{"id":30690,"date":"2026-08-08T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=30690"},"modified":"2026-08-10T08:50:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T07:50:23","slug":"mtd-quarterly-update-accountants-bookkeepers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-quarterly-update-accountants-bookkeepers\/","title":{"rendered":"MTD quarterly updates: A practice guide for accountants and bookkeepers"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--standard entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--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 quarterly updates: A practice guide for accountants and bookkeepers\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\tHere&#8217;s what to do to get your clients filed, keep everyone calm, and come out with a routine you can run on repeat.\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>\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=\"2026-08-08T09:00:00+01:00\">8 August, 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 quarterly updates: A practice guide for accountants and bookkeepers\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-quarterly-update-accountants-bookkeepers\/\"\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\/keirthomasbryant\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Keir Thomas-Bryant<\/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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><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\">Making Tax Digital<\/a> (MTD) was first announced back in 2015, with Income Tax the initial planned inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">History shows things didn&#8217;t run quite to plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But now, here we are over a decade later and, as you&#8217;re reading this, the clock will be ticking down to one of four dates: 7 August, 7 November, 7 February, or 7 May. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are the four quarterly update deadlines and they&#8217;re now amongst the busiest times in any practice with Income Tax clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There may be challenges. But the focus must be on getting that batch of updates out of the door. That&#8217;s what this article&#8217;s all about. No technical explainers. Just focusing on solving for the here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what we discuss:<\/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-triage-your-client-list\" data-level=\"2\">Triage your client list<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-file-under-red-amber-and-green\" data-level=\"2\">File under red, amber and green<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-get-your-engagement-letters-right-first\" data-level=\"2\">Get your engagement letters right first<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-get-the-missing-data-in-the-fastest-way-possible\" data-level=\"2\">Get the missing data&mdash;in the fastest way possible<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-client-email-templates-for-sending-today\" data-level=\"2\">The client email templates for sending today<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-clients-you-re-servicing-only-for-year-end\" data-level=\"3\">Clients you&#8217;re servicing only for year end<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-clients-you-re-servicing-fully\" data-level=\"3\">Clients you&#8217;re servicing fully<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#mtd-submissions-rota\" data-level=\"2\">Build a submission rota for your team<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-let-the-software-do-the-heavy-lifting\" data-level=\"2\">Let the software do the heavy lifting<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-not-to-do-for-mtd-quarterly-updates-in-your-practice\" data-level=\"2\">What not to do for MTD quarterly updates in your practice<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-if-a-client-just-won-t-make-the-quarterly-update-deadline\" data-level=\"2\">What if a client just won&rsquo;t make the quarterly update deadline?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-after-the-7th-keep-the-momentum\" data-level=\"2\">After the 7th: Keep the momentum<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-triage-your-client-list\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Triage your client list<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you touch a single submission, get a clear picture of where every in-scope client stands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You will have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-switching-your-practice-from-self-assessment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two broad categories<\/a>, of course:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Do it with me<\/strong>: Clients that have their own software and are doing their own quarterly updates (but who are anticipating your help at year end). These will need reminding of the quarterly update obligation, and perhaps reassuring, too, that they&#8217;re doing things right.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do it for me<\/strong>: Clients that are expecting you to do it all for them\u2014from creating digital records, to creating and submitting the quarterly updates. These clients may need chasing and reassuring that you&#8217;re taking care of it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s the latter we&#8217;re most focused on in this article, but we do provide an email template for the former, below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What&#8217;s more you need to segment against risk, complexity and readiness. It might help to further segment by the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sole trader only<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Property only<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sole trader plus property<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CIS subcontractor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jointly owned property<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multiple trades<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cash-heavy clients<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bank-feed-ready clients<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spreadsheet clients<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clients that are VAT registered<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clients with poor record quality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clients needing software setup or authorisation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-file-under-red-amber-and-green\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">File under red, amber