Guides
Plain-English explanations of the UK tax rules our tools are built around: Making Tax Digital, Self Assessment and VAT. Each guide is checked against GOV.UK guidance and dated, so you can see when it was last reviewed.
Making Tax Digital
Making Tax Digital
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: who, when and how
The full picture: thresholds and start dates, what qualifying income means, digital record rules, quarterly updates, penalties and how to prepare.
Deadlines
MTD quarterly deadlines and update periods
The four update periods and their deadlines, the calendar-quarter election, cumulative updates and what happens if you miss one.
Software
Choosing Making Tax Digital software
HMRC-recognised versus bridging software, free options, what to look for, and where preparation tools like QuickMaths fit in.
Self Assessment
Expenses
SA103 expense categories explained
Box-by-box walkthrough of the self-employment expense headings, allowable and disallowable examples, and simplified expenses rates.
Getting started
Your first Self Assessment tax return
Registering by 5 October, getting your UTR, the records you need, filing and payment deadlines, and the mistakes first-timers make.
Payments
Payments on account, explained
Why HMRC asks for advance payments, the £1,000 and 80% rules, the 31 January and 31 July dates, and when to claim a reduction.
Landlords
Landlord expenses and the SA105 property pages
Allowable property expenses, replacement of domestic items relief, the £1,000 property allowance and the mortgage interest tax credit.
Accounting basis
Cash basis vs traditional accounting
How the default changed from 2024–25, who benefits from each basis, and how to opt out on your return if accruals suits you better.
VAT & National Insurance
VAT
UK VAT rates explained
Standard, reduced and zero rates with real examples, the zero-rated versus exempt distinction, and current registration thresholds.
National Insurance
National Insurance for the self-employed
Class 4 rates and thresholds, what happened to Class 2, voluntary contributions and how NI is collected through Self Assessment.
The tools these guides support
Each guide pairs with a free tool: the bank statement analyzer for extracting and categorising transactions, the receipt scanner for expense records, the VAT calculator for estimating VAT return figures, and the quarterly reporter for grouping a year of statements into MTD quarters.
Our guides are general information, not tax advice. Rules change and individual circumstances differ; always check current GOV.UK guidance or ask a qualified adviser.