FAQs

Yes.

The Ftax team are working on a low-cost MTD ITSA solution that is fully compliant with HMRC requirements. We are trying to make this as simple and clear as possible. We will make it easy for clients to exchange income and expense data with their agents, and also make it easy for the self-employed and landlords to file their own returns using ITSA.

If you have any questions or suggestions then please contact us. 

We appreciate your feedback as it will help us design a service that meets your needs.

Businesses, self-employed people and landlords will be required:

• to operate MTD from 6 April 2026 in relation to their trading and property income chargeable to Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance contributions, if their total qualifying income from these income sources for a tax year exceeds £50,000
• to operate MTD from 6 April 2027 in relation to their trading and property income chargeable to Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance contributions, if their total qualifying income from these income sources for a tax year exceeds £30,000

They will:

• keep their records digitally
• provide digital quarterly updates
• be able to provide their ITSA return information to HMRC through MTD compatible software

The rules for Class 2 NIC have changed for the 2023/23 tax year onwards.

Prior to the 2022/23 tax year you needed to pay Class 2 NIC if your profits were above the Small Profits Threshold, which was £6,515 in the 2021/22 tax year.

For 2022/23 onwards, you pay Class 2 NIC if your profits are above the Lower Profits Limit,(which is £11,908 in 2022/23). If your profits are below the Small Profits Threshold (£6,725 in 2022/23) then you can choose to pay voluntary Class 2 NIC.  If your profits from self-employment are between the Small Profits Threshold and the Lower Profits Limit then there is no Class 2 NIC to pay – instead you will be treated as making Class 2 NIC. This will mean you will be able to access entitlement to contributory benefits in the same way as if you had paid Class 2 NIC.

For 2023/24 onwards, the Lower Profits Limit will be the same amount as the personal allowance for income tax.

Further information on this is available from the Government website here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions 

Yes, loyalty discount codes will be emailed to purchasers of the previous year’s Ftax service at the beginning of each new tax year. Loyalty discounts are usually 15% and only valid during April.

As part of our ongoing security improvements and our response to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), we have altered the way we deliver these files.

The files are still created by our servers, but now we need you to login to your Ftax Account and download them using your computer’s browser.

The form has a new ‘Download’ button on the green receipt page that displays when you create the file:

Clicking the Download button will open your browser and take you to your ftax account homepage (you may need to log in en route).

From your account homepage, you will be able to download the most recently generated pdfcopy, iXBRL accounts or iXBRL computations files.

NOTE: We only retain the most recent of each type of file for you to download.

If you do not click the Download button on the form and you have received an email informimg you that your file has been created, you can still access it by logging into your Ftax Account at https://ftax.co.uk/.

The calculations performed by the SA100 mirror those published by HMRC precisely.

There are a few circumstances where the HMRC calculations do not result in the correct tax being calculated

HMRC has published details about the circumstances when this occurs and has stated that tax payers in these circumstances must file their return on paper. As such, you may find that after you click ‘Calculate’ the form alerts you that you fall into one of these categories and that you must file a paper return.

If this happens to you, you should seek advice from a qualified tax accountant able to perform the calculation for you and then file a paper tax return.

There are a couple of situations where you may be prompted to change the preferences within Acrobat or Reader.

1. You might be asked to disable the Javascript Global Object Security model. This only needs to be disabled if you are using two or more Ftax forms at the same time. You can disable it by finding it in the prefereneces…
2. You might me asked to tell Acrobat or Reader to Trust one or more of our forms. This will allow them to connect securely to our servers. To do this, you will see a yellow bar across the top of the document with the text “Some features have been disabled to avoid potential security risks…”. There will also be a drop down menu called “Options” on the right of the yellow bar. From this select Trust Always and the from will prompt to save.

Ftax supports Windows 10 and macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) and later.

All Ftax forms work in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

Some clients report successfully using Ftax on Linux machines but this is not supported.

Recent browser versions are recommended. Ftax will not currently work on Tablets.

Note: if for any reason Ftax does not work on your computer then you will be refunded. Variations in computer platforms and local software and can sometime block Ftax operation, e.g. security software. 

There are two versions of the HMRC CT600 form; the ‘v2’ version and the ‘v3’ version.

If your company accouting period starts on or before the 31st March 2015 then the ‘v2’ version must be used. Please purchase any of the 2015 Ftax Agent Company packages if you are an agent, or the Ftax Company 2015 if you are not. The ‘v2’ Ftax CT600 form file names will begin ‘CTRpre2015_’.

