Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD ITSA): What You Need to Know
​From April 2026, HMRC is changing how self-employed individuals and landlords report their income — and it’s a big deal. If you earn over £50,000 from self-employment or property, you'll be required to follow the new Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD IT) rules.
But don’t panic — I’m here to help you get ready, and you can even get started early with the pilot scheme.

Who Needs to Comply and When?
MTD ITSA is being phased in gradually:

• 📆 April 2026 – for individuals earning over £50,000
• 📆 April 2027 – for those earning between £30,000 and £50,000

If you fall into either of those categories, now is the time to start preparing.

What Does MTD ITSA Involve?
Here’s what HMRC will expect:

• ✅ Keep digital records of your income and expenses
• ✅ Submit quarterly updates to HMRC using approved software
• ✅ File a Final Declaration after the tax year ends

This replaces the single annual tax return with more frequent and digital submissions.

What Software Will You Need?To comply, you’ll need to use HMRC-approved software.
Popular options include:

• FreeAgent
• QuickBooks
• Xero

We’ll help you choose the best option for your needs and get you set up with confidence.

Can You Join Early?
Yes! HMRC is running a pilot programme, and you can join now. This gives you a chance to get used to the new system with our support before the deadline hits.

What If You Don’t Comply?
HMRC will apply penalties for missing deadlines or failing to keep digital records. But don’t worry — my job is to make sure you avoid that completely.

Let’s Make This Easy
I’m here to make MTD ITSA simple. I’ll guide you through the setup, make sure you stay compliant, and even handle your quarterly submissions.
📅 Book a free 30-minute call to chat about getting started:
👉 https://tidycal.com/kirstys/30-minute-meeting
📧 [email protected] | 📞 07925 177943

🎯 Month-End Today – What Does That Involve?It’s that time again – month-end! A key moment in the bookkeeping calendar when we make sure everything is in order so your numbers are accurate and reliable.
Here’s a quick look at what it involves – both the behind-the-scenes checks I do for clients, and a few helpful reminders for business owners too.

✅ End-of-Day Stats CheckFirst up for me (right at the end of the day) is checking my social media and KPI stats – I track these alongside my business besties Suzannah Whelan MICB PM.Dip and Penelope Allard FICB PM.Dip. It helps us all stay accountable and focused.

💰 Invoicing – Fixed vs HourlyI used to love doing my invoices when I charged hourly – it was when I found out how much I'd earned! These days, most of my work is on fixed rates, and many invoices go out automatically. Still, a few need finishing off manually at month-end.

🧾 Month-End Checklist: What You Should Be DoingHere are the main things to keep an eye on to avoid messy accounts and VAT issues:

🔁 Double-Check Your SalesMake sure each sale is only entered once – either as a sales invoice or as income from the bank.
Why? If both are entered, it looks like you’ve sold twice as much… and that could lead to double VAT 😬

📥 Watch for Duplicate BillsThis happens a lot: entering a bill and then recording the same expense again when it’s paid from the bank.
Result? Overstated costs and potentially overclaimed VAT 🙄

📦 Consider a Stock CheckIf you sell products, a regular stock take (maybe quarterly) is a smart move. Duplicated transactions can mess up your stock levels just as much as your accounts.

💼 Post Payroll ProperlyIf you only post the net pay, your accounts are missing the full cost of payroll.
Make sure those payroll journals are posted correctly to reflect the real cost to your business.

📉 Why It MattersInaccurate sales or costs = a profit & loss report you can’t trust.
And if you don’t trust your P&L, you’re flying blind.

💷 Put VAT Money AsideAt month-end, review your bank balances and set aside VAT and savings.
Top tip: The VAT isn’t your money – moving it out of sight helps avoid accidental overspending.

🧾 How We Help at Month-EndIf this all feels like a lot, don’t worry – this is exactly what we’re here for. Here’s how we help keep things in check:

• Bank reconciliations (bank, Stripe, PayPal, credit cards – the lot) to catch duplicates or missing entries
  
• Control accounts checked against HMRC (PAYE, VAT, tax)
  
• Customer accounts checked so you’re not chasing ghosts
  
• Supplier statements matched to payments
  
• External checks using tools like Xenon Connect to spot duplicates
  
• Date error spotting, especially during the Dec/Jan crossover
  
• A tidy month-end = a smoother year-end – no surprises, just reliable numbers
  

🤝 Need Help with Month-End?If this all sounds like a bit much to tackle on your own, that’s what bookkeepers are for! I’m an award-winning bookkeeper and fully licensed with ICB UK, and I’d be happy to help.
Looking for someone with experience in your industry? I know lots of other brilliant bookkeepers too, so I can point you in the right direction.
Let’s work together to make sure you can trust your numbers.

Get in touch today – your future self will thank you.

I was pleased to get the job of Advisory Council Chair in Nov 2022 having been on Council for 4 or so years. Following the footsteps of Paula Veysey-Smith and Steve Worrall (as Vice-Chair) is no mean feat but I hope that we can bring a new perspective and continue to represent life as a busy Bookkeeper alongside Sylvia Bourhill as Vice-Chair and with 5 new members coming onto Council.
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