and green<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pull your list of clients mandated for MTD for Income Tax, and sort them into three buckets according to the basics of the RAG status system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ready to file (GREEN)<\/strong>: Records complete and in your software<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data still landing (AMBER)<\/strong>: Some records in, chasing the rest<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nothing yet (RED)<\/strong>: Radio silence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then review and file every green client today, if that&#8217;s in your purview (e.g. they aren&#8217;t doing it themselves). There is nothing to gain by holding these clients, and clearing them off your desk frees the team to focus where it counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember that 2026 is the first time HMRC has processed what will be millions of taxpayer quarterly updates (with many taxpayers submitting multiple updates, of course). All of us have confidence nothing bad will happen with HMRC&#8217;s systems but, in the same breath, it isn&#8217;t being overly cynical to get as much done as possible ahead of the deadline, before the systems will become strained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now work the amber list hardest: these are the ones a single phone call or scan-in session can push over the line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The red list you triage by risk\u2014biggest liabilities and least time first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are using Sage for Accountants, the MTD for Income Tax Agent that&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-accountants-bookkeepers-career-skills\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">part of the Sage Copilot Ai<\/a> can do this segmentation for you automatically, grouping clients by complexity and readiness so you are not building the list by hand. More on that below.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<!-- Start of Brightcove Player -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"display: block; position: relative; min-width: 0px; max-width: 729px;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"padding-top: 56%; \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<video-js\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"6398462696112\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-video-id=\"6398462696112\" data-account=\"1180526826001\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-player=\"HTeBRoTDF\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-usage=\"cms:WordPress:7.0.4:2.8.8:javascript\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-embed=\"default\" class=\"video-js\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-application-id=\"wordpress_en_gb_0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcontrols   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/video-js>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<script src=\"https:\/\/players.brightcove.net\/1180526826001\/HTeBRoTDF_default\/index.min.js\"><\/script> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- End of Brightcove Player -->\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-get-your-engagement-letters-right-first\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get your engagement letters right first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you offer to do anything, be clear on what you&#8217;ve actually agreed with each client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are you submitting the quarterly update, reviewing it before they submit, or only handling year-end? What happens if records don&#8217;t arrive in time? Are quarterly updates covered by the existing fee, and what level of review comes with them? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You should&#8217;ve already nailed this down in your MTD for Income Tax engagement letter and pricing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If not, now has to be the time, because it simply cannot be put off any longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accountants\/client-engagement\/\">Sage GoProposal<\/a>, which is part of Sage for Accountants, is ready for this kind of work, and can make it as efficient as possible. You definitely don&#8217;t need to be doing this task manually, which is a time sink you can&#8217;t afford as the quarterly deadline approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Engagement framing is especially important once you start offering to &#8220;check figures&#8221; or &#8220;take it off your hands&#8221;\u2014friendly phrases that can quietly bring about scope creep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-get-the-missing-data-in-the-fastest-way-possible\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get the missing data\u2014in the fastest way possible<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bottleneck is always getting the records out of the clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the disorganised ones (the classic landlord or side-hustler with a carrier bag of statements), the fastest route from raw paperwork to filed figures is scan-and-reconcile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use a capture tool to digitise everything in one go. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/sage-accounting\/features\/autoentry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Data entry automation apps like AutoEntry<\/a> let clients photograph, scan or email their invoices, receipts and bank statements, then extracts the data for you instead of anyone re-keying it\u2014which also ticks the digital-records requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might even be able to get by just with the bank statements if the client hasn&#8217;t made cash purchases or accepted cash payments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there&#8217;s an important caveat: bank data may be the fastest starting point, but it still needs review, categorisation, and supplementation where the bank record does not tell the full tax story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For clients with no ledger or accounting software at all, AutoEntry&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/company\/digital-newsroom\/2026\/03\/sage-strengthens-support-for-accountants-as-making-tax-digital-expansion-accelerates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AccountsPrep add-on<\/a> takes those captured statements, lets you fast-code them to a chart of accounts and reconcile against the bank, and outputs a tidy set of figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those using AccountsPrep say it can turn what used to be a full day&#8217;s work per client