Otherwise the ‘v3’ version must be used, whatever the size of the company. Please purchase any of the latest Ftax Agent Company packages if you are an agent, or the Ftax Company if you are not.

For details on the Ftax products go to About Ftax/ Ftax Editions & Prices on the Ftax website.

Ftax forms must be opened in Adobe Reader.

It is important not to open them in a browser, or other software (such as Preview, on a Mac).

You must check that your browser prompts you to ‘Save’ when downloading files. 

In Chrome:

• Click on the 3 dots in the top right of your Chrome window and select Settings.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Advanced.
• In the Downloads section, click Clear next to Open certain file types automatically after downloading.
• This will clear all previous settings and will download files as the default action.

In Edge:

• Click on the 3 dots in the top right of your Edge window and select Settings.
• Select Downloads from the left hand menu and turn on Ask me what to do with each download.

In Firefox:

• Select Tools/Options/General/Downloads from the menu bar, and tick ‘Show the Downloads window when downloading a file’. 

In Safari:

• Click Preferences and untick ‘open safe files after downloading’.
• Also untick ‘Block Pop Up Windows’. 

Nothing, if you use VT Final Accounts and/or the Ftax CT600, all of the iXBRL will be done for you behind the scenes.

• Prepare the company accounts – Ftax does not carry out this service, but recommends VT Software. Alternatively, you may wish to prepare the accounts using spreadsheets, or other software packages. 
• Complete the Ftax CT600 tax return – including the ‘Profits’ worksheet, and ‘Capital Allowances’ worksheets if necessary. 
• Generate the iXBRL Computations file – click the ‘iXBRL’ button at the bottom left of the opening page of the form and select ‘iXBRL Computations’. An email will be returned with the iXBRL Computations file attached. Drag, or download this onto your desktop or any known location. 
• Generate the iXBRL Accounts file – the current ‘V3’ Ftax CT600 form includes an ‘Accounts’ section accessed via the bookmarks on the left. After completion, return to the opening page of the form, click the ‘iXBRL’ button, and select ‘iXBRL Accounts’. Once again, drag or download the attached file from the returned email to a known location on your computer. Note: the older Ftax ‘V2’ CT600 does not include iXBRL Accounts tagging (VT Software or the Hypercube service are recommended). 
• Attach the iXBRL files to the CT600 form – go to the ‘Attachments’ page via the bookmarks on the left. Click the ‘Attach’ buttons and select the iXBRL Accounts and Computations files from their known locations. If iXBRL files are not attached then reasons must be selected from the dropdown lists. 
• Submit the CT600 online to HMRC – click Submit/I Agree/Submit Now/Yes via the opening page. An onscreen receipt followed by two emails should confirm the outcome. 
• Submit the iXBRL Accounts file to Company House – this must be done manually via their website. Ftax does not do this for you. 

You will need to open the forms using Adobe’s software (either Reader or Acrobat).

To download the latest version of Adobe’s Reader, for free, follow this link: https://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/ .

Once you have the right software, you just need to make sure that you open the Ftax forms using that software:

1. Make sure that your browser saves the forms to your computer and doesn’t try to open them.

You must check that the browser prompts you to ‘Save’ when downloading files. 

In Chrome:

• Click on the 3 dots in the top right of your Chrome window and select Settings.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Advanced.
• In the Downloads section, click Clear next to Open certain file types automatically after downloading.
• This will clear all previous settings and will download files as the default action.

In Edge:

• Click on the 3 dots in the top right of your Edge window and select Settings.
• Select Downloads from the left hand menu and turn on Ask me what to do with each download.

In Firefox:

• select Tools/Options/General/Downloads from the menu bar, and tick ‘Show the Downloads window when downloading a file’. 

In Safari:

• Click Preferences and untick ‘open safe files after downloading’.
• Also untick ‘Block Pop Up Windows’. 

2. Make sure that your computer opens the saved forms using Adobe software.

Some computers may be set up to open pdf files using software other than Adobe software. There are many ways to change this behaviour, either by default, or for one time only.

One way to ensure you open the Ftax forms using Adobe software is to:

• Open the Adobe software (eg. Adobe Reader).
• From the File menu, select Open and navigate to the saved Ftax form.
• Click OK (or Open) to open the form.

