Stay Compliant with Making Tax Digital
HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative is reshaping how businesses handle their VAT obligations. For accountancy firms and finance professionals, the challenge is not just about using MTD-compatible software, it’s about ensuring that every aspect of the process is streamlined, secure, and compliant.
At ClientWindow, we help firms manage the modern demands of client communication and compliance by integrating WhatsApp seamlessly with email, including Microsoft Outlook and Teams, and practice management tools.
What Is Making Tax Digital and Who Needs to Comply?
Making Tax Digital is an HMRC programme designed to simplify and digitise the UK tax system. Since April 2022, all VAT-registered businesses in the UK are required to comply with MTD for VAT, regardless of turnover.
This means that affected businesses must:
- Keep digital records of their VAT transactions
- Use MTD-compatible software to file VAT returns
- Submit VAT data directly to HMRC via a digital link
These rules apply to limited companies, sole traders, landlords, and even charities if they are VAT-registered.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Who will need to use the service from 6 April 2026?
The coming changes now apply to Income Tax rather than VAT.
You need to follow the requirements for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax if you are self-employed or a landlord from:
- 6 April 2026 if you have an annual business or property income of more than £50,000
- April 2027 if you have an annual business or property income of more than £30,000
With MTD for Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) becoming mandatory from 6 April 2026, it’s vital that firms and their clients make the shift now. You’ll need to consider the following for tax years ending 5 April 2025 and 5 April 2026:
- If you’ll need to send a Self Assessment tax return and which sources of income you’ll need to declare
- How much self-employed or property income you’ll receive
Choosing the Right Software for MTD VAT Compliance
To comply with MTD, businesses must use software that can:
- Maintain digital VAT records
- Create VAT returns from those records
- Send returns to HMRC via an API
HMRC publishes an official list of MTD-compatible software. This includes mainstream accounting tools but also bridging software for those using spreadsheets.
ClientWindow integrates effortlessly with many of these platforms and ensures that supporting client communications, whether received by email, Teams chat, or WhatsApp, are captured, archived, and linked to the right workflows and records.
Why Digital Record Keeping Is Key to MTD Success
Good software alone isn’t enough. MTD rules require digital records to be kept in a way that maintains integrity and traceability. This includes:
- Business name, VAT number, and schemes used
- Details of supplies made and received
- Time of supply and value of supply
ClientWindow supports this need by ensuring that all client communications, whether shared via Microsoft Outlook, Teams, or WhatsApp, are retained and stored securely. It gives firms confidence that key client information won’t be lost in personal inboxes or siloed on standalone devices.
Common Pitfalls That Lead to MTD Non-Compliance
Despite widespread awareness, many businesses still fall short on compliance due to:
- Using outdated methods like manual spreadsheets without bridging software
- Failing to set up API links to HMRC in time
- Missing return deadlines
- Poor visibility over client communications and VAT documentation
ClientWindow mitigates these risks by integrating WhatsApp communication with email, and practice management software to ensure full oversight of client instructions, approvals, receipts, invoices and documents.
How ClientWindow Simplifies MTD Compliance for You
ClientWindow provides a modern solution to a very real problem: how to manage fast-moving client conversations around VAT and taxes, without compromising compliance.
Many clients use WhatsApp to send receipts, ask questions, or confirm figures, yet these messages often send up being sent to standalone devices where the information is siloed and not included in official records. ClientWindow solves this by integrating WhatsApp with business email and practice management software such as Dext and more, allowing firms to maintain consistent and compliant client records.
You can:
- Capture and archive WhatsApp and email messages
- Link Teams conversations with client records
- Search for client instructions or document requests
- Maintain full audit trails for compliance reviews
Future-Proofing Your Tax Process with MTD-Ready Tools
The tax landscape is only going in one direction: digital. Firms that invest now in the right tools will be better prepared for future changes.
