How to send an MTD quarterly update to HMRC

Open Tax. Under Quarterly updates, find the business and choose Check update beside the next open quarter. The dates and due date are HMRC’s own. Later quarters show Upcoming. If the page asks you to load your HMRC update periods, choose Sync now and open the update again. Before your first update of the year, check View or change update periods. You cannot change them for the rest of the tax year after your first update.

Under 1 Add your figures, choose how to bring in your figures. For a spreadsheet, choose Download the template, enter totals for the tax year so far and save it as CSV. Set Figures up to, then choose Upload spreadsheet. To use your records, choose Add income and expenses instead to open Bookkeeping. Upload again before every Submit, even if the figures have not changed. After a rejected upload, another file must be accepted before you can send. For jointly owned UK property, each owner uses their own account and uploads their own share of the rent and costs.

Under 2 Check your figures, read the year-to-date dates and each line that will be sent. These figures replace what HMRC holds for that business and tax year. If the page asks about turnover, choose No, use Simple or Yes, use Detailed. Simple sends expenses as one total. Detailed sends them by category.

Checks lists anything that stops the update. While something is left, the button says Fix 1 thing first, or the number of things. Use the buttons under Resolve these before sending to fix each one. Items under Take a look before you send are warnings and do not stop you sending. When nothing is left, Checks says Nothing to fix. If you have no figures for the tax year yet, Checks shows £0 update and you can still send it.

Under 3 Submit, if you have no active plan, choose Unlock and submit, then the annual plan, £30.00 + VAT a year, or the monthly plan, £3.50 + VAT a month. Pay on Stripe in the same tab. On return, wait for Your plan is active. Submit when you are ready. Then tick both statements. The first says the figures represent your business income and expenses for this period. The second says you have captured all transactions for this period to the best of your knowledge. Then choose Submit Q1 update, or the quarter you are sending.

When HMRC accepts the update, the page shows Submission complete with the HMRC reference and the date and time sent. If HMRC accepts an update without its required reference, a warning says this has been logged for investigation. Your saved receipt remains available. Figures SimpleTaxFlow sent lists each line. The HMRC card below shows what HMRC now holds for the business. Choose Download PDF or Download CSV to keep a receipt. Choose See HMRC’s calculation to see the tax HMRC works out. In Tax, the quarter shows Awaiting HMRC confirmation until HMRC marks it met, then Sent.