Software packages Archives

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Your Friendly Guide

April 23, 2025/in FreeAgent, HMRC, Income & Expenditure, Landlords, Making Tax Digital, MTD, Sage, Self-assessment, Self-employed, Software packages, Sole traders, Xero/by Taxfile

Tax. The very word can sometimes send shivers down your spine! But what if we told you there’s a way to make things a little less… taxing? Enter Making Tax Digital for Income Tax & Self-Assessment (MTD IT)!

Now, before you click away, hear us out. This isn’t about making tax more complicated. It’s actually about bringing your tax admin into the digital age, which in the long run, can save you time and reduce errors. What’s more, if you work through Taxfile, it could also save you money! Think of it as upgrading from paper maps to Google Maps for your finances!

If you work through Taxfile, it could save you money!

So, what exactly is MTD for Income Tax?

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax & Self-Assessment is a government initiative that affects self-employed individuals and landlords/ladies with a total business and property income above a certain threshold. It requires them to keep digital records of income and expenses and send quarterly updates to HMRC using MTD-compatible software*.

Who needs to get on board?

For the 2026/27 tax year, the rules apply to those with a total gross income (turnover) from self-employment and/or property exceeding £50,000 per year.
For the 2027/28 tax year, it will apply to those with a turnover greater than £30,000 and …
For 2028/29 it will affect those with a turnover of £20,000 or more.

If any of these apply to you, then MTD for Income Tax is something you’ll need to familiarise yourself with — but Taxfile can help!

Instead of one big tax return at the end of the year, MTD requires you to send updates every quarter. Think of it as breaking down the task into smaller, more manageable chunks. These updates will provide HMRC with a summary of your income and expenses for that three-month period.

Why the switch to digital?

HMRC believes that going digital will:

Reduce errors — let’s face it, manual data entry can be prone to mistakes. Digital records can help minimise these.
Make tax management easier — regularly updating your records can give you a clearer picture of your business’s financial health throughout the year, not just at the tax deadline.
Potentially reduce stress — knowing you’re keeping on top of things digitally can be a weight off your mind!

Do You* Need to Buy MTD-Compatible Software?

The key to MTD for Income Tax is using compatible software. The software allows users to keep digital records of income and expenses, submit quarterly updates to HMRC, and view tax information in one place. There are various software packages available. While some are free for those with simple needs, others offer more advanced features. HMRC estimates the additional cost to the taxpayer at £338 as a one-off administrative burden and then an additional £100 each year following. However, Taxfile has a way for you to potentially avoid such additional software costs, explained below.

“Taxfile has a way for you to avoid such software costs”

Taxfile’s Solution — What to Do

At Taxfile, with our in-house software skills for various MTD packages, we believe that the taxpayer needs only to provide us with their business transactions (income & expenditure) in a simple spreadsheet each quarter — we’ll then take on the additional responsibility. Working through Taxfile, MTD can be that simple!

“Simply supply us your quarterly income & expenditure transactions in a spreadsheet — we’ll do the rest!”

If you would like to speak to us about MTD, have any concerns, or would like some advice, we offer free consultations. We are happy to help whenever we can, so just drop into our office, book an appointment, or give us a call on 020 8761 8000.

020 8761 8000 Book Appointment Contact Us

Taxfile are accountants and tax advisors based in Tulse Hill, London SE21.

A Brit’s Guide to Value Added Tax Returns

May 23, 2024/in 2023-24, 2024, Book keeping, Bookkeeping, HMRC, Software packages, Taxfile, Value Added Tax, VAT, VAT returns/by Taxfile

VAT — the three little letters that strike fear into the hearts of many a Brit. But fear not, fellow taxpayer! Today, we’re taking a break from the spreadsheets and diving into the delightfully quirky world of UK VAT returns.

VAT, the Shapeshifter

Ever feel like VAT is playing a game of tax-code whack-a-mole? One minute, it’s 20% on your fancy new bicycle helmet. The next, it’s vanished like a magician’s rabbit on a packet of crisps (because, let’s face it, crisps are a VAT mystery all on their own).

