Blog
Guides we wish someone had given us
Practical answers on MTD, CIS, payroll and expenses, written by the two of us between client work. One of them is in Romanian, and more will be.
HGV and van drivers through an agency: does MTD apply to you?
Agency drivers can be on PAYE, on an umbrella or self-employed, sometimes all in the same year. Only the self-employed money counts for the MTD threshold. How to tell which one you are from your payslip or your invoice, and what happens if you're a mix.
Read itDo I need a separate business bank account for MTD?
Sole traders don't need a business bank account for Making Tax Digital. But MTD software reads your bank feed, and a mixed account means picking the work lines out of the Tesco shops every quarter. When one account is fine, and when a second one is worth it.
Read itYour 2025/26 tax return decides whether you're in MTD next April. File it early
HMRC decides your April 2027 Making Tax Digital status from the 2025/26 tax return. File it in the autumn and you know five months ahead, with your January bill worked out too. Leave it to 31 January and you get nine weeks.
Read itThe final declaration: what replaces your tax return under MTD
Under Making Tax Digital you still send one return a year, and it's the one that sets your tax bill. What goes in it that the quarterly updates never see, the dates for 2026/27, and the paperwork to start collecting now.
Read itAmazon Flex, Uber, Deliveroo: gig income and the MTD threshold
Platform drivers on two or three apps often come in under £30,000 on each one and over it in total. How HMRC adds it up, why the figure is bigger than what hits your bank, and what to save from each app before April 2027.
Read itCan you get out of MTD? The digitally excluded exemption, honestly
The digitally excluded exemption, explained straight. Who HMRC accepts, the phone number and address to apply, the 28-day wait, and what to do if you don't qualify but can't face the software.
Read itCIS subcontractors and MTD: your 20% deductions still need a tax return
Subcontractors over £30,000 are in MTD from April 2027. Why your quarterly updates use the gross figure, not what lands in the bank, and how to keep your statements so the CIS refund comes back in full.
Read itFree MTD software: when free is fine, and when it costs you more
FreeAgent, Starling, Clear Books, Sage and Zoho all have free MTD plans, each with a catch. What free software won't do for you, and when paying £50 a month is the better deal.
Read itRent out one flat? It counts towards the £30,000 MTD test
A driver on £22,000 with a £10,000 rental is over the £30,000 MTD line. What counts, how a flat you own with your husband or wife changes the sum, and why your 2025/26 tax return decides it.
Read itMTD penalty points from April 2027: how the £200 works
This year HMRC isn't charging anything for late MTD updates. From April 2027 each late update is a point, and four points is £200. How it adds up, with a worked example for a courier.
Read itAbout half missed the first MTD deadline. Here's what the November one looks like
About half the people HMRC expected in Making Tax Digital didn't send the first update by 7 August. What the 7 November update covers, why it catches you up on the one you missed, and what to get together before October ends.
Read itHMRC has started signing people up to MTD without asking. What the letter means
HMRC is now enrolling people into MTD automatically and writing to tell them afterwards. What the letter means, how to check whether HMRC has the right person, and what to do in the next month.
Read itMTD from April 2027: why parcel delivery drivers should open a business account now
Turnover over £30,000 in 2025/26 means MTD from April 2027. For Amazon, Evri and DHL drivers, a separate business account is the first job. Which ones are free, and why it cuts your fee.
Read itMissed an MTD quarterly deadline? Here's what actually happens
The 7 August 2026 MTD deadline has passed and thousands didn't file. What HMRC actually does about it this year (nothing), and how to catch up before November.
Read itMTD quarterly updates are not tax bills. Here's what they actually are
The most common MTD misunderstanding: quarterly updates don't mean paying tax four times a year. What's actually in an update, and what happens if it's wrong.
Read itThe MTD thresholds: £50k now, £30k next April, £20k the year after
MTD for Income Tax thresholds by year, and why qualifying income means turnover, not profit. Check whether you're in scope for 2026, 2027 or 2028.
Read itSole trader or limited company in 2026? The honest version
When incorporating saves money, when it just adds admin, and how MTD changes the sums. An honest guide for drivers, subcontractors and small business owners.
Read itThe HGV overnight allowance: £34.90, £26.20, and who gets what
The lorry driver overnight subsistence rates explained: the £34.90 agreed rate, the 75% sleeper cab rate, HMRC approval, and what self-employed drivers claim instead.
Read itLocum work: when you're PAYE, when you're self-employed, and the mess in between
Locums and agency healthcare staff often have several income types at once. How the pieces fit, what to claim, and when a limited company helps or hurts.
Read itMTD pe înțelesul tuturor: ce trebuie să faci dacă ești self-employed în UK
Ghid MTD în română: cine intră sub reguli, ce sunt rapoartele trimestriale, ce amenzi există și ce ai de făcut dacă ai ratat termenul din 7 august.
Read itMTD for Income Tax: the April 2026 survival guide for sole traders
MTD for Income Tax is live for sole traders and landlords over £50k. What changed, what software you need, and the penalty grace period explained. Updated August 2026.
Read itCIS refunds: why subcontractors are owed thousands, and how to claim
20% deducted at source, expenses never claimed, refund never filed. How CIS refunds work, what a typical claim looks like, and the paperwork you actually need.
Read itThe construction VAT reverse charge: still catching people out in 2026
When the domestic reverse charge applies, when it doesn't, and the exact invoice wording HMRC expects. Five years in, it's still the biggest VAT error we fix.
Read itFive payroll mistakes that cost UK SMEs real money in 2026
Late RTI, wrong starter tax codes, unclaimed Employment Allowance, directors' NIC and forgotten P11Ds. The five payroll errors we fix most on new clients.
Read itTransport operators: the 2026 tax deadlines you cannot miss
VAT, RTI, O-licence financial standing, corporation tax. One calendar for haulage and logistics businesses, and what happens if a deadline slips.
Read itThe definitive allowable expenses list for transport and CIS workers
Fuel, overnight allowances, tools, PPE, training. What HMRC accepts and what it rejects for drivers and subcontractors. Updated August 2026 with corrected overnight rates.
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