MTD Blog

Expert guides on Making Tax Digital, quarterly submissions, tax deductions, and compliance for UK sole traders and landlords.

Account Reconciliation for Sole Traders and Landlords

Master account reconciliation for UK sole traders and landlords with this complete 2026 guide to MTD compliance, step-by-step processes and free software.

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What HMRC Does, and Doesn't Do, in Making Tax Digital

HMRC sets the rules for Making Tax Digital, but does not provide software or keep your records. What HMRC handles, what is left to you, and where to get help.

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MTD Final Declaration Explained (2026/27 Tax Return)

How the MTD year-end tax return works: adjustments after your fourth quarterly update, adding your other income, and the 31 January deadline.

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Self-Employed Expenses: Simplified Rates or Actual Costs?

Which expenses sole traders can claim, when HMRC's flat rates for mileage and working from home beat actual costs, and how cash basis treats equipment.

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MTD Glossary: Making Tax Digital Terms Explained

Plain-English definitions of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax terms: qualifying income, quarterly updates, update periods, digital links and the tax return.

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Do Sole Traders Need an Accountant for MTD?

What an accountant does for a sole trader under Making Tax Digital, what you can do yourself, how agent authorisation works and when help is worth paying for.

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Rental Income Tax Tips for UK Landlords (2026)

Proven rental income tax tips for UK landlords in 2026 — claim allowable expenses, navigate Section 24 and prepare for Making Tax Digital with free tools.

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Sole Trader Bookkeeping for Making Tax Digital

Sole trader bookkeeping for Making Tax Digital: digital records, bank reconciliation, quarterly updates and the year-end return, step by step.

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What Is Making Tax Digital? The 2026 Income Tax Guide

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax in plain English: who is in and when, qualifying income, quarterly updates, the tax return, penalties and first steps.

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Free MTD Software UK 2026: Every Option Compared

Which Making Tax Digital software is free, and on what conditions: bank accounts, property limits, filing-only products and trials, from vendors' own pages.

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How Alex, VoxaMTD's AI Accountant, Uses Your Data

How Alex, the AI accountant on VoxaMTD's paid plans, reads your transactions, tax estimate and deadlines, what it can see and what it cannot do.

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Mortgage Interest Under MTD: Section 24 Reporting

How landlords report mortgage interest in MTD quarterly updates: the finance costs category, interest versus capital, and where the 20% relief is given.

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VoxaMTD vs QuickBooks vs FreeAgent vs Xero for MTD

Four MTD for Income Tax options compared: prices from each provider's own pages, what each covers, HMRC software finder status, and who each suits.

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Free MTD Software for Landlords 2026: What's Covered

Free Making Tax Digital options for UK landlords compared: property limits, joint ownership, foreign property, tax return filing and bank conditions.

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MTD From April 2027: The £30,000 Threshold Explained

From 6 April 2027 Making Tax Digital covers qualifying income over £30,000 on your 2025/26 return. Who is in, what counts, the deadlines and how to prepare.

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Free MTD Software Without a NatWest Account

FreeAgent is free with NatWest Group or Mettle accounts. If you bank elsewhere, these free Making Tax Digital options need no particular bank.

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MTD Agent Portal for Accountants: £3 per Client

What VoxaMTD's agent portal does for accountants with MTD for Income Tax clients, what it does not do yet, and how HMRC's main and supporting agents work.

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MTD Software With a Voice AI Accountant: Meet Alex

Alex is the AI accountant on VoxaMTD's paid plans. It reads your live transactions and answers questions on your quarterly figures, expenses and deadlines.

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MTD for Side Hustles: Does Your PAYE Job Count?

Employed with a side hustle? Your salary does not count towards the MTD threshold, but gross side-hustle and rental income do. What counts, with examples.

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MTD Penalties in 2026/27: What the Soft Landing Covers

No penalties for late MTD quarterly updates in 2026/27, but tax return and late payment rules still apply. How the points system works from 2027/28.

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MTD for Sole Traders With Rental Income (2026)

Self-employed and a landlord? How Making Tax Digital adds both incomes for the threshold, why each has its own quarterly updates, and one tax return for both.

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Do You Need to Pay for MTD Software?

Free Making Tax Digital software is enough for many sole traders and landlords. When free works, when paying makes sense and what free plans leave out.

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Making Tax Digital for Landlords: 2026/27 Guide

Making Tax Digital for UK landlords: who is in, the 2026/27 deadlines, what goes in a quarterly update, joint property, letting agents and how to file.

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Gas Safety Certificate Rules for Landlords

What the CP12 gas safety certificate requires: the annual check, the 28-day tenant rule, how long to keep records, and why it now matters for Section 8.

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EICR Requirements for Landlords

What an EICR requires: the five-year cycle, the 28-day tenant rule, what C1, C2 and C3 codes mean, and the penalties for letting with an expired report.

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How to Prove Your Rental Property Is Compliant

Being compliant is not the same as proving it. Here is what landlords now need to evidence, why it matters after Section 21, and how to keep records that hold up.

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Section 24 Explained for Landlords

Section 24 stops landlords deducting mortgage interest and gives a 20% credit instead. Here is how it works, who it hits, and why it inflates your tax bill.

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Allowable Expenses for Landlords (2026)

What landlords can and cannot claim against rental income: the full list of allowable expenses, the repairs-versus-improvements trap, and how Section 24 fits.

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HMRC Signed You Up for MTD? What to Do Next

From September 2026 HMRC is signing people up to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. What the letter means, catching up on updates, and what to check first.

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MTD Deadlines 2026/27: Quarterly Update Calendar

Every Making Tax Digital deadline for 2026/27 and beyond: quarterly updates due 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May, and the tax return by 31 January.

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MTD for Jointly Owned Property and Joint Landlords

How Making Tax Digital works when you own a rental jointly: whose share counts, spouses and Form 17, and the simpler records HMRC allows joint landlords.

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MTD Qualifying Income: What Counts Towards £50,000

What counts towards the Making Tax Digital threshold: turnover not profit, your share of joint rent, and why salary and dividends are left out, with examples.

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Holiday Lets and MTD After the FHL Rules Ended

The furnished holiday lettings regime ended in April 2025. What that means for holiday lets under Making Tax Digital, from thresholds to quarterly updates.

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MTD for Landlords Who Use a Letting Agent

Your letting agent collects the rent, but Making Tax Digital is still your job. How to turn agent statements into gross records, and who can file for you.

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How to Switch MTD Software, Even Mid-Year

You can change Making Tax Digital software at any time. What HMRC needs when you switch mid-year, what to export first, and a checklist so no update is lost.

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MTD £20,000 Threshold: Who Joins in April 2028

From 6 April 2028 Making Tax Digital covers qualifying income over £20,000 on your 2026/27 return, the tax year now under way. Who is in and what to do now.

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