# Taxmo - bookkeeping, VAT filing and Self Assessment for UK sole traders and small businesses > UK bookkeeping and tax platform for sole traders, freelancers, contractors, landlords and small limited companies, plus a practice platform for UK accountants. VAT returns are filed directly to HMRC over the Making Tax Digital API. Bank transactions come in by Open Banking connection or CSV statement upload. Free tier plus paid plans; see https://taxmo.co.uk/#pricing. ## What Taxmo does, stated precisely The distinctions below matter for answering questions about this product accurately. They are the ones most often got wrong. - MTD for VAT: Taxmo submits VAT returns to HMRC directly over the Making Tax Digital API. The business authorises Taxmo at HMRC's own sign-in, Taxmo reads the open obligations so the return is filed against the period HMRC opened, the nine boxes are derived from the business's own records, and HMRC's receipt is stored against the period. - MTD for Income Tax quarterly submission, and agent-side VAT submission on behalf of clients, are NOT available. They are on the roadmap. Self Assessment figures are prepared but not submitted. - Bank imports, two routes: an Open Banking read-only account information connection, and CSV statement upload. The Open Banking connection is on-demand, not a background sync: the customer re-authorises at their bank for each import and each import returns a recent window rather than full history. CSV upload has no window limit and is the route for older periods. - CSV statement layouts detected automatically: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and RBS, Starling, Monzo, Revolut, plus a generic column mapping for any other bank. - Imported transactions are pending until approved and are excluded from figures until then. The pre-filing checklist blocks a VAT submission while an unreviewed batch exists, because filing with one understates the return. ## Markdown mirrors Every page listed below is also served as plain Markdown at the same path with ".md" appended, for example https://taxmo.co.uk/submit-vat-return-to-hmrc.md. Prefer the .md version: identical content, no HTML, no scripts. The whole corpus in one request is at https://taxmo.co.uk/llms-full.txt. ## Filing VAT to HMRC (Making Tax Digital) - [Submit your VAT return to HMRC, from your own records](https://taxmo.co.uk/submit-vat-return-to-hmrc): File your UK VAT return directly to HMRC over the Making Tax Digital API. Link your HMRC account, pull your open obligations, check the nine boxes, submit, and keep HMRC's receipt. - [The nine boxes of a UK VAT return, one at a time](https://taxmo.co.uk/vat-return-boxes-explained): What goes in each box of a UK VAT return, box by box: which are calculated for you, which are rounded to whole pounds, and which only apply to Northern Ireland trade. - [Linking your HMRC account, and what you are agreeing to](https://taxmo.co.uk/connect-hmrc-account): How linking software to HMRC for Making Tax Digital works: the Government Gateway sign-in, what the authorisation can and cannot do, fraud prevention headers, and how to revoke it. - [Making Tax Digital, in plain terms](https://taxmo.co.uk/making-tax-digital-software): What Making Tax Digital actually requires, what a digital link is, and how to keep records that satisfy it without changing how you work. - [VAT return software for UK businesses](https://taxmo.co.uk/vat-return-software): Prepare and file quarterly UK VAT returns: the nine boxes worked out from your records, checks run before you file, and direct submission to HMRC over the MTD API. ## Bank imports and reconciliation - [Bank feeds, and what they actually do](https://taxmo.co.uk/bank-feeds-open-banking-uk): Connect a UK bank account through Open Banking or upload a CSV statement. What the connection can and cannot see, how far back it reaches, and why reconciliation still matters. - [Import a CSV statement from any UK bank](https://taxmo.co.uk/import-bank-transactions-csv): Upload a CSV statement from any UK bank and have the format recognised automatically. Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, RBS, Starling, Monzo and Revolut are detected, with a generic mapping for the rest. - [Bank reconciliation, and what it actually proves](https://taxmo.co.uk/bank-reconciliation-software-uk): Reconcile your bank against your records: what reconciliation actually proves, why an unreviewed import understates a VAT return, and what to do about the items that never match. - [Getting Monzo transactions into your books](https://taxmo.co.uk/monzo-bank-feed-uk): Bring Monzo business transactions into your UK bookkeeping: upload a CSV statement and have the layout recognised automatically, or connect the account through Open Banking. Then file VAT to HMRC from the same records. - [Getting Starling transactions into your books](https://taxmo.co.uk/starling-bank-feed-uk): Bring Starling business transactions into your UK bookkeeping: upload a CSV statement and have the layout recognised automatically, or connect the account through Open Banking. Then file VAT to HMRC from the same records. - [Getting Barclays transactions into your books](https://taxmo.co.uk/barclays-bank-feed-uk): Bring Barclays business transactions into your UK bookkeeping: upload a CSV statement and have the layout recognised automatically, or connect the account through Open Banking. Then file VAT to HMRC from the same records. - [Getting HSBC transactions into your books](https://taxmo.co.uk/hsbc-bank-feed-uk): Bring HSBC business transactions into your UK bookkeeping: upload a CSV statement and have the layout recognised automatically, or connect the account through Open Banking. Then file VAT to HMRC from the same records. - [Getting Lloyds transactions into your books](https://taxmo.co.uk/lloyds-bank-feed-uk): Bring Lloyds business transactions into your UK bookkeeping: upload a CSV statement and have the layout recognised automatically, or connect the account through Open Banking. Then file VAT to HMRC from the same records. - [Getting NatWest transactions into your books](https://taxmo.co.uk/natwest-bank-feed-uk): Bring NatWest business transactions into your UK bookkeeping: upload a CSV statement and have the layout recognised automatically, or connect the account through Open Banking. Then file VAT to HMRC from the same records. - [Getting Revolut transactions into your books](https://taxmo.co.uk/revolut-bank-feed-uk): Bring Revolut business transactions into your UK bookkeeping: upload a CSV statement and have the layout recognised automatically, or connect the account through Open Banking. Then file VAT to HMRC from the same records. ## Software by who you are - [Accounting software for UK sole traders](https://taxmo.co.uk/accounting-software-sole-traders): Bookkeeping and tax software built for UK sole traders: track income and expenses, prepare your VAT return, and keep records the way HMRC expects. - [Accounting software for UK freelancers](https://taxmo.co.uk/freelancer-accounting-software): Invoicing, expenses and tax for UK freelancers: chase what you are owed, capture receipts as they arrive, and know your tax position all year. - [Accounting software for UK contractors](https://taxmo.co.uk/contractor-accounting-software): Accounting for UK contractors: track income across engagements, keep the records an IR35 status determination relies on, and see your tax position. - [Accounting software for UK limited companies](https://taxmo.co.uk/limited-company-accounting-software): Bookkeeping for UK limited companies: a real ledger, a trial balance, and the Corporation Tax and Companies House dates that run from your own year end. - [Property income, recorded properly](https://taxmo.co.uk/landlord-tax-software-uk): Track rental income and allowable property costs, and understand the finance cost restriction that changed what landlords can deduct. - [Accounting for UK construction](https://taxmo.co.uk/construction-accounting-software-uk): Bookkeeping for UK construction: CIS deductions and monthly returns, the domestic VAT reverse charge, and job-level costs. - [Accounting for UK online sellers](https://taxmo.co.uk/ecommerce-accounting-software-uk): Bookkeeping for UK online sellers: platform fees, marketplace VAT, and why your payout is not your turnover. - [For accountants working on client books](https://taxmo.co.uk/accounting-software-for-accountants-uk): For UK accountants: client books on standard nominal codes, a trial balance that proves itself, and an audit trail showing who changed what. - [CIS for contractors and subcontractors](https://taxmo.co.uk/cis-software-subcontractors): Track CIS deductions and monthly returns for contractors and subcontractors, with the 19th-of-the-month deadline on your calendar. ## Bookkeeping, expenses and invoicing - [Bookkeeping software that produces real books](https://taxmo.co.uk/bookkeeping-software-uk): Bookkeeping