into an hour or so. For MTD, data entry software like this is not just a nice-to-have. It&#8217;s essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lean on light-touch reconciliation. You no longer need to match every line by hand: let the software auto-match the bulk and have your team review the exceptions and anything that looks off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s the only realistic way to get through the volume without burning people out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-client-email-templates-for-sending-today\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The client email templates for sending today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clients will either be DIYing the quarterly update, or will be relying on you (hopefully having arranged to do so in advance, of course, as mentioned above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Email both types of client with reminders. Here are some templates you can insert straight into your email software. If the client uses calendar quarter elections, you should obviously edit where required (although the deadline remains the 7th of the following month).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also share our article written specifically for taxpayers facing an MTD quarterly deadline, which highlights how Sage Sole Trader can be used to quickly and easily submit the update (and for zero cost):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-quarterly-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MTD quarterly updates: Everything you need to know<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-clients-you-re-servicing-only-for-year-end\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clients you&#8217;re servicing only for year end<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this template, we&#8217;re using the 7 August deadline. You should edit to fit your nearest quarterly deadline (e.g. 7 November).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Subject<\/strong>: Your Making Tax Digital update is due by 7 August<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Hi <strong>[first name]<\/strong>,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A friendly heads-up as a Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax deadline comes round. As we&#8217;ve arranged, you will handle your own quarterly updates through your accounting software, so here&#8217;s a short guide to keep it simple and stress-free\u2014plus a reminder that we&#8217;re on hand if you need us.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Your quarterly update is due to HMRC by 7 August 2026. It covers your income and expenses for 6 April to 5 July, and you submit it through your MTD-compatible software, not the HMRC website.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A few things worth knowing:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>It&#8217;s not a tax bill. A quarterly update is just a summary of your income and expenses for the period. There&#8217;s nothing to pay\u2014your tax is still due on <strong>[31 July\/31 January\u2014edit to fit]<\/strong>.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Your quarterly update does not need to be final-tax-return perfect, but it does need to be based on your digital records. If anything changes later, it can be corrected in a future update and finalised in your tax return. The key is to submit a reasonable update on time using the information available<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Don&#8217;t leave it to the last day. Millions of people are filing, so HMRC&#8217;s systems may be busy close to the deadline. Getting yours in a few days early takes the pressure off.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>To submit, in short:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Check your software is connected to HMRC and shows you as active for MTD for Income Tax, and not connected to the old Self Assessment route any longer.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Make sure every transaction from 6 April to 5 July is entered and categorised, with nothing left uncategorised.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Review the quarterly summary your software produces, sense-checking any large entries.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Submit, and save the confirmation from HMRC.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>If you&#8217;d rather not do it alone, or you hit anything you&#8217;re unsure about, just reply to this email or give us a call. We&#8217;re happy to check your figures before you submit, take the whole thing off your hands, or simply be on standby for your year-end\u2014whatever&#8217;s easiest for you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>[Your name]<br>[Practice name]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-clients-you-re-servicing-fully\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clients you&#8217;re servicing fully<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don&#8217;t wait for stragglers to come to you. Go to them, today, with one clear ask and one clear deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep it warm and specific. A firm, friendly nudge with a real cut-off gets records in far faster than a vague chaser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Again, we use the 7 August deadline below, and you should edit to fit your nearest quarterly deadline (e.g. 7 November).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Subject: <\/strong>Urgent action needed\u2014your records for the 7 August tax deadline&nbsp; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Hi <strong>[first name]<\/strong>,&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Your quarterly update under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is due to HMRC by 7 August, and we need your business income and expenditure for 6 April to 5 July this year (2026).<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Could you send us the following by <strong>[date\u2014give yourself a buffer before 7 August]<\/strong>:<\/em>&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Business bank statements for the period<\/em>\u2014<em>these can usually be exported from your mobile banking app.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Any sales invoices and expense receipts not already with us<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em><strong>[Anything client-specific e.g. records for online sales]&nbsp;<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The easiest way is to snap or scan them and send them over \u2014 <strong>[one line on how: upload here \/ use WhatsApp \/ reply to this email \/ use the app we set up]<\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Don&#8217;t worry about sorting or categorising anything. We will do all of that. If it&#8217;s easier to talk it through, just let me know a good time for a quick call.