The Great Cake Debate

Who knew a simple sponge cake could cause such a stir? Apparently, a sprinkle of chocolate transforms it into a full-VAT situation. Don’t worry, Victoria sponges are safe (for now).

VATman vs. the Smoothie Smugglers

Remember the smoothie wars of ’07? Innocent Drinks tried to claim their creations were “liquefied fruit salad” to avoid VAT. HMRC, ever the defender of fiscal justice, said, “Not so fast, those are clearly beverages!” A tale that proves even the fruitiest tax battles can be entertaining.

Filing Follies

We’ve all been there. You’ve spent hours on your return, feeling smug and self-assured. Then, with a click of the submit button, dread washes over you. Did you forget something? Did you use the wrong form for your pet rock collection (because, yes, VAT rules apply there too)? Deep breaths, everyone. VAT return blunders are a thing.

The Refund Rumble

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a VAT refund. It’s like finding a forgotten banknote in your winter coat – a financial windfall delivered straight from HMRC! Just remember, with great refunds comes great responsibility (to spend it wisely, of course).

VAT returns might not be a walk in the park, but with a little humour and a helpful accountant, they can be a gentle breeze on a summer’s morning.

At Taxfile we take the ‘tax’-ing aspect out of VAT returns leaving you with the ‘value added’, focusing on what is important for you and your business.

We can run your VAT from start to finish; all you need to do is keep a digital footprint of your financial data.

For Accounting Help, Contact Taxfile

Call us on 0208 761 8000 so we can provide you with all the services we provide from VAT registration, bookkeeping, MTD-compliant software and those VAT calculations and submissions. The only thing we don’t do is pay your VAT bill for you!

020 8761 8000 Book Appointment Contact Us

Taxfile are accountants and tax advisors in Tulse Hill and Dulwich in South London.

PAYE, 2021/22 Tax Thresholds, Employment Allowance & P800s

June 8, 2021/in 2021, 2022, Accountancy, Accountants, Accounts, Bookkeeping, Dulwich, Employment allowance, FreeAgent, Higher rate tax payers, Income tax, Limited companies, London, NI, NIC, NIC's, P800, Pay-as-you-earn, PAYE, Payroll, Personal allowance, Sage, Software packages, South London, Tax, Tax accountants, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax bands, tax rebates, Tax refunds, Taxfile, Tulse Hill, VAT, Xero/by Taxfile

My name is Daniel and I have been a part of the Taxfile family since 2007. It started as a part-time job doing bookkeeping, but as time went on, I developed new abilities and a deeper understanding of the tax world. PAYE, VAT, and Company Register are now my areas of expertise.

I understand how complicated the tax world is, so here are a few PAYE things to consider:

Understanding the tax thresholds for 2021-2022

PAYE is calculated based on how much you earn and whether you are eligible for the personal allowance.

Standard Rate: PAYE income tax is charged at 20%, less a personal allowance of £12,570, this is signified by tax code 1257L.
Higher Rate: For most, income over £50,270 to £150,000 is charged at 40%.
Additional Rate: Income above £150,000 is charged at 45%.

What is the Employment Allowance?

The Employment Allowance allows certain businesses that employ workers to reduce their annual National Insurance (NI) bill by up to £4,000 (for the 2021/22 tax year).
Eligible businesses can claim a reduction against their employer’s Class 1 NI liability up to a maximum of £4,000 each tax year. You can still claim the allowance if the liability was less than £4,000 in a tax year.

You can’t claim if you’re a company with only one employee paid above the Class 1 National Insurance Secondary Threshold (£8,840 for the 2021/22 tax year, up from £8,788 for the 2020/21 tax year) if that employee is also a director of the company.

How will I know if I haven’t paid the right amount of PAYE?

HMRC will send out a P800 tax calculation form after the tax year ends on 5 April, which you should receive by the end of November. This will show how much tax is due to be refunded, or is owed for previous years.