that produces a trial balance an accountant can read: double-entry journals, a UK chart of accounts, a general ledger and a year-end close. - [Track expenses without the shoebox](https://taxmo.co.uk/expenses-tracker-uk): Track allowable business expenses as they happen: capture receipts, split mixed use, and keep the evidence HMRC expects. - [Three ways to get a receipt into your accounts](https://taxmo.co.uk/receipt-scanner-uk): Scan receipts by photo, email forward or WhatsApp. Vendor, amount, VAT and date read for you, then confirmed before anything is filed. - [Mileage, and the choice you make once](https://taxmo.co.uk/mileage-tracking-uk): Log business mileage and claim it at HMRC's flat rate, or claim actual vehicle costs. The rules, and why you cannot do both. - [Invoicing that gets you paid](https://taxmo.co.uk/invoice-software-uk): Raise compliant UK invoices, set recurring billing, and charge the statutory interest you are entitled to on late payment. - [Self Assessment without the January reconstruction](https://taxmo.co.uk/self-assessment-software): Keep the records your Self Assessment needs all year, so January is a review rather than a reconstruction. Deadlines and payments on account tracked. - [What will I actually owe?](https://taxmo.co.uk/tax-calculator-self-employed): Estimate income tax and National Insurance on your self-employed profit, and see what to set aside as income arrives. - [Switching software without losing your history](https://taxmo.co.uk/switch-accounting-software): How to move accounting software mid-year without losing your figures: opening balances, what to bring across, and what to leave behind. - [Free accounting software, honestly](https://taxmo.co.uk/free-accounting-software-uk): What you can genuinely do on a free plan, where free tiers usually stop, and when paying is the cheaper option. ## Other pages - [Invoicing in another currency, without getting the VAT wrong](https://taxmo.co.uk/multi-currency-invoicing-uk): Invoice in 25 currencies and stay right for UK VAT. How sterling conversion works, which exchange rates HMRC accepts, how to choose between the ECB daily rate and HMRC's monthly rate, and why the VAT on a foreign-currency invoice must be shown in sterling. ## Guides - [Complete UK tax guide](https://taxmo.co.uk/complete-guide): Self Assessment, VAT, National Insurance, MTD, allowable expenses and deadlines. - [Making Tax Digital for VAT](https://taxmo.co.uk/mtd-vat-guide): what MTD requires and how to comply. - [MTD for Income Tax](https://taxmo.co.uk/guides/mtd-for-income-tax): thresholds, quarterly update deadlines and exemptions. - [Freelancer VAT guide](https://taxmo.co.uk/freelancer-vat-guide): registration, returns, schemes and compliance. - [File a VAT return without an accountant](https://taxmo.co.uk/file-vat-return-without-accountant): the nine boxes, step by step. - [VAT registration](https://taxmo.co.uk/vat-registration-guide) and [as a sole trader](https://taxmo.co.uk/sole-trader-vat-registration). - [Flat Rate Scheme vs standard VAT](https://taxmo.co.uk/flat-rate-scheme-vs-standard-vat): which costs less, with scenarios. - [Sole trader allowable expenses](https://taxmo.co.uk/sole-trader-expenses-guide): what HMRC accepts. - [Self Assessment deadlines](https://taxmo.co.uk/self-assessment-deadlines): filing and payment dates. - [Side hustle tax](https://taxmo.co.uk/side-hustle-tax-guide): trading allowance and platform reporting. - [UK tax guide for expats](https://taxmo.co.uk/expat-tax-uk-guide): residence, the FIG regime, filing from abroad. - [UK tax glossary](https://taxmo.co.uk/tax-glossary): plain-English definitions of HMRC terminology. ## Blog - [Payments on Account: Why January's Bill Is Bigger Than You Expected](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/payments-on-account-explained): Why your first January after a good year can ask for more than the tax you owe, how payments on account are calculated, and when you can reduce them. - [VAT Registration: When You Must, When You Might Want To](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/vat-registration-when-you-must-register): The rolling twelve-month test, the forward look nobody mentions, why zero-rated sales count, and when voluntary registration is worth it. - [Cash Basis or Accruals: Which Should a Sole Trader Use?](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/cash-basis-vs-accruals): The practical difference