{"id":27054,"date":"2026-10-15T12:05:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=27054"},"modified":"2026-10-16T12:05:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T11:05:30","slug":"mtd-for-income-tax-switching-your-practice-from-self-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-switching-your-practice-from-self-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"MTD for Income Tax: How to switch your practice from Self Assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--standard\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMTD for Income Tax: How to switch your practice from Self Assessment\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPractices have until the end of the decade to transition largely from Self Assessment clients, to MTD for Income Tax. This is a profound change, as we explore in this article.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-8 col-lg-4 entry-header__image\">\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"entry-header__thumbnail js-hero-section\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1374490620-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"entry-header__thumbnail-image\" alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1374490620-1215x810.jpg 1215w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1374490620-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1374490620.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1215px) 100vw, 1215px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T12:05:26+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"MTD for Income Tax: How to switch your practice from Self Assessment\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-switching-your-practice-from-self-assessment\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/simonbrooke\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/08\/Simon-Brooke.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" height=\"40\" width=\"40\" fetchpriority=\"high\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Simon Brooke<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Switching your practice from Self Assessment to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-accountants-need-to-know\/\">Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax<\/a> means moving from one annual tax return to year-round digital records, quarterly updates, and a digital tax return, for every client above the MTD threshold. Because the threshold falls from \u00a350,000 to \u00a330,000 in April 2027 and \u00a320,000 in April 2028, most practices will run both systems side by side for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n<section id=\"key-takeaways\" class=\"wp-block-sage-key-takeaways\"><div class=\"sage-key-takeaways__inner\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-3-font-size\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>MTD for Income Tax makes<\/strong> tax a continuous, year-round process rather than a year-end project.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Practices will run Self Assessment and MTD side by side until at least April 2028<\/strong>, as the threshold falls to \u00a330,000 and then \u00a320,000.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Support clients in the way they prefer to work<\/strong>: do it for me, do it with me, or show me.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build a digital record-keeping stack that suits each client<\/strong>. Suitable spreadsheets used with compatible bridging software can remain a compliant option.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Client management software and agentic AI can take on routine admin<\/strong>, so your team can focus on reviewing data and advising clients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The era of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/making-tax-digital\/accountants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MTD for Income Tax<\/a> is upon us. But Self Assessment isn&#8217;t going away anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal moving forward for practices is to find a way to support all sole traders and landlords, regardless of which HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) path they&#8217;re following\u2014while also supporting client growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-practice-planning-what-to-do-if-you-need-help\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Practices<\/a> need to find a way to somehow deliver what clients require: from a light touch, collaborative approach for those more confident in business finances, to a full-service offering for those who have traditionally relied heavily upon their accountant. Even in the MTD era, the latter is still entirely possible\u2014and still desired by some clients, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article explains how to provide that support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what this article discusses:<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-how-should-you-redesign-your-practice-workflows-for-mtd-for-income-tax\" data-level=\"2\">How should you redesign your practice workflows for MTD for Income Tax?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-can-technology-cut-reconciliation-work-under-mtd\" data-level=\"2\">How can technology cut reconciliation work under MTD?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-is-a-digital-record-keeping-stack-and-why-do-you-need-one\" data-level=\"2\">What is a digital record-keeping stack, and why do you need one?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-should-clients-use-bridging-software-for-mtd\" data-level=\"2\">Should clients use bridging software for MTD?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-does-client-management-software-help-with-mtd\" data-level=\"2\">How does client management software help with MTD?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-do-your-teams-need-to-know-about-mtd-for-income-tax\" data-level=\"2\">What do your teams need to know about MTD for Income Tax?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-switching-to-mtd-for-income-tax-faqs\" data-level=\"2\">Switching to MTD for Income Tax: FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-should-you-redesign-your-practice-workflows-for-mtd-for-income-tax\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How should you redesign your practice workflows for MTD for Income Tax?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Redesign your workflows to be digital-first and continuous: MTD for Income Tax turns tax from a year-end project into a year-round process. The change is technology-driven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only is the clue right there in the title with MTD\u2014it&#8217;s about digitalising tax, after all\u2014but applied and smart use of technology is the only way accountants and bookkeepers are going to get through without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/making-tax-digital-accountants-headspace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">serious stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means deploying the right software and going digital-first to transition from Self Assessment to MTD as the decade progresses\u2014and as the April 2027 and April 2028 milestones approach (and possibly beyond).