10 Aug 2026
Making Tax Digital is closer than it looks — what to do in the next twelve months
April 2026 sounds distant until you count the quarters. A practical order of work for sole traders and…
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TAG Accountancy Service
Bookkeeping
Services
Bookkeeping is the record of every pound in and out of your business. Done monthly it takes very little effort and gives you numbers you can act on. Left until year end it becomes an archaeology project, and archaeology is expensive — both in fees and in the reliefs that get missed because nobody can remember what a payment was for.
About This Service
Bookkeeping — what it is and who needs it
Bookkeeping is the record of every pound in and out of your business. Done monthly it takes very little effort and gives you numbers you can act on. Left until year end it becomes an archaeology project, and archaeology is expensive — both in fees and in the reliefs that get missed because nobody can remember what a payment was for.
It is also becoming compulsory to do it digitally. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax starts in April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, dropping to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028. Those affected will keep digital records and send HMRC quarterly updates. If your records currently live in a carrier bag, that is a bigger change than it sounds.
We set clients up on QuickBooks, Xero or FreeAgent with connected bank feeds and Dext for receipt capture, so most transactions categorise themselves and a photo of a receipt is all the filing anyone has to do. Then we reconcile monthly, chase what is missing, and keep the ledger clean enough that VAT returns and year-end accounts are quick rather than painful.
The by-product is the useful bit: you can see who owes you money and how long they have owed it, what your costs actually are, and whether this month resembles last month. Most businesses that start monthly bookkeeping discover at least one recurring cost they had forgotten they were paying.
Who this is for
Sole traders, landlords and limited companies who want their records kept current rather than reconstructed once a year.
Key facts & deadlines
-
MTD for Income Tax
Mandatory from April 2026 for self-employed and landlords with income over £50,000.
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Record retention
HMRC requires business records to be kept for at least 5 years after the 31 January deadline.
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Software options
TAG are certified Xero and FreeAgent advisors and also work with QuickBooks, Dext and Capium to keep your records digital and MTD-ready.
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Quarterly updates
Under MTD, quarterly digital summaries submitted directly to HMRC.
Get a Free Consultation
Free consultation — no obligation
What's Covered
Everything included in our
Bookkeeping service
Our all-inclusive service means no surprises — everything you need is handled by your dedicated accountant.
- Monthly or quarterly bookkeeping
- Bank feed set-up and reconciliation
- Dext or Hubdoc receipt capture
- Sales and purchase ledger maintenance
- Making Tax Digital compliant digital records
- VAT-ready records if you are registered
- Software set-up, migration and training
- A short monthly summary of where you stand
Is This Right For You?
Who our Bookkeeping
service is designed for
Sole traders, landlords and limited companies who want their records kept current rather than reconstructed once a year.
Quick checklist
- Monthly or quarterly bookkeeping
- Bank feed set-up and reconciliation
- Dext or Hubdoc receipt capture
- Sales and purchase ledger maintenance
- Making Tax Digital compliant digital records
- VAT-ready records if you are registered
- Software set-up, migration and training
- A short monthly summary of where you stand
Why TAG?
TAG Accountancy vs. going it alone
See exactly what you get when an expert handles your bookkeeping.
Feature
DIY /
Other
Other
TAG
Accountancy
Accountancy
Qualified, dedicated accountant
Deadlines tracked and filed for you
Proactive tax-saving advice
Year-round support (not just at deadline)
Fixed transparent fee — no surprise invoices
Always up to date with HMRC rule changes
Free from hours of paperwork
Personal service from a local Norfolk team
Ready to switch?
Simple Process
How our Bookkeeping service works
We keep it simple. No jargon, no chasing — just a reliable service that runs in the background.
1
Set up the software
We connect your bank, migrate existing records and get receipt capture on your phone. Usually a single session.
2
We keep it current
Monthly reconciliation, categorisation and chasing anything missing before it becomes unidentifiable.
3
You get usable numbers
A clear picture each month, and a year end that takes days rather than weeks because nothing needs rebuilding.
Bookkeeping FAQs
Common Bookkeeping questions — answered
Can't find the answer you need? Ask us directly →
We work with QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, Capium and Dext, so the answer depends on your business rather than on what we prefer. QuickBooks suits most sole traders and small companies. Xero tends to fit businesses with more complex needs or higher transaction volumes. FreeAgent is often free with certain business bank accounts, which makes it attractive for freelancers.
What matters more than the brand is that it is genuinely MTD-compatible and that your bank feed works reliably.
MTD for Income Tax begins in April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000. The threshold falls to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028. Qualifying income means gross income from self-employment and property before expenses, so it is a lower bar than profit.
Those in scope will need to keep digital records and send HMRC quarterly updates as well as a final declaration. We move clients onto software well ahead of their start date rather than in the month before.
Monthly for most businesses. It is the point at which the work is still small enough to be quick and recent enough that you remember what things were. Quarterly can work for very low-volume businesses, and will become the practical minimum for anyone inside MTD.
Annual bookkeeping is the expensive option. Reconstructing a year takes longer, produces worse information, and reliably loses expenses that nobody can identify twelve months later.
Yes, and it is a fairly common starting point. We agree a fixed fee for bringing the records up to date, work back through the bank statements, and rebuild the ledger to a point where it is accurate.
Bring whatever you have, including the carrier bag. It is genuinely easier for us to sort out than for you to attempt first.
Expert Insight
Bookkeeping articles
Ready to simplify your
Bookkeeping?
Join 250+ businesses who trust TAG Accountancy to handle it brilliantly. The first consultation is completely free.
Get in Touch
Let's talk about
your business.
Whether you want to switch accountant, need help with a specific return, or just want to know how much you could be saving — get in touch. The first call is always free.
Call Us
01603 559824
Email Us
office@tag-accountancy.co.uk
Postal Address
5 Marlingford Road, Bawburgh
Norwich, NR9 3LU
Meetings by appointment · Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm
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Your financial data is always secure.
Named Contact
The same accountant, every time.
Zero Obligation
No pressure, no commitment.
Fixed Fees
No surprise invoices, ever.
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