Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT has been mandatory for all VAT-registered businesses since April 2022. But we still see businesses muddling through with spreadsheets that aren’t compliant, or paying for software they don’t really use. Here’s what you actually need to know.
What MTD for VAT means in plain English
You must:
- Keep your VAT records digitally (not on paper, not in a spreadsheet alone)
- Use HMRC-recognised software to file your VAT returns
- Maintain a “digital link” between your data sources and your VAT return — meaning the numbers flow through automatically, no manual re-typing
That third point is the one that catches people out. If you keep records in Xero but type them into a separate spreadsheet to file VAT, that breaks the digital link. HMRC have been lenient during the transition, but the rules are clear.
What software we use
We standardise on a tight pair:
- Xero — for cloud bookkeeping, bank feeds, payroll add-ons and day-to-day records. The strongest all-rounder for UK SMEs and what we set every new client up on.
- TaxCalc — for filing Self-Assessment, Corporation Tax, partnership and trust returns to HMRC. Reliable, fully MTD-ready, and a much cleaner submission flow than browser-based filing.
Both are HMRC-recognised and MTD-compliant. Xero handles the bookkeeping side; TaxCalc handles the tax-return side. Most clients only ever interact with Xero — we look after TaxCalc behind the scenes.
If you genuinely love spreadsheets, you can keep using them — but you need “bridging software” that pulls data from the spreadsheet and submits it to HMRC. We don’t generally recommend this; the bridging tools work fine but you still need to maintain digital links throughout, which is fiddly.
What records do you need to keep digitally?
For each sale or purchase:
- The date
- The net amount (excluding VAT)
- The VAT amount
- The VAT rate
Plus your business name, address, VAT number, and a list of supplies you make. That’s the minimum.
In practice, your accounting software handles all of this automatically once it’s set up — the trick is getting it set up properly in the first place. Wrong VAT codes on sales or purchases ripple through the whole quarter and create errors.
Common mistakes we see
- Mixing up VAT codes — using “20% standard” when something’s actually zero-rated, or putting EC purchases through the wrong code
- Treating Reverse Charge incorrectly — especially construction/CIS Domestic Reverse Charge, which has its own quirks
- Backdating — entering January transactions in March without proper documentation
- Forgetting to file — MTD doesn’t email you reminders; you still need to remember the deadlines
- Manual journals breaking the digital link — adjusting numbers via spreadsheet then re-typing into the software
What’s coming next
MTD for Income Tax Self-Assessment (MTD ITSA) is the next phase, currently scheduled for:
- April 2026 — sole traders and landlords with income over £50,000
- April 2027 — sole traders and landlords with income over £30,000
The government has pushed this back several times, but it’s coming. If you’re a sole trader or landlord, you’ll need to:
- Keep digital records (probably the same software you’d use for VAT)
- Submit four quarterly updates to HMRC instead of one annual return
- File a final declaration after the tax year
It’s more work than the current system, but the software handles most of it. Get set up early — the people who left VAT MTD to the deadline regretted it.
Need help getting MTD-ready?
If you’re still on spreadsheets, paper, or non-MTD software — or if your software is set up but you’re not sure if it’s right — we offer a free 30-minute MTD readiness review. We’ll look at your current setup, tell you what’s missing, and give you a plan.
Book a free call and we’ll get you sorted.