If you are self-employed or a sole trader, Making Tax Digital may change how you manage business records, expenses and income reporting.
Affinia can help you improve your bookkeeping, choose suitable MTD software, set up a compliant digital process and prepare for quarterly updates.
You should review your position if you:
We’ll help you move from annual catch-ups to simple, regular bookkeeping, so your records stay accurate and ready for MTD reporting.
We can review your spreadsheets, check whether they meet MTD requirements and recommend the simplest compliant setup for your business.
We’ll help you turn receipts into organised digital records, making it easier to track income, expenses and what needs reporting.
We’ll help you separate business and personal transactions, keeping your records clearer and reducing the risk of missed or incorrect entries.
We’ll show you which business expenses should be recorded and help categorise them correctly for accurate MTD reporting throughout the year.
We can recommend MTD-compatible software that fits your business, budget and confidence level, then help you get everything set up properly.
We’ll help you manage self-employed and rental income together, keeping each source properly recorded and your MTD obligations clear throughout the year.
Affinia can manage the process for you, from digital bookkeeping and quarterly updates to year-end finalisation and your tax return.
Affinia can help you choose and configure software based on:
The best option depends on your business, records and how much support you want. Affinia can review your current process and recommend a setup that works for your bookkeeping and tax reporting.
Some spreadsheet-based processes may be possible with compatible bridging software, but they need to be managed carefully. Affinia can advise whether your current spreadsheet setup is suitable or whether cloud accounting would be more efficient.
| Start date | Who is affected |
|---|---|
| 6 April 2026 | Self employed individuals and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. |
| 6 April 2027 | Self employed individuals and landlords with qualifying income over £30,000. |
| 6 April 2028 | Self employed individuals and landlords with qualifying income over £20,000. |
| Ask us to confirm your MTD timeline. | Based on current HMRC guidance. If your income is close to a threshold or comes from more than one source, Affinia can review your position. Contact Affinia |
Support with income records, expenses, software setup, VAT where relevant and Self Assessment.
Support with invoicing, digital expenses, home office costs, bookkeeping routines and quarterly updates.
Support with cloud accounting, bank feeds, expense categories, tax visibility and ongoing reporting.
Speak to our Making Tax Digital champions about your sole-trader business today.
As a regional accountancy firm, Affinia can give landlords practical advice that goes beyond a generic online guide. We can review your rental records, explain what needs to change and provide ongoing support as your property portfolio develops.
Yes, if you are a sole trader earning over £50,000 per year in 2026/27, Making Tax Digital will apply.
Yes, as a sole trader if you are earning over £50,000 during the 2026/27 tax year, MTD will apply to you.
Yes, our team can support in confirming your MTD timeline and putting support in place.
This support ranges from software set up, quarterly submissions and additional training.
Making Tax Digital for Sole Traders, self-employed individuals and Landlords came into effect from April 2026 for those earning over £50,000.
From April 2027 the threshold will decrease to £30,000.
The 2026/27 income threshold is £50,000.
This will decrease in April 2027 to £30,000.
Simply put, if you are a sole trader or landlord (or both) earning over £50,000 Making Tax Digital will apply to you.
There are various many software options available, such as Xero. But choosing the right one will depend on your circumstances.
We suggest speaking to one of our team to discover which option is right for you.
Yes, our Cloud Accounting team can support with full software set up and further training to support your MTD journey.
You can continue to use spreadsheets for tracking your income and expenses, however you will need to submit your quarterly submission via a HMRC approved software such as Xero, to comply with new tax rules.
Our team are able to support you with any spreadsheets you currently use to ensure you are compliant ahead of the next quarterly submission deadline.
Yes, our team are able to submit quarterly updates on your behalf.
We offer 3 types of support:
If you are both a self-employed individual and a property landlord, your total income across both role will be taken into account. If this exceeds £50,000 per year, Making Tax Digital rules will apply to you.
For example: If you earn £25,000 per year through your rental income and another £30,000 through your sole trader business, Making Tax Digital rules will apply.
Yes, our tax team would be more than happy to support with your Self-Assessment.
The Property Tax team has decades of experience advising individuals, business owners and charities on all areas of UK tax relating to UK and foreign property from initial purchasing, ownership structures, re-structuring and exit planning.
We understand the importance of providing tailored tax advice and planning that aligns with your business and personal objectives.
Our private client tax team are here to support you with personal tax matters. We have experience in offering strategic guidance to support you and your family’s future plans.