&nbsp; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Thanks\u2014this won&#8217;t take long and we will take it from here.&nbsp; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>[Your name]<\/strong><\/em><br><em><strong>[Practice name]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"mtd-submissions-rota\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Build a submission rota for your team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With four deadlines a year now instead of one, the practices coping best are running submissions like a production line rather than a scramble. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set up a simple rota for the next few weeks around four roles\u2014even if one person wears more than one hat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Capture<\/strong>: Getting records in and scanned (chasing clients, managing accounts in a tool like AutoEntry).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Code and reconcile<\/strong>: Turning raw data into coded, reconciled figures using tools like AccountsPrep.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Review<\/strong> (optional): A second pair of eyes sense-checking before anything goes to HMRC. This can be spot-checking if resource is limited.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Submit<\/strong>: Filing through your software, saving the confirmation, and notifying the client (if that&#8217;s part of your workflow).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Work backwards from the 7th and file continuously: as each client clears review, submit them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A daily five-minute stand-up meeting in the morning for the team\u2014who&#8217;s green, who&#8217;s stuck, what&#8217;s blocking\u2014keeps the whole book moving and stops anyone slipping through the cracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One practical heads-up for 7 August in particular: This lands in school-holiday and peak holiday season, so map the rota against who is actually in the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-let-the-software-do-the-heavy-lifting\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let the software do the heavy lifting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t have to carry the admin load by hand. This is exactly what the new wave of AI tooling is built for, and quarterly updates are the moment to put it to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sage&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/making-tax-digital\/accountants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MTD for Income Tax Agent<\/a>, built on Sage Copilot Ai, is designed for precisely this crunch. From within Sage for Accountants it can automatically segment your clients by complexity, set up the quarterly update jobs, chase missing documents across different channels, generate the submission report for you to check, and flag anything that looks wrong before it goes anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crucially it&#8217;s configurable and keeps you in control: you decide which tasks it does automatically and which a human signs off, so it is assisted, not autonomous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can cut the admin around quarterly updates by up to 80% and hand back around five hours a week\u2014time you can put into the clients that actually need advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">The principle holds whatever tools you use: let the software do the repetitive, mechanical work\u2014segmenting, chasing, extracting, pre-filling\u2014and keep your people for the judgement calls, the exceptions and the final review. Used that way, quarterly updates become far more manageable, and you finish it with a workflow you can run almost on autopilot four times a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-not-to-do-for-mtd-quarterly-updates-in-your-practice\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What not to do for MTD quarterly updates in your practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watch out for the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Do not wait until the 7th to submit every client:<\/strong> File each client the moment their records are ready and spread submissions across the window. Batching the whole book to the deadline creates a needless bottleneck\u2014and with millions filing, it is wise to assume HMRC&#8217;s systems could be under strain right when you need them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do not submit unsupported guesses just to hit the date<\/strong>: Cumulative updates give you room to correct figures later, but that is not a licence to invent them. Submit the best numbers your client&#8217;s records genuinely support: a sensible estimate drawn from real data is fine, a figure plucked from thin air is not.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do not assume the client knows whether they are in scope<\/strong>:<strong> <\/strong>Plenty of clients think they are in when they are not, or are mandated and have no idea. The legal duty to check sits with them, but the reputational hit of a missed deadline lands on you\u2014so confirm scope client by client rather than taking it as read.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do not let clients believe soft landing means \u201cMTD does not matter\u201d<\/strong>: The first-year easement only removes penalty points for late quarterly updates. It does not switch off the obligation, and it does not cover late payment or the digital tax return. Frame it as breathing room to get the routine right, not a reason to ease off.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do not absorb four cycles of work under an old annual fee<\/strong>: MTD turns one annual job into four-plus touchpoints a year. If your engagement letters and pricing still assume a single return, you will quietly do far more work for the same money\u2014reprice now, if you haven&#8217;t already, before the extra cycles stack up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do not allow casual email support to become an undefined service<\/strong>: A friendly &#8220;just send it over and we&#8217;ll check it&#8221; is how scope creep begins. Be clear in writing about what is and is not included, so ad-hoc favours do not harden into an unpaid service you are expected to repeat every quarter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do not treat this quarter as a one-off project\u2014use it to build the next quarter rhythm<\/strong>: The goal is not simply to survive the deadline, but to come out with a repeatable workflow. Note what slowed you down this quarter\u2014the chasing, the messy clients, the manual steps\u2014and fix it now so the next quarter runs on rails.