Another significant aspect of Taxfile is that it works with a wide range of accounts software (Sage, QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, VT, Forbes, Moneysoft, and so on) and can accommodate everyone. These are just a few examples, but if you need assistance with any area of PAYE, VAT, or other types of tax, Taxfile and the team are here to help. Call Taxfile on 020 8761 8000, book a free appointment (in-person and phone or video call options are available) or simply message us your tax-related query and we’ll be happy to help. We are accountants and tax experts in South London.

This post was brought to you by Daniel at Taxfile.

How To Help Your Accountant Save You Money

October 23, 2020/in 2020, Accountants, Bookkeeping, Corporation tax, Income & Expenditure, Limited companies, Limited company, P11D, Software packages, Tax, Tax accountant, Tax accountants, Tax calculation, Taxfile, VAT, Xero/by Taxfile

There are many benefits of helping your accountant by providing complete and organised records from the outset.

Here are some of them:

If you get your records to your accountant on time, you will give them enough time to work on your case without unnecessary pressure and file everything on time (don’t forget you are not their only client).
By providing organised and detailed records, you’ll understand your business performance better and it will save them time from processing and reorganising untidy paperwork.
By providing complete records of your business expenses, they can claim what is allowable and potentially reduce your tax bill.

When preparing your financial records you need to remember:

Separate your business from your personal finances.
Stay on top of your records and ensure they are orderly with no gaps in the dates.
Keep receipts and purchase invoices; you will need to provide proof of all expenditure and year-end creditors.
Bring bank statements for the complete period and downloads of your bank feed in .csv format if possible.
Sequential invoices for each sale, dated, to prove year-end debtors and accrued income.
Depending on your business, you may also need to keep records for things such as payroll, cash books, stock takes, travel and credit card statements.

In an ideal world:

It is much better to keep on top of these things monthly than leaving it until the end of the year, where you may have lost or forgotten data around expenses, sales, or other financial details.
You would have a software package to help you track your bank, expenses, and sales.

At Taxfile we provide the full spectrum of accountancy-related services; integrating your business with accounting software like Xero, oversee your bookkeeping, run VAT returns and payroll, to filing your year-end accounts, corporation tax return & director(s) tax return(s).

Call us on 0208 761 8000 if you would like to streamline your businesses finances and alleviate some pressures from your financial duties as a director. Alternatively, book an appointment with us here or drop us a message here — we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD IT). Are you ready?

September 1, 2020/in Buy to let, HM Revenue and Customs, HMRC, Income & Expenditure, Income tax, Landlords, Making Tax Digital, MTD, Self-assessment, Self-employed, Software packages, Sole traders, Tax return, Tax returns, Taxes, Taxfile/by Taxfile

The Government has now pencilled in what they regard as a firm date to implement MTD for IT, for all landlords and business owners that have an income above £10,000.

The next accounting period starting on or after 06/04/2023 that meet the above mentioned criteria will need to be compiled & submitted via MTD-compatible software.

If you are self-employed or a landlord with a turnover greater than £10k, how will MTD affect you?

1. You will need to submit a quarterly summary of your businesses income & expenses to HMRC using MTD-compliant software. Yes, you read that correctly. No longer can you do your tax return in one go, with a lot of our customers leaving it to December or even January before they come to see us. As your tax agents, we would need your business transactions every 3 months, to compile, compute, and submit through to HMRC.

The timing of the quarterly updates is determined by the accounting period of the business but typically the 4 quarters will be:

6 April to 5 July
6 July to 5 October
6 October to 5 January
6 January to 5 April

2. All your income and expenses will need to be individually logged electronically. The technical term used is that every business transaction will have an ‘electronic signature’. These signatures will then be submitted to HMRC every 3 months and you will receive an estimated tax projection for the year based on the information provided.

