Making Tax Digital for VAT, in plain English
What MTD for VAT actually asks of a VAT-registered trade business: digital records, the nine boxes, obligations, and a guided filing that talks to HMRC for you.
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Practical guides, product news and stories from the trades we build for.
MTD for Income Tax from April 2026: what sole traders need to do
The thresholds, the dates, the quarterly updates and the first-year soft landing on penalties, in one page a self-employed tradesperson can act on.
Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent for a trade business?
Which bookkeeping package fits a sole trader, a small team or a business with an accountant, what syncing from your job app really means, and why read-back matters.
Receipts in the van: capture, OCR and the accountant file
The receipt is only a problem if it reaches the glovebox. Photograph it on the forecourt, let the app read it, attach it to the job, and the accountant file writes itself.
The landlord gas safety record: every 12 months, copy within 28 days
The landlord gas safety record is the most predictable repeat work in the gas trade. Here are the rules, the two-month window, and how to turn the date into a booking.
EICR every five years: turning a legal duty into repeat work
Private landlords in England must have an EICR at least every five years. That is a rebooking you can date on the day you issue the certificate.
Scaffold inspections every 7 days: the record that keeps you compliant
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require a scaffold to be inspected after it goes up, at intervals not exceeding seven days, and after anything that could affect it. The record is the proof.
The MCS certificate, explained for installers and their customers
The MCS certificate is what proves a solar install was done to the scheme's standards, and it is what unlocks the Smart Export Guarantee for your customer. Here is what it is, what MCS needs from you, and what goes in the handover pack.
G98 vs G99: DNO applications without the wait
G98 means install then notify the DNO within 28 days. G99 means apply and get approval before you commission. Here is the threshold, the paperwork, and how to stop the wait stalling the job.
Why 'works offline' is the feature you'll use most
Signal drops in basements, plant rooms and country lanes. An app that keeps working there, and syncs honestly when the signal returns, is the one you'll actually use.
Van tracking without the hardware: the app as the tracker
You do not need a box wired into the van to know where the team is. The app on the phone is the tracker, and the map shows customers, jobs, vehicles and people together.
Running two trades on one account (and why the diary doesn't care)
Plenty of trade businesses do two things: windows and gutters, gardens and fencing, solar and the electrics. One account, one diary, one customer list, one invoice run.