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To identify which clients are in scope, check each client&#8217;s Self Assessment position and their combined gross income from self-employment and property, before expenses, on the relevant earlier return: more than \u00a350,000 on the 2024\/25 return for April 2026, more than \u00a330,000 on the 2025\/26 return for April 2027, and more than \u00a320,000 on the 2026\/27 return for April 2028. Then check whether any exemptions apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, as an accountant, you&#8217;ll also have to help many of your clients along the same journey. Their success is your success. Their growth is your growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your overarching digital strategy needs to be able to deliver for the &#8220;do-it-with-me&#8221; clients, who need a partner, and a full service &#8220;do-it-for-me&#8221; approach for clients who need that, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Others will prefer support based on &#8220;show me&#8221;, in which you&#8217;ll offer them guidance but, essentially, they&#8217;ll do the majority of work themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most practices will need to offer all three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Support model<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Who it suits<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>What you provide<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Do it for me<\/td><td>Clients who have always relied on their accountant<\/td><td>A full service: you maintain records and submit quarterly updates. For the annual return, as main agent you check it, share it with the client, and get their written confirmation before you submit it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Do it with me<\/td><td>Clients who want a partner<\/td><td>Shared software and regular collaboration through the year<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Show me<\/td><td>Clients confident with their finances<\/td><td>Guidance and checks, while they do most of the work themselves<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To price each model, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/pricing-for-mtd-how-to-charge-more-and-prove-why-it-s-worth-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pricing for MTD: How to charge more, and prove it&#8217;s worth it<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You need to support MTD&#8217;s quarterly check-ins, bearing in mind these can (and maybe should) be more frequent if clients desire it. You need to support the MTD tax return, as well as traditional yearly tax return checkpoints for Self Assessment happening at the same time. All while meeting ongoing quarterly and monthly VAT deadlines, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fundamental truth is this: MTD for Income Tax shifts accountancy to a continuous process rather than one that leads up to the final end of year calculations. This is a monumental shift, and it needs to form the basis of any changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s how the two systems compare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Self Assessment<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>MTD for Income Tax<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Who it applies to<\/td><td>Sole traders and landlords below the MTD threshold, and other Self Assessment taxpayers<\/td><td>Individuals in Self Assessment whose combined gross self-employment and property income on the relevant earlier return is more than \u00a350,000 (from April 2026), \u00a330,000 (from April 2027), or \u00a320,000 (from April 2028), unless exempt<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Records<\/td><td>Can be kept on paper or spreadsheets<\/td><td>Must be kept digitally in MTD-compatible software, with digital links<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Submissions<\/td><td>One tax return a year<\/td><td>Four quarterly updates, plus a digital tax return<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Deadlines<\/td><td>31 January after the tax year<\/td><td>Quarterly updates by 7 August, 7 November, 7 February, and 7 May; tax return by 31 January<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Practice workflow<\/td><td>Work peaks before 31 January<\/td><td>Continuous, with a checkpoint every quarter<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the quarterly process, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-quarterly-update-accountants-bookkeepers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MTD quarterly updates: A practice guide for accountants and bookkeepers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whatever support your clients require, you should already be redesigning your own procedures and workflows, your data processing, and the way you interact with your clients to make them all digital-first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-can-technology-cut-reconciliation-work-under-mtd\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can technology cut reconciliation work under MTD?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technology can cut reconciliation work by suggesting matches and flagging exceptions, although your team still needs to reconcile, check for missing information, confirm tax categories, and review the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technology increasingly allows for light-touch reconciliations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whereas under the old systems, you would typically review and match every item manually, many matches can now be suggested automatically for your team to check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is particularly true for your clients whose businesses include high transaction volumes and those who produce simple, clear, consistent data. It works well for data sets such as bank account and credit card statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While technology suggests matches for many transactions, your teams still review them, and look out for exceptions and anything that might raise a red flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, agentic AI, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/sage-copilot-secure-by-design-ai-made-ready-for-finance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage Copilot<\/a>, can even handle this element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s worth adding, though, that light-touch reconciliations require high-quality, accurately collated data\u2014via technology that can easily and correctly identify these anomalies. Human review remains essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decades-old mantra of technology has always been &#8220;garbage in, garbage out&#8221;, and so it&#8217;s essential that your clients record and submit data correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Direct bank feeds from clients can help here, by importing transactions as timely digital records, as can data capture tools like AutoEntry, which can read receipts or bills and pass the data to you for processing. These tools import, suggest, or flag information. They don&#8217;t replace reconciliation, checks for missing information, or a review of tax categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can use technology like this to help automate processes and reduce the chance of manual data entry errors that can occur when human beings have to copy from one statement or spreadsheet to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can then set up this software to suggest categories for the various items that pop up on a bank feed, for your team to check, for your HMRC submissions and interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, you&#8217;ll need to strip out your clients&#8217; non-taxable income and any personal expenditure they might have. You should also adjust any items of income that are net of fees, commissions, or charges before doing clients&#8217; tax returns to ensure that you&#8217;re declaring gross income but then netting off these expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">E-Book: MTD for Income Tax\u2014The final countdown playbook for practices<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-983aa507-78de-4b74-bc4d-ca90a0b2ff1f\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Get Making Tax Digital: The Final Countdown Playbook<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-is-a-digital-record-keeping-stack-and-why-do-you-need-one\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is a digital record-keeping stack, and why do you need one?