MTD for Income Tax is mandatory from April 2026

The UK's cheapest Making Tax Digital software for sole traders and landlords.

Free for simple tax affairs. Paid plans from just £1.99/month — cheaper than every alternative, including the ones with no web interface and no AI.

You're on the list. We'll email you when we launch.

We'll let you know the moment we launch. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

The Problem

MTD is coming. Software shouldn't cost more than your tax bill.

From April 2026, sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000 must keep digital records and file quarterly updates with HMRC. That means you need compatible software. Most options charge £12–£25 per month for features you'll never use. The "free" ones all have catches — wrong bank, wrong income type, transaction limits.

What competitors charge
£144–£288/year
Xero, FreeAgent, Sage, QuickBooks
What AffordableMTD charges
Free – £19.99/year
Free tier available. No VAT to add — that's the real price

How It Works

Three steps. That's it.

Keep using your existing spreadsheets. We handle the HMRC part.

1

Connect to HMRC

Securely link your HMRC account with one click. We use the same official Government Gateway login you already have.

2

Import your data

Upload your spreadsheet or CSV. Our AI automatically categorises your transactions into the right HMRC categories. You review and confirm.

3

Submit to HMRC

Check the summary, click submit. Your quarterly update is filed. You'll see a confirmation with a timestamp and reference.

Pricing

See how we compare.

Real prices — what you actually pay. Competitors' prices shown including VAT where applicable. Our prices have no VAT to add.

Software Annual Cost Type Catch
AffordableMTD Free £0 Bridging Single income source, manual entry
AffordableMTD Standard £19.99 Bridging + AI Multiple income types, CSV import, AI categorisation
123 Sheets £23.40 inc. VAT Bridging No web UI, no AI, no record-keeping
VitalTax £36.00 inc. VAT Bridging Basic Excel add-in only
Coconut (MTD) £108.00 Full Free only with Zempler bank
Sage Start £144.00 Full Free tier: self-employment only, no property
Xero Starter £180.00 Full Overkill for quarterly submissions
FreeAgent £288.00 Full Free only with NatWest/RBS account

What You Get

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

Built specifically for MTD compliance. No invoicing, no payroll, no project management — just the tax bit, done properly.

📊

Spreadsheet Import

Upload CSV or Excel files directly. Your existing record-keeping stays exactly as it is — we're the bridge to HMRC.

🤖

AI Categorisation

Transactions automatically sorted into HMRC expense categories. Review, adjust, and submit — no manual mapping.

📅

Obligations Dashboard

See exactly which quarterly updates are due, what's been submitted, and what's coming up. No guesswork.

🏠

Self-Employment & Property

Both income types supported on paid plans. Free tier covers a single income source. No separate products, no bank account requirement.

🔒

HMRC Recognised

Official HMRC-recognised software, listed on GOV.UK. Your submissions are filed through the same APIs used by Xero and Sage.

✅

Pre-Submission Checks

AI reviews your data before you submit — flagging common errors, unusual figures, and missing categories.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about MTD for Income Tax.

If you're a sole trader or landlord with annual income over £50,000, yes — from 6 April 2026 you must keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using compatible software. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027. This replaces the annual Self Assessment tax return.
Bridging software connects your existing records (spreadsheets, CSV files) to HMRC's systems. You keep doing your bookkeeping however you like — the software just handles the digital submission. It's the simplest and cheapest type of MTD-compatible software.
Yes — that's exactly what bridging software is for. You maintain your records in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet. When it's time to file a quarterly update, you upload your data to AffordableMTD, review the figures, and submit. No need to change how you work.
For the standard tax year, you submit cumulative updates by: 7 August (Q1), 7 November (Q2), 7 February (Q3), and 7 May (Q4). The first deadline for the 2026-27 tax year is 7 August 2026. There's a soft landing — no penalty points for late quarterly updates in the first year.
Not with AffordableMTD. Both self-employment and UK property income are supported on every plan. Some competitors only handle one type, or charge extra for property. We cover both from day one.
We're aiming to launch in summer 2026, ahead of the first quarterly deadline on 7 August. Join the waitlist to get early access and founding-member pricing.
Your connection to HMRC uses the official Government Gateway OAuth process — we never see your Government Gateway password. All API tokens are encrypted at rest. Financial data is transmitted over HTTPS and stored securely. We follow HMRC's security requirements and GDPR.

Get ahead of the deadline.

The first MTD quarterly update is due 7 August 2026. Join the waitlist now and we'll notify you the moment we launch — plus founding members get early access and a locked-in launch price.

You're on the list. We'll be in touch.

No payment required. No spam.