3. At the end of the year, any non-business information, foreign income, other income, etc is added to finalise your tax affairs and submitted using the MTD-compatible software. This replaces the need for a Self Assessment tax return. You will then have Read more

Taxfile’s Autumn Newsletter 2016

October 13, 2016/in 2014, 2015, 2016, Accountancy, Accountants, Accounts, Advice, Auto Enrolment, CIS, Construction Industry Scheme, Contractor, Filing deadlines, FreeAgent, HMRC, Late return, London, penalties, penalty, Refund, Save money, Self-assessment, South London, Subcontractor, Tax accountant, Tax accountants, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax agents, Tax refunds, Tax return, Tax returns, Taxfile, Tulse Hill/by Mark

Hot off the press is our brand new Autumn newsletter for 2016. If you haven’t yet seen it, take a look because it’s jam-packed full of useful information that’ll help you keep your tax affairs and accounts in order, save you money and keep you up to speed on tax matters. Here’s a quick flavour of what’s included (or click the thumbnail image to view or download the newsletter):

Act fast to save money on your 2015-16 tax return – see the newsletter’s first article.
Sub-contractors working in the construction industry are invited to claim their CIS tax refunds through Taxfile, so they have their refund in time for Christmas!
Help if you’re late with any previous years’ tax returns and tax payments — and how you already owe HMRC at least £1300 if you haven’t filed your 2014/15 tax return or paid tax for that year.
Try the UK’s Number 1 cloud-based accounts package FREE, for a month. No credit card required – cancel at any time – full details are included in the newsletter. [UPDATE: Please note that this offer has now expired].
Help if your tax affairs are in a mess — are you late filing returns or paying tax? Are you worried about HMRC penalties? Are you a foreign worker, working in the UK, and need to get your tax records up to date following the Brexit decision? We’re here to help!
Taxfile are Finalists in the ‘Independent Firm of the Year, Greater London’ category of the British Accountancy Awards 2016.
Free tax enquiry Fee Protection Insurance for Taxfile customers who file their tax returns by the statutory deadline through Taxfile.
How online banking may save you time and money.
Introduce a new client to Taxfile and save 10% on our fees!
Saturday opening at Taxfile (Tulse Hill office) throughout November and December.
Help with all your tax and accounting needs – check out our list of all the things we can help you with — now including auto enrolment!
And a ‘thank you’ to all Taxfile customers … Read more

A Great Choice of Cloud-based Accounts Software Packages

April 8, 2016/in Accountancy, Accounts, Bookkeeping, Cash flow, expenditure, expenses, FreeAgent, Limited company, Sage, Software packages, South London, Special Offers, Tax, Tax calculation, Taxfile, Xero/by Mark

Sign Up & Your Favourite Charity Gets £25 Too!

[UPDATE: Please note that this offer has now expired]. If you are a limited company client that signs up to a new cloud accounting software subscription from Taxfile, we’ll donate £25 to your favourite charity. So, as well as saving yourself time and making your life easier, you’ll get a warm glow from making the world that little bit better! The accounting software packages that we currently offer and recommend are FreeAgent, Xero and Sage One, which are all leading accounts packages.

With any of the 3 cloud-based packages you’ll be able to:

Create and send invoices from within the software;
Automatically chase payments;
View real time cash-flow;
Track time and expenses;
Monitor Profit and loss;
Forecast your tax liability;
Connect and automatically import your bank statement data straight into the software;
And much more!

Best of all, though, will be the time-saving benefits that you’ll get from professional accounting packages like these. With the software working hard for you in the background, you’ll have more time to get on with something else.

Contact Ryan, our resident accounts package specialist, for advice on which package will best suit you and your specific circumstances. He’ll be able to walk you through the details of the many features and benefits of each package as well as any further information you require. Ryan can be contacted on the usual Taxfile number: 0208 761 8000 or, if preferred, fill in an enquiry form here and Ryan will call you back at a time that suits you.