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-if-a-client-just-won-t-make-the-quarterly-update-deadline\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if a client just won\u2019t make the quarterly update deadline?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some clients on the red list will stay red, however hard you chase. And it&#8217;s not down to you to panic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, the fact is that HMRC has confirmed a soft landing for this first year. No late submission penalty points will be issued for quarterly updates during 2026\/27 for this first mandated group. A client that genuinely can\u2019t make 7 November, for example, faces no point and no fine for that update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the rule for the red list is simple: keep chasing, but don\u2019t burn team hours forcing guesswork through on deadline day. In the soft-landing year, an accurate update a few days late is a recoverable, low-drama outcome\u2014just don\u2019t let one missed quarter quietly become a client that has fallen behind for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If that sounds harsh, think back to 2019. When VAT went digital, practices up and down the country discovered the same thing: a small tail of clients that wouldn\u2019t or couldn\u2019t make the move, no matter how much hand-holding was on offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The refrain on the professional forums at the time became something of a recommendation\u2014you don\u2019t have to act for anyone you don\u2019t want to. Many practices used MTD for VAT as the honest prompt to reprice difficult clients, redefine the service\u2014or just part ways professionally. Few regretted it, and most wished they\u2019d done it sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MTD for Income Tax will surface the same tail, only larger. And this is the moment to remember where the responsibility actually sits: the tax obligation belongs to the taxpayer. The relationship that matters legally is between your client and HMRC. You provide services under an engagement letter. You are not the guarantor of their compliance, and a client that won\u2019t engage is not your failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have the honest conversation. Set out plainly what quarterly compliance requires from them, what it costs with you doing it, and what happens if they do nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disengage properly where it\u2019s not working. If a client won\u2019t engage and won\u2019t pay for the level of service their situation demands, the professional route is a clear written disengagement: what you will and won\u2019t complete, a firm end date, and full cooperation with whoever takes over. Do it well clear of the next deadline, put it in writing, and keep a record of the advice you gave. Then move on with a clear conscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-after-the-7th-keep-the-momentum\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">After the 7th: Keep the momentum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t let the machine stop when the quarterly update goes in. The next quarter is already underway, which means the records for it are landing in inboxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three things to do in the week after the deadline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hold a short wash-up meeting: <\/strong>What slowed us down, which clients need moving onto capture tools, and what should the rota look like for next time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Roll the red list forward: <\/strong>Move this quarter&#8217;s stragglers straight onto the the next quarter&#8217;s chase list, with earlier and firmer nudges this time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Set the standing rhythm: <\/strong>Ask clients for records monthly, not quarterly. Clients that send little and often turn every future deadline into a non-event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">File this batch, learn, and go again. By the third or fourth time, this will just be how the practice runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-plus-you-can-use-quarter-one-as-your-pricing-dry-run-did-you-make-money\">Plus, you can use the quarter as your measure for fees. Did you make money?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Buried inside the deadline scramble is the most valuable dataset your practice will collect all year\u2014how long quarterly servicing actually takes, client by client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask the team to log time honestly this quarter against three buckets\u2014chasing and capture, coding and reconciliation, review and submission\u2014for each client. Nothing fancy: a shared spreadsheet does the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, in mid-month after the deadline, read it. You\u2019ll see immediately which clients are profitable at current fees across four cycles a year, which ones need moving onto capture tools before quarter two, and which need a fee conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Practices that reprice on real numbers have that conversation with confidence; practices that don\u2019t simply absorb the cost, four times a year. Start the timesheet today, before the first submission goes out of the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-final-thoughts\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quarterly updates can feel like a mountain. Really, they&#8217;re more like humps in the road. They&#8217;re the same core job you have always done\u2014get the records, tidy the numbers, file them\u2014on a new rhythm. Triage your book, get the data in with the right tools, keep clients calm, and file early and often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do that this quarter and you are not just clearing the next deadline; you are building the routine that makes the next three, and every year after, genuinely easy. And keep the bigger picture in mind: four touchpoints a year instead of one is four chances to have a proper conversation with each client. More compliance means more opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1783003922860\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Can I file a quarterly update if I don&#8217;t have all a client&#8217;s records yet?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">If records are incomplete, file from the best available digital records and document what is missing. Do not invent figures simply to meet the deadline. Where material records are absent, consider whether late submission is more appropriate, particularly during the soft-landing year.