What’s Inside the Spreadsheet?
MTD for Income Tax requires digital records from 6 April 2026. This workbook keeps them properly organised from day one:
- Start Here tab — plain-English instructions and all four 2026/27 deadlines.
- Q1–Q4 transaction tabs — one row per transaction, with a column for each HMRC expense category (the same SA103 categories your quarterly updates use). Quarter dates pre-filled for 2026/27.
- Quarterly Summary tab — income, every expense category, total expenses and profit per quarter, plus cumulative year-to-date figures — exactly the shape of an MTD quarterly update.
- Example rows included — so you can see the expected format, then overwrite them with your own entries.
How It Fits Into MTD
HMRC accepts spreadsheets as digital records, provided updates reach them through MTD-compatible or bridging software. The workflow: record transactions here as they happen → at quarter end, your bridging/MTD software reads the totals → update sent by the deadline (7 Aug, 7 Nov, 7 Feb, 7 May). No accounting adjustments are needed at quarter end — those happen once, at year end.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. HMRC allows spreadsheets as digital records, provided you use bridging software (or compatible software that reads spreadsheets) to send quarterly updates. This template keeps records in the right categories so totals map directly to your updates.
The same categories as Self Assessment (SA103), which MTD quarterly updates also use: cost of goods, subcontractor payments, staff costs, travel, premises costs, repairs, office costs, advertising, loan interest, financial charges, bad debts, professional fees, depreciation and other expenses.
Yes. It’s a standard .xlsx file using only simple SUM formulas and cell references, so it calculates identically in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice.
This version is built around the self-employment categories. If you also have property income, MTD treats that as a separate business needing its own records and updates — keep a second copy of the spreadsheet for the property business as a simple approach.
Completely free — no email signup, no registration, no watermarks. Built by PayToolkit, the free UK tax calculator site.
Sources
- Digital record and update requirements from GOV.UK — Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (checked July 2026)
- Expense categories from HMRC SA103 / MTD quarterly update notice