AMAZING OFFER! Save Time, Money & Space with a FREE Sage Bookkeeping & Accounts Package!*

January 14, 2016/in Accountancy, Accountants, Auto Enrolment, Bookkeeping, Cash flow, expenses, Filing deadlines, Income & Expenditure, Income tax, London, National Insurance, NI, NIC's, Online returns, PAYE, Payroll, Real Time Information, RTI, Sage, Save money, Self-assessment, Software packages, South London, Special Offers, Tax, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax calculation, Tax returns, Taxfile, VAT/by Mark

[UPDATE: Please note that this offer has now expired]. Taxfile’s customers can benefit from an incredible offer on a range of Sage accounting packages at the moment. We’re offering a FREE or, in effect, heavily subsidised* Sage accounting package to all active Taxfile customers, whether existing or new. There are various different packages available so we’re sure we’ll have one which will suit every customer perfectly. The list of benefits is almost endless — here are just a few:

Firstly we’ll GIVE* Taxfile customers the package — you don’t have to pay Sage at all;
Say hello to quick and easy bookkeeping and record-keeping;
Quick and easy cash flow management tools;
Cloud-based record keeping means you can access accounts records from anywhere with an internet connection;
Automatic bank statement integration makes bank reconciliation a breeze, helping when receipts go missing and even recognising – and accounting for – regular transactions;
A mobile app module allows you to simply snap a photo of your receipt and it uploads to your Sage account (say goodbye to physical receipt storage!);
Less paperwork!
Automatic tax computations performed by the software;
Report and analysis options;
VAT handling;
Automatic VAT return options (or let us handle it for you as you prefer);
Shows you the taxes and National Insurance due so you can easily pay them on time;
Fast and easier tax returns;
Help from Taxfile at any point and from Sage’s own helpful videos;
Helps you stay in line with UK laws, taxes and regulations;
No experience needed;
Perfect for the self-employed, start-ups and small businesses;
Taxfile will even be happy to set you up;
Integrated invoicing and quotation options available (even from your mobile phone!);
A quick and easy payroll bolt-on is also available for limited companies, with payslips, RTI, Auto Enrolment integration etc.;
Auto enrolment communications included if you have a company pension scheme;
Option to automatically integrate online e-commerce records into your Sage account;
Fast and easier company accounts preparation;
… and much more!

But there is more major benefit – collaboration with us, your accountant!

The Sage packages we supply are not only free, or in effect heavily subsidised depending on the package involved, but also allow us, your accountant and tax adviser, to collaborate with you within your Sage package with your permission. So where you cannot do something yourself, we can log in using our own integrated Sage administration system to get involved on your behalf, for example to set things up for you, run reports, activate VAT returns, tax returns, end of year accounts, payroll and so on. It’s amazing really! So you do as much or as little as you want to … and we cover everything else!

You save money!

Using the easy but powerful Sage bookkeeping and accounting packages supplied by Taxfile
means that you’ll save money. It’s as simple as that. Customers using such packages makes our job easier, reducing our chargeable hours working on your accounts, so quite simply saves you money!

You also save time!

Our Sage packages will save you SO much time you’ll never look back! Once you’ve tried our Sage packages for a while you’ll Read more

Get Sage One Cashbook (online accounts package) FREE!

December 23, 2014/in Accountancy, Accountants, Bookkeeping, Cash flow, expenditure, expenses, Income & Expenditure, Payroll, RTI, Sage, Software packages, Special Offers, Tax accountant, Tax accountants, Taxfile/by Mark

[UPDATE: Please note that this offer has now expired]. Get Sage One Cashbook FREE, only with Taxfile. If you are a Taxfile customer you can currently get this excellent online accounting and cashflow package totally free of charge. This is better than any special offer you’ll find online for the same product and an additional benefit is that it allows us, your accountants and tax advisors, to collaborate with you within the package (with your permission of course), making managing your income, expenditure, tax accounting and bookkeeping absolute child’s play. You can stop at any time; it’ll cost you nothing either way.

Features & Benefits of Sage One Cashbook online include:

It allows you to record income & expenditure for your business quickly and easily;
Access your records from anywhere with an internet connection, any time;
No accountancy experience is necessary – it’s simple;
Perfect for small businesses, sole traders, etc;
It allows you to Read more

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Your Friendly Guide