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1783004709336\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Will my client be fined for a late quarterly update this year?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Not with penalty points. Clients mandated from April 2026 get a soft landing, so there are no late submission penalty points on their first year of quarterly updates. The important caveat: that relief does not extend to late payment or to the digital tax return, both of which follow the normal penalty rules\u2014so keep filing and paying on time.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1783004722613\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What&#8217;s the fastest way to get a disorganised client ready to file?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Scan-and-reconcile. Use a capture tool such as AutoEntry to digitise the client&#8217;s bank statements, along with the invoices and receipts in one pass (which also satisfies the digital-records rule). Bank statements on their own will do it provided the individual runs everything through their bank (e.g. they don&#8217;t make cash purchases or take cash payments). Then use AccountsPrep to fast-code and reconcile those transactions into a clean set of figures. Let the software auto-match the bulk and only review the exceptions\u2014and let Sage&#8217;s MTD for Income Tax Agent chase outstanding documents and pre-build the submission for your review.<\/p> <\/div> <\/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=\"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\/accountant-accounting\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccountant accounting\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\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\/accountant-automation\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccountant automation\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\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\/accountant-tax\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccountant tax\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\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\/ai\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAI\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\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\/bookkeeping\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBookkeeping\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\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\/cloud\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCloud technology\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\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\/digital-transformation\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDigital transformation\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\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-31958 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-ai tag-digital-transformation tag-grow-accounting-practice tag-workplace-technology 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\/2026\/08\/ai_image_accountants1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Accountants using AI\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/ai_image_accountants1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/ai_image_accountants1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/ai_image_accountants1-1440x810.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=\"2026-08-20T14:00:00+01:00\">20 August, 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\">10 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\/ai-skills-gap-accountants-bookkeepers\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tClosing the AI skills gap in your accountancy practice\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\tNearly half of accountants cite a lack of skilled people as an AI barrier. Here is how to build capability, protect junior development, and bring your team with you.\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-31948 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation tag-accountant-accounting tag-ai tag-digital-transformation tag-grow-accounting-practice tag-workplace-technology 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\/ai-ethics-accountants-bookkeepers\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure 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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=\"2026-08-11T16:21:23+01:00\">11 August, 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\">10 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 to adopt AI in your accountancy practice in 2026\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-30438 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation 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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=\"2026-08-11T09:24:08+01:00\">11 August, 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\tCurious about AI revolutionising payroll? Here\u2019s what you can do today\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>Here&#8217;s what to do to get your clients filed, keep everyone calm, and come out with a routine you can run on repeat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":30695,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","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":true,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"9","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":[223,224,226,50,23,51,145,29],"business_type":[115],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[67],"imagine_tag":[220,221,222,726,331,309,170,727],"coauthors":[369],"class_list":["post-30690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-accountant-accounting","tag-accountant-automation","tag-accountant-tax","tag-ai","tag-bookkeeping","tag-cloud","tag-digital-transformation","tag-mtd-accountants","business_type-accountants"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Keir Thomas-Bryant","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/07\/AdobeStock_1319348913.jpg","imagine_tags":{"220":"Accountant accounting","221":"Accountant automation","222":"Accountant tax","726":"Accountants","331":"AI accountants","309":"AI Hub","170":"Self Assessment","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\/30690","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\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30690"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31899,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30690\/revisions\/31899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/30695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=30690"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}