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A digital record-keeping stack is a set of integrated tools that captures client income and expenditure digitally and carries it through to quarterly updates and the final tax return, with no rekeying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fundamentals are that you need to build an end-to-end digital record keeping stack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;ve already got one in place, you&#8217;ll need to ensure not only that it&#8217;s fit for purpose in the age of MTD, but that it&#8217;s allowing your practice to run at optimal efficiency. There simply isn&#8217;t likely to be any spare human capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This end-to-end digital outlook is important. It&#8217;s one step beyond traditional, stand-alone technologies, and the end of processes to which paperwork is fundamental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, you&#8217;ll need to ensure that you&#8217;ve got technologies in place that are integrated with each other. This means that they can work together as a single system to manage and process your digital records and those of your clients efficiently and in ways that comply with regulations and cybersecurity protocols. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-an-mtd-digital-link\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital linking<\/a> is as important as it ever was!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, client income and expenditure can be recorded fully digitally, from the start to the finish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your technology stack should ensure that these records of income and outgoings are automatically ingested into quarterly updates before going through to the final year end declaration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;ll need to ensure that this happens automatically and seamlessly. Manually typing in figures and details and even copying and pasting them from one source or spreadsheet to another is not only inefficient\u2014it also breaks the digital linking rule: enter once, and use digital links after. That means no copy and paste, and no rekeying, of the core tax records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, you should be deploying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/making-tax-digital\/accountants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">software that is fully integrated<\/a> and offers an end-to-end solution for you and your clients so that there are no messy transfers or transitions between your systems and those of your clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more on rebuilding your practice around MTD, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-operational-reset\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MTD for Income Tax is an operational reset\u2014and the best reason to rebuild your firm&#8217;s foundations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-should-clients-use-bridging-software-for-mtd\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Should clients use bridging software for MTD?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bridging software lets clients who keep suitable spreadsheets meet MTD rules, and it can remain a compliant option for the long term. Whether a client would benefit from moving to bookkeeping software depends on how they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might find that some clients on spreadsheets are struggling with the transition, in which case you could consider using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-a-bridging-tool-or-bridging-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bridging software<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This provides a link between old-style record-keeping, such as spreadsheets, on one side and HMRC&#8217;s systems on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/makingtaxdigital.campaign.gov.uk\/making-tax-digital-software\/\"><\/a>Bridging software isn&#8217;t only a temporary fix: suitable spreadsheets used with compatible bridging software can remain compliant. That said, HMRC notes the trade-off:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Keep in mind, spreadsheets won&#8217;t have the same timesaving, user-friendly features as many all-in-one bookkeeping apps.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If clients use it, make sure their spreadsheets are set up to keep the required digital records and that data moves through digital links. For some clients, moving to bookkeeping software later may save time, but it isn&#8217;t a requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you implement the digitisation process, you might find that other clients also have their own, specific requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sole traders and smaller landlords, for instance, will probably find mobile-first bookkeeping most useful. This is entirely feasible. The days of always requiring a desktop PC are gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, you should already be encouraging other clients whose work means that they&#8217;re out and about to use apps on their smartphones. This can be useful for making and taking payments that feed directly into the system in real time and, as mentioned earlier, for taking photos of receipts whose amounts, details and dates can be automatically read by the technology and fed into the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Can Sage make you a success?<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Learn for yourself how customers are enjoying success with Sage solutions that are transforming their businesses and helping them thrive.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/success-stories\/?Markets=&#123;84A0E19E-BE0A-41E8-8841-C20C3A69F52E&#125;&#038;page=1&#038;Products=&#123;CA2CE964-6A66-4DA4-8F8F-340FA28C51E3&#125;,&#123;E61B8273-2D42-45FE-A143-D52CB0827431&#125;,&#123;FB43EC9E-4B20-4F0D-BECF-55881FDCF4E4&#125;\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-28610\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Read their stories<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1181224214-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1181224214-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-does-client-management-software-help-with-mtd\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How does client management software help with MTD?