3. Make sure Javascript is enabled.

If you open an Ftax form in Adobe software and see a notice on the front page prompting you to enable javascript, please navigate to the Preferences (from the Edit menu), select the Javascript category and make sure the ‘Enable Acrobat JavaScript’ tick box is ticked.

4. Unset Enhanced Security.

Select ‘Edit/Preferences/Security (Enhanced)’ from the Adobe Reader menu bar and untick the ‘enable enhanced security’ box. If you are using a Mac, please select ‘Adobe Reader/Edit/Preferences/ etc.’.

Important Notice: While the ‘enable enhanced security’ box is unticked you are advised not to open pdf attachments emailed from unknown addresses (emails from ftax.co.uk will be ok). You may wish to leave the ‘enable enhanced security’ box ticked when you are not using Ftax.

5. Re-open the Ftax Form.

Close the form (no need to save), and reopen it.

After downloading the latest Ftax form, saving it to a known location, and opening in a recent version of Adobe Reader, the following must be carried out before completing the Ftax return:

1. Comply with the Special Notice

This should be automatically displayed when an Ftax form is first opened in Adobe Reader. It may be redisplayed at anytime by clicking the ‘?’ in a red ball on the opening page of the Ftax form and selecting the top option. This reads:

• Select ‘EditPreferencesJavascript’ from the Reader menu bar
  (Mac users should select ‘Adobe ReaderPreferencesJavascript’).
• Make sure the top box ‘Enable Acrobat Javascript’ IS ticked, the next 2 boxes are NOT ticked, and the bottom box IS ticked.
• Then select ‘EditPreferencesSecurity (Enhanced)’, and untick the ‘Enable enhanced security’ box
  (Mac users should select ‘EditPreferencesSecurity (Enhanced)’).

2. Login to your Ftax Account from the form

The Ftax Account Login popup should be automatically displayed when the ‘Continue’ button is clicked (twice) on the Special Notice. This can also be displayed at anytime by clicking the ‘?’ in a red ball and selecting the bottom option.

Make sure the ‘Do NOT login to my Ftax Account’ box is unticked, and enter your Ftax Account Username and Password before clicking ‘Login’. You are also advised to first tick the ‘Save login details on computer’ box so that you remain automatically logged in.

Note: – Do not confuse your Ftax Account Username and Password with the Gateway User ID and Password. 

On clicking ‘Login’ a popup should confirm ‘Login Success’. The number of remaining credits should also be displayed towards the bottom left of the Ftax form. If the popup displays the following error messages then please do as advised:

‘Communication Problem’ – This may be due to you not having Internet access, but is more likely to be due to the ‘Enhanced Security’ box still being ticked in the Adobe Reader Preferences. Please return to step 1. and correct. 

‘SOAPservice not recognised …’ – This may also be due to lack of Internet access, or the Special Notice not being fully complied with as described above. But it may also be due your computer not trusting www.ftax.co.uk. Please go to Edit/Preferences/Trust Manager (or Adobe Reader/Preferences/Trust Manager if on a Mac), click ‘Change Settings’, and ensure the ftax.co.uk is trusted. Also check that any security software you may be using is not blocking access to the Ftax website. If the problem persists then try reinstalling Adobe Reader, or turn your security software off while using Ftax. If you successfully login to your Ftax Account from the form and then have a subsequent problem that requires support, be sure to tell Ftax support that you have successfully logged in. 

3. Allocate a credit to the UTR 

When a new UTR is entered then a popup should prompt you to ‘allocate a credit’. Another popup will confirm when the credit has been allocated. At this point a ‘credit code’ will be automatically transferred allowing the form to Calculate and Submit. If you enter a UTR that already has a credit allocated then you will be allowed to continue without allocating another credit. 

If, when you enter a UTR, a popup asks you to enter a ‘4 digit credit code’ then you are not logged in to your Ftax Account. In this case please return to step 2. and login. 

Important Notice: While the ‘enable enhanced security’ box is unticked you are advised not to open pdf attachments emailed from unknown addresses (emails from ftax.co.uk will be ok). You are advised to leave the ‘enable enhanced security’ box ticked when you are not using Ftax. 