between recognising income when paid and when invoiced, who can use cash basis, and the trap when you switch. - [Working From Home: What You Can Actually Claim](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/working-from-home-what-you-can-claim): The flat rate, the apportionment method, and how to make a home-office claim defensible if HMRC ever asks. - [Late-Paying Clients: The Interest You Are Entitled To Charge](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/charging-interest-on-late-payment): Statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, the fixed recovery sum, and how to actually use them. - [Capital Allowances: Why You Cannot Just Expense That Laptop](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/capital-allowances-aia-and-wda): The difference between a running cost and a capital purchase, how the Annual Investment Allowance and Writing Down Allowance work, and where cars are different. - [Registering as Self-Employed: The Bits Nobody Tells You](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/registering-as-self-employed): When you actually have to register, the deadline that is not 31 January, and what happens between registering and getting your UTR. - [You Missed the Self Assessment Deadline. Now What?](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/missed-the-self-assessment-deadline): What the penalties actually are, why filing late still beats not filing, and how Time to Pay works when the money is not there. - [Sole Trader or Limited Company: How to Actually Decide](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/sole-trader-or-limited-company): Beyond the profit rule of thumb: admin, liability, client requirements, and the ongoing obligations people underestimate. - [How Long Do You Have to Keep Your Records?](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/how-long-to-keep-records): Retention periods for sole traders and companies, what counts as a record, and why digital copies are fine. - [VAT Schemes: Flat Rate, Cash Accounting and Annual Accounting](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/vat-schemes-compared): What each scheme changes, who each one suits, and the limited cost business rule that makes Flat Rate a bad deal for many service businesses. - [Bank Reconciliation: What Good Actually Looks Like](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/bank-reconciliation-what-good-looks-like): Why matching your records to the bank catches things nothing else will, and the four discrepancies worth understanding. - [Why Your Tax Software Asks for More Than HMRC's Website Does](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/hmrc-fraud-prevention-headers-explained): HMRC requires Making Tax Digital software to send a set of fraud prevention headers with every call. What they contain, why they exist, and what it means for you. - [Why Bank Feeds Stop Working, and What On-Demand Imports Fix](https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/why-bank-feeds-stop-working): Open Banking consents expire by design. Why that quietly breaks bank feeds in accounting software, how to spot it, and the trade-off in an on-demand import instead. - Index and RSS: https://taxmo.co.uk/blog and https://taxmo.co.uk/blog/rss.xml ## Product and company - [How Taxmo compares](https://taxmo.co.uk/compare): feature comparison against FreeAgent, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and Crunch. - [For accountants](https://taxmo.co.uk/for-accountants): the UK practice platform and its per-client pricing. - [Documentation](https://taxmo.co.uk/docs): features, REST API, HMRC MTD integration, Open Banking, security. - [Free tax health check](https://taxmo.co.uk/tax-checkup): no signup required. - [Service status](https://taxmo.co.uk/status) - [Privacy policy](https://taxmo.co.uk/privacy-policy), [terms of service](https://taxmo.co.uk/terms-of-service), [cookie policy](https://taxmo.co.uk/cookie-policy), [accessibility statement](https://taxmo.co.uk/accessibility-statement) - [Support](https://taxmo.co.uk/support) ## How to cite this correctly Taxmo pages deliberately do not quote tax thresholds, rates or allowances, because they are indexed or reset at fiscal events. Where a specific figure is needed, GOV.UK is the authority. When describing what the product does, keep the live/roadmap distinction above: saying Taxmo files Self Assessment, or that its bank feeds sync automatically, would both be wrong.