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Client management software automates deadline reminders, client requests, approvals, and document sharing, so more frequent MTD contact doesn&#8217;t mean more admin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you move to a digital-first way of working, it&#8217;s also a good idea to implement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accountants\/client-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">client management software<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can manage tasks and workflows such as notifications for deadlines for submissions as well as automatically recording billable hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Increasingly, specialist agentic AI can help with critical tasks. Sage&#8217;s MTD for IT Agent can help with many of them, while your team reviews and approves the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s designed to help with complex, interconnected tasks: for example, it can organise data and highlight anomalies for your team to review. Features include drafting quarterly submission reports and preparing document requests to clients. The time saved varies by practice and client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read more in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-and-agentic-ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How agentic AI is changing accounting compliance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other parts of client management software provide insights into staff workloads and performance as well as revealing the profitability of particular clients. You&#8217;ll be able to identify more quickly and accurately whether you&#8217;re charging enough\u2014or even overcharging\u2014for each account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As communication with clients becomes more frequent and data is shared more often, client management systems can take on much of this. Routine emails, requests for permissions and approvals plus notifications can be managed automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, client management systems can enable you to share documents and data with clients as well as managing e-signatures more quickly and easily. You can also use them to set up client interaction portals so that your clients know how to submit data and share documents as well as signing them digitally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-do-your-teams-need-to-know-about-mtd-for-income-tax\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What do your teams need to know about MTD for Income Tax?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your teams need to move from inputting data to reviewing it: know your cloud bookkeeping software, spot exceptions, and guide clients through the new deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As well as implementing these new technologies, you should be training staff and helping them to develop a new mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They need to become familiar now with cloud bookkeeping software and to be ready to review and understand data rather than simply inputting it manually and using it to carry out calculations. They should be ready to identify exceptions to this data and their significance as well as understanding more generally how they should interact with MTD for Income Tax technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your teams need to be ready to answer clients&#8217; questions and to guide them on how to comply with the new deadlines, requirements and ways of working. They should be showing clients how to use the new technologies and checking on their progress as they provide ongoing support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a major change to the way that accountants work and interact with their clients. However, you can lead them through the process and cement your role as business advisers as well as ensuring that you&#8217;re compliant with HMRC&#8217;s new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-making-tax-digital\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Making Tax Digital<\/a> requirements. Better still, reducing repetitive, manual processes will free up your teams to carry out more interesting, fulfilling tasks and to add more value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"NC-Skyword-CID\" data-skyword_id=\"281474980493989\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">E-Book: MTD for Income Tax\u2014The final countdown playbook for practices<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Accountants and bookkeepers still have time to create a repeatable plan for MTD success. This e-Book explains how, via a fast-track mindset, and a 5-phase countdown to April 2026\u2014and beyond.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-983aa507-78de-4b74-bc4d-ca90a0b2ff1f\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Get Making Tax Digital: The Final Countdown Playbook<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-sage-faq\">\n\t\n<h2 id=\"h-switching-to-mtd-for-income-tax-faqs\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Switching to MTD for Income Tax: FAQs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-items\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-36eadd98\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-what-changes-when-a-client-moves-from-self-assessment-to-mtd-for-income-tax\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What changes when a client moves from Self Assessment to MTD for Income Tax?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clients moving to MTD for Income Tax must keep digital records in MTD-compatible software and send four quarterly updates a year, plus an annual Self Assessment return by 31 January, filed through compatible software.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-f82b5c8a\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-will-practices-still-need-to-handle-self-assessment\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Will practices still need to handle Self Assessment?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Clients below the MTD threshold stay on Self Assessment, and the threshold falls in stages to \u00a320,000 by April 2028, so most practices will run both systems side by side for several years.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-6e44ec48\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-can-clients-keep-using-spreadsheets-for-mtd-for-income-tax\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can clients keep using spreadsheets for MTD for Income Tax?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Clients can use suitable spreadsheets with compatible bridging software that links the spreadsheet to HMRC digitally, and this can remain compliant. HMRC notes that spreadsheets won&#8217;t have the same timesaving features as many bookkeeping apps.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-c7968fde\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-what-technology-does-a-practice-need-for-mtd\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What technology does a practice need for MTD?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A practice needs an integrated, end-to-end digital record-keeping stack: bookkeeping software, bank feeds, data capture tools such as AutoEntry, and client management software, with digital links between them.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-f09a17d6\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-how-should-practices-prepare-their-teams-for-mtd\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How should practices prepare their teams for MTD?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Practices should train staff on cloud bookkeeping software, and help them shift from inputting data to reviewing it, spotting exceptions, and guiding clients through the quarterly cycle.