Do I Need My Accountant for MTD Quarterly Updates?

Making Tax Digital is rolling out, and one of the first questions many sole traders and landlords ask is: do I need to pay my accountant to handle the quarterly updates?

The honest answer, for most people with straightforward affairs: probably not. But that doesn't mean your accountant isn't valuable — it means their time is better spent on the things that actually require professional expertise.

What quarterly updates actually involve

Each MTD quarterly update sends three numbers to HMRC:

1. Turnover — your total income for the quarter
2. Expenses — your total allowable expenses for the quarter
3. Other income — any other business income (usually zero)

That's it. Three numbers, four times a year. HMRC doesn't see your individual transactions, your bank statements, or your receipts. They just receive a summary.

This is reporting, not tax calculation. You're not filing a tax return. You're not claiming reliefs. You're telling HMRC what your income and expenses were for a three-month period.

If you already keep decent records, you can do this yourself

If you track your income and expenses in a spreadsheet, or even just keep organised records, you already have the figures you need. A quarterly update is simply submitting those totals to HMRC through compatible software.

Bridging software like Flonancial lets you upload your spreadsheet, pick the cells containing your turnover and expenses, and submit directly to HMRC. The whole process takes a few minutes.

You don't need to understand tax law to do this. You need to understand your own numbers — and if you're the one running the business, you almost certainly do.

This is not tax advice

To be completely clear: submitting a quarterly update is not the same as filing your tax return. It's not calculating what you owe. It's not claiming capital allowances or applying for reliefs. It's reporting three summary figures.

Nothing in this article is tax advice, and Flonancial is not a replacement for professional guidance on complex tax matters. We're a bridging tool — we send your numbers to HMRC. What those numbers should be, and what you can legitimately claim, is between you and your accountant.

Where your accountant's expertise really matters

Your accountant is a professional. Their value isn't in typing three numbers into a form — it's in the knowledge and judgement they bring to the parts of your tax affairs that genuinely need it:

• The Final Declaration and year-end — this is the actual tax return, where everything comes together. Reliefs are applied, adjustments are made, and your tax liability is calculated. This is where professional expertise earns its fee.
• Tax planning — structuring your affairs efficiently, understanding what you can and can't claim, and making sure you're not paying more than you need to.
• Capital allowances — working out what qualifies, how much you can claim, and when to claim it.
• Complex affairs — multiple income streams, partnerships, property portfolios, overseas income, or anything that goes beyond straightforward self-employment.
• Multiple businesses or income sources — if you have several things going on, the interactions between them can get complicated quickly.
• Peace of mind on tricky questions — is this expense allowable? Should I use the flat rate or actual costs? Your accountant knows the answer. A bridging tool doesn't.

These are the things worth paying for. Your accountant's time is valuable — use it where it makes a real difference.

The unnecessary cost

If your accountant charges you to submit three numbers to HMRC four times a year, and your finances are straightforward, that's a cost you can avoid. Some firms will add quarterly submissions as an additional line item. Others will bundle it into a higher annual fee.

For a sole trader with one income source and clear records, paying someone else to report figures you already know feels like paying someone to post a letter you've already written and addressed.

This isn't about cutting corners. It's about recognising that quarterly updates are simple reporting — and simple reporting doesn't require a professional.

What if your accountant wants to handle it?

Some accountants prefer to manage all HMRC submissions themselves. There are good reasons for this — they maintain oversight of your records, they can spot issues early, and they have full control of the filing timeline.

If your accountant wants to handle your quarterly updates as part of their existing service, that's a perfectly reasonable arrangement. The key question is whether you're being charged extra for it. If it's included in your current fee and your accountant is happy to do it, there's no reason to change anything.

It's worth having the conversation. Ask your accountant how they plan to handle MTD quarterly updates and whether it affects your fees. A good accountant will give you a straight answer.

The key question to ask yourself

Do you understand your own figures?

If you know your turnover for the quarter and you know your expenses, you have everything you need for a quarterly update. Bridging software handles the submission. You don't need to understand HMRC's API, their data formats, or the technical side — you just need to know your numbers.

If you're not confident in your figures, or you're unsure what counts as an allowable expense, that's where your accountant comes in — not for the submission itself, but for making sure the numbers are right in the first place.

Getting started with Flonancial

Flonancial is free bridging software for MTD. Upload your spreadsheet, pick your figures, and submit to HMRC in minutes. No accounting knowledge required for the submission itself — just your own records.

Create a free account, connect to HMRC once using your Government Gateway credentials, and you're ready to submit your quarterly updates yourself. No subscription, no card required, no trial period.

Save your accountant's time for the year-end, the Final Declaration, and the questions that actually need professional judgement. The quarterly updates? You've got this.