ClientWindow helps you meet today’s digital tax rules whilst building resilience for what comes next. With secure, searchable, and compliant communications integrated directly into Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and your MTD software, your team can work smarter, not harder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. Many businesses can continue using their existing systems if they adopt HMRC-approved bridging software. Use this page to check which software works with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
ClientWindow offers a variety of benefits but at its core it works by seamlessly integrating client WhatsApp messages with internal business email and practice management tools. ClientWindow makes it easy to:
- Receive faster responses from clients
- Strengthen client relationships through more personal interactions
- Improve visibility with team-wide access to client messages
- Centralise all chat communication into your business systems
HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative is reshaping how businesses handle their VAT obligations. For accountancy firms and finance professionals, the challenge is not just about using MTD-compatible software, it’s about ensuring that every aspect of the process is streamlined, secure, and compliant.
At ClientWindow, we help firms manage the modern demands of client communication and compliance by integrating WhatsApp seamlessly with email, including Microsoft Outlook and Teams, and practice management tools.
What Is Making Tax Digital and Who Needs to Comply?
Making Tax Digital is an HMRC programme designed to simplify and digitise the UK tax system. Since April 2022, all VAT-registered businesses in the UK are required to comply with MTD for VAT, regardless of turnover.
This means that affected businesses must:
- Keep digital records of their VAT transactions
- Use MTD-compatible software to file VAT returns
- Submit VAT data directly to HMRC via a digital link
These rules apply to limited companies, sole traders, landlords, and even charities if they are VAT-registered.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Who will need to use the service from 6 April 2026?
The coming changes now apply to Income Tax rather than VAT.
You need to follow the requirements for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax if you are self-employed or a landlord from:
- 6 April 2026 if you have an annual business or property income of more than £50,000
- April 2027 if you have an annual business or property income of more than £30,000
With MTD for Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) becoming mandatory from 6 April 2026, it’s vital that firms and their clients make the shift now. You’ll need to consider the following for tax years ending 5 April 2025 and 5 April 2026:
- If you’ll need to send a Self Assessment tax return and which sources of income you’ll need to declare
- How much self-employed or property income you’ll receive
Choosing the Right Software for MTD VAT Compliance
To comply with MTD, businesses must use software that can:
- Maintain digital VAT records
- Create VAT returns from those records
- Send returns to HMRC via an API
HMRC publishes an official list of MTD-compatible software. This includes mainstream accounting tools but also bridging software for those using spreadsheets.
ClientWindow integrates effortlessly with many of these platforms and ensures that supporting client communications, whether received by email, Teams chat, or WhatsApp, are captured, archived, and linked to the right workflows and records.
Why Digital Record Keeping Is Key to MTD Success
Good software alone isn’t enough. MTD rules require digital records to be kept in a way that maintains integrity and traceability. This includes:
- Business name, VAT number, and schemes used
- Details of supplies made and received
- Time of supply and value of supply
ClientWindow supports this need by ensuring that all client communications, whether shared via Microsoft Outlook, Teams, or WhatsApp, are retained and stored securely. It gives firms confidence that key client information won’t be lost in personal inboxes or siloed on standalone devices.
Common Pitfalls That Lead to MTD Non-Compliance
Despite widespread awareness, many businesses still fall short on compliance due to:
- Using outdated methods like manual spreadsheets without bridging software
- Failing to set up API links to HMRC in time
- Missing return deadlines
- Poor visibility over client communications and VAT documentation
ClientWindow mitigates these risks by integrating WhatsApp communication with email, and practice management software to ensure full oversight of client instructions, approvals, receipts, invoices and documents.
How ClientWindow Simplifies MTD Compliance for You
ClientWindow provides a modern solution to a very real problem: how to manage fast-moving client conversations around VAT and taxes, without compromising compliance.
Many clients use WhatsApp to send receipts, ask questions, or confirm figures, yet these messages often send up being sent to standalone devices where the information is siloed and not included in official records. ClientWindow solves this by integrating WhatsApp with business email and practice management software such as Dext and more, allowing firms to maintain consistent and compliant client records.
You can:
- Capture and archive WhatsApp and email messages
- Link Teams conversations with client records
- Search for client instructions or document requests
- Maintain full audit trails for compliance reviews
Future-Proofing Your Tax Process with MTD-Ready Tools
The tax landscape is only going in one direction: digital. Firms that invest now in the right tools will be better prepared for future changes.
ClientWindow helps you meet today’s digital tax rules whilst building resilience for what comes next. With secure, searchable, and compliant communications integrated directly into Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and your MTD software, your team can work smarter, not harder.