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/mtd-accountants\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaking Tax Digital for accountants\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-8030 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-mtd-accountants tag-need-to-know tag-tax business_type-accountants card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1213042683-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Working on strategy and financials\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1213042683-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1213042683-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1213042683-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T14:26:44+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">20 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-accountants-need-to-know\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMTD for Income Tax: What accountants and clients need to do\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tMaking Tax Digital for Income Tax has started. Here&#8217;s what accountants need to know about thresholds, deadlines, and software so they can support their clients.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-24831 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-accountant-tax tag-bookkeeping tag-mtd-accountants tag-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax tag-need-to-know business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-and-agentic-ai\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media card-post__media--video\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1325244864-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"An accountant using agentic AI\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1325244864-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1325244864-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1325244864-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__play-video\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"card-post__play-icon svg-icon\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 33 36\"><path d=\"M3.947.936C1.889 1.016 0 2.661 0 4.878v27.11c0 2.956 3.36 4.896 5.999 3.463l24.965-13.555c2.715-1.474 2.715-5.451 0-6.925L6 1.416a3.96 3.96 0 0 0-2.052-.48Zm.032 2.6c.232-.001.475.058.713.187L29.66 17.28c.986.535.986 1.774 0 2.309L4.692 33.144c-.952.517-1.999-.088-1.999-1.155V4.878c0-.533.261-.95.642-1.17.19-.11.411-.171.644-.172\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" class=\"card-post__meta-icon svg-icon\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M5.25 3C3.74 3 2.5 4.24 2.5 5.75v12.5C2.5 19.76 3.74 21 5.25 21h14c1.51 0 2.75-1.24 2.75-2.75V5.75C22 4.24 20.76 3 19.25 3zm0 1.5h14c.699 0 1.25.551 1.25 1.25v12.5a1.24 1.24 0 0 1-1.25 1.25h-14A1.24 1.24 0 0 1 4 18.25V5.75c0-.699.551-1.25 1.25-1.25m.25.75a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5H6a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm13 0a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5h.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm-8.25 2.751A1.248 1.248 0 0 0 9 9.251v5.5c0 .442.231.849.613 1.074.389.231.846.237 1.239.021l5.001-2.751c.396-.219.646-.639.646-1.094s-.25-.876-.646-1.095l-.001-.001-5.002-2.751a1.25 1.25 0 0 0-.601-.153zM5.5 8.25a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5H6a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm13 0a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5h.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm-8 1.423L14.731 12 10.5 14.328zm-5 1.577a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5H6a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm13 0a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5h.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm-13 3a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5H6a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm13 0a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5h.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm-13 3a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5H6a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5zm13 0a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5h.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5v-.5a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5z\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T12:04:04+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow agentic AI is changing accounting compliance\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-25298 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-accountant-tax tag-ai tag-mtd-accountants tag-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/agentic-ai-in-practice-how-sage-is-reshaping-the-future-of-accounting-with-mtd\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1283838967-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1283838967-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1283838967-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1283838967-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T11:56:01+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">14 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tEveryday agentic AI: How Sage is reshaping the future of accounting with MTD\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-10711 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-tax tag-bookkeeping tag-mtd-accountants tag-mtd-business tag-need-to-know tag-tax tag-vat business_type-small-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/making-tax-digital-vat-groups\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T11:24:53+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMaking Tax Digital for VAT groups: Returns and digital links\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-32158 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-mtd-accountants business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/hmrc-led-sign-up-mtd-income-tax-accountants\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-677893494-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-677893494-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-677893494-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-677893494-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-07T18:27:09+01:00\">7 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHMRC-led sign-up for MTD for Income Tax: What accountants need to know\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Practices have until the end of the decade to transition largely from Self Assessment clients, to MTD for Income Tax. This is a profound change, as we explore in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":653,"featured_media":16372,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"9","sage_membership_post_content_type":"article","sage_membership_post_featured_video_id":"","sage_membership_post_video_type":"trailer","sage_membership_post_featured_video_duration":"","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[29],"business_type":[115],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[67],"imagine_tag":[727],"coauthors":[377],"class_list":["post-27054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-mtd-accountants","business_type-accountants"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Simon Brooke","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1374490620.jpg","imagine_tags":{"727":"Self Assessment and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27054"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32553,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27054\/revisions\/32553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/16372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=27054"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=27054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}