
Who may be affected by MTD for Income Tax?
MTD for Income Tax is being introduced in stages for sole traders and landlords, based on qualifying income.
The current planned timetable is:
- From 6 April 2026, for those with qualifying income over £50,000
- From 6 April 2027, for those with qualifying income over £30,000
- From 6 April 2028, for those with qualifying income over £20,000
If you’re unsure whether this applies to you, or when you may need to start preparing, TABF can help you review your position and understand what it means in practice.
There’s no need to sit with the rules on your own and hope you’ve interpreted them correctly.
Why MTD preparation matters
MTD isn’t just a tax deadline.
It affects how records are kept, how often information is reviewed and whether your bookkeeping system is suitable for digital reporting.
If your records are already accurate, up to date and held in suitable software, the change may feel much easier to manage.
If your bookkeeping is behind, spread across different places or only pulled together at the end of the year, it’s worth getting things clearer before the deadline starts to feel urgent.
Preparing early can save a lot of last-minute stress, and it gives you more confidence in the information you’re using.
Making Tax Digital
How TABF can help you prepare
TABF can provide Making Tax Digital support for sole traders who want to get ready without feeling overwhelmed.
This can include:
Explaining what MTD for Income Tax means
Helping you understand whether you may be affected
Reviewing how you currently keep records
Checking whether your bookkeeping process is suitable
Helping you choose or improve accounting software
Supporting digital record keeping
Looking at apps and automations that may make things easier
Helping you feel more confident before the deadline
The support is built around where you are now.
You might already use accounting software but not feel confident with it. You might still rely on spreadsheets. You might know your records need improving but not know where to start. That’s exactly the kind of thing TABF can help you work through.
Working together
Getting your bookkeeping ready for MTD
Good bookkeeping is the foundation of MTD.
If your records are incomplete, late or difficult to follow, digital reporting can feel much harder than it needs to be.
TABF can help you review your bookkeeping process and identify what could be improved before MTD becomes a pressure. This includes looking at how your income is recorded, how expenses are tracked, whether receipts are being kept properly, whether business and personal transactions are clearly separated, whether your records are updated regularly, whether your software is being used correctly, and whether your accountant receives the information they need.
The goal is to make your records clearer, more useful and easier to manage throughout the year, not just when a deadline is approaching.
Working alongside your advisor
Already have an accountant?
You may already have an accountant who handles your tax return, but still need help getting your bookkeeping, software or records ready for MTD.
TABF can work alongside your existing accountant where helpful.
TABF can support the day-to-day records and systems that sit behind your tax return, helping your accountant receive clearer information and helping you feel more confident throughout the year.
That way, MTD preparation becomes part of a better record-keeping process, rather than another separate thing to worry about.
Choosing the right accounting software
MTD for Income Tax will require recognised software. But choosing software can feel confusing when there are so many options and each one seems to promise something different. TABF can help you think through what your business actually needs.
That might mean reviewing your current software, improving how it’s set up or helping you move to a system that’s better suited to the way you work.TABF can support sole traders using platforms such as Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and other bookkeeping systems.
The focus is always on using technology for a reason.Not software for the sake of it. Not apps that make life harder. Just tools that help you keep better records and understand your numbers.
Who this is for
When should you ask for help?
It’s worth getting help before the deadline feels urgent.
You may benefit from MTD support if you’re not sure whether MTD applies to you, your bookkeeping is behind or inconsistent, you still use spreadsheets, paper records or manual processes, or you use accounting software but don’t feel confident with it. You may also need support if you’re unsure whether your software is suitable, want to improve your records before MTD starts, need help choosing a new bookkeeping system, or simply want someone to explain the changes clearly.
You don’t need to have everything organised before getting in touch with TABF.
Why choose TABF for MTD for sole traders?
01.
Clear explanations
TABF can help you understand MTD without making it feel heavier than it already does.
02.
Bookkeeping support that fits the change
MTD depends on good records. TABF can help you get your bookkeeping clearer and easier to manage.
03.
Software guidance
TABF can help you review your current system, choose suitable software or improve how your existing setup works.
04.
Support at your pace
You may want help getting ready, training to do more yourself or ongoing bookkeeping support. TABF can shape the support around what you need.
05.
A calmer way to prepare
If MTD feels confusing, you don’t have to work through it alone. TABF can help you make sense of the rules, your records and your next steps.