A step closer to Making Tax Digital

We have advised readers in previous postings that HMRC seem to be intent on digitising the upload of small business accounting data from April 2018. From this date, affected self-employed traders (including landlords) will be required to upload details of their trading activities on a quarterly basis.

On the 31 January, HMRC responded to the consultation with interested parties regarding the way in which the MTD process will work in practice.

Many of the initial features remain unchanged:

• The self-employed will be required to file from April 2018.
• The lower income limit above which filing will be compulsory remains at £10,000 – although we are likely to see an increase in this figure when the legislation enacting MTD is published in the Finance Bill March 2017.
• Traders will need to keep their accounting records in a format that can be uploaded to HMRC. Hopefully, spreadsheet templates and other small business software will be available, but traders will need to ensure that they are organised and ready to comply by the April 2018 start date.

Once the MTD process is activated, the need to file a self-assessment tax return each year will be discontinued. It will be replaced by the four quarterly uploads and an annual final check to ensure that all relevant reliefs and adjustments to accounts data are in place.

This is a huge change in the reporting of information to HMRC. As the April 2018 date approaches we will be working with clients to ensure they are fit for purpose. More than 600 accounting software providers are working with HMRC to ensure that their software will accommodate the uploads to HMRC.

Clients who are concerned by this change and want advice on the implications for their business are welcome to call for an update. Please bear in mind, that until we see formal legislation on this topic later in the year the precise details of who is affected, and how the upload process will work in practice, are still uncertain. What seems to the case, is that we have moved a step closer to Making Tax Digital.