Before submitting CT600s please check the following: 

1. Both iXBRL Accounts and iXBRL Computation file must be attached just before submission. (note : attachments are not currently saved with the CT600 when ‘Save’ is clicked). 
2. Use Ftax iXBRL Computations, although VT Software Computations should also work. 
3. Never Open and then Save iXBRL files in anything other than a text editor, as this may add extraneous data. Be very careful not to open an iXBRL file into a browser and click Save, as this will corrupt the iXBRL data. 
4. Each iXBRL attachment filename must end in ‘.html’. Re-edit if the file ends in ‘ .htm ‘ . 
5. Attachment filenames must NOT include any spaces, underscores, or dashes. 
6. The iXBRL Account and Computation files must have DIFFERENT filenames. 
7. The Company Number in the iXBRL Accounts file must be the same as that in the CT600, and feature 8 digits. You may have to add leading digits to this value when compiling the iXBRL Accounts file. Failure to do so will result in Error code 1606 being returned. 
8. Make sure you are using the LATEST Ftax forms. If Error Code 3303 has been returned then you need to download the latest version and transfer data using Export and Import. Regenerate and attach the iXBRL Computations. 
9. Read the ” After submitting I receive an error message.” FAQ to identify the solution to other common problems. 
10. If the profit is zero (box 3), make sure the worksheet has been open and closed, and the ‘Calculate Tax’ button has been clicked. This will propagate the necessary ‘0.00’ values throughout the form. 

Compliance with the above will resolve most iXBRL tax filing issues. But if you are still experiencing problems please email your form to support@ftax.co.uk along with the iXBRL Computations and iXBRL Accounts files, and the error message. 

The Ftax ‘Special Notice’ must be complied with to enable Ftax forms to submit online.

Select ‘Edit/Preferences/Security (Enhanced)’ from the Adobe Reader menu bar and untick the ‘enable enhanced security’ box. If you are using a Mac, please select ‘Adobe Reader/Edit/Preferences/ etc.’.

Also select ‘Edit/Preferences/Javascript’ from the Adobe Reader menu bar and ensure the boxes are ticked, unticked, unticked, and ticked.

Important Notice: While the ‘enable enhanced security’ box is unticked you are advised not to open pdf attachments emailed from unknown addresses (emails from ftax.co.uk will be ok). You may wish to leave the ‘enable enhanced security’ box ticked when you are not using Ftax.

XBRL is a global standard for exchanging business information (written in XML). iXBRL is an HMRC standard which enables XBRL to be displayed in a browser in a user friendly format (written in HTML).

The Cashbook Client Password, or just Cashbook Password, is a password you set per cashbook and that you can pass to your clients in order for them to access their data within your account.

You may wish to change or reset this if you or your client believe that the current password is not longer secure.

Ftax will return one of three types of receipt: 

Success – This will feature a green band across the top and confirm that your submission has been accepted by HMRC. If you have submitted an Amended return, be very careful to only do this if you have previously submitted a successful return. If you don’t then HMRC may fine you even though the receipt signaled a successful submission. 

Acknowledgement – This is returned if HMRC are busy. An email will be sent when the submission finally reaches HMRC to confirm whether it has been successful or not. 

Error – This will feature a red band across the top and give a reason for failure. If you do not understand the error message (which is usually sent directly from HMRC) then cut and paste it into a Support Request. 

If you are being prompted to enter a Credit Code then your form is not online to your Ftax Account. You need to be online to enable your form to communicate with your Ftax Account to automatically manage the credits. An Ftax credit will enable a form to be calculated, printed, and submitted as many times as required for a given UTR and tax year.

To ensure the Ftax form is online, click the ‘?’ in a red ball, select the bottom option, and make sure the box to the bottom left is unticked. You will then be able to enter the Ftax Account username and password and login.

Click Allow to enable your form to submit. If you accidentally Block access then use the Adobe Reader Trust Manager to unblock. To do this, select ‘Edit/Preferences/Trust Manager/Change Settings’ from the Adobe Reader menu bar. Mac users should select ‘Adobe Reader/Preferences/Trust Manager/Change Settings’.

Please enter all of your payment details again and reselect your card type. It may look as if they have been retained from last year, but they haven’t.

Please read the FAQ above entitled ‘How can I be sure I have submitted successfully?’.

If you have received a fine from HMRC for failing to submit a tax return on time then click on this link for further information, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/online/excuse-missed-deadline.htm. The section on ‘Problems with your own computer or software’ may be of particular assistance.

The full error message reads:

Government Gateway log-in failure, please check your User ID, UTR and Gateway password are correct. You can check your User ID and password are valid by logging into the Inland Revenue portal at https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/home. If you view your statement after logging in you will also see confirmation of your UTR.

This error message is always correct and is caused by an error in the entry of the User ID, Password, or UTR on the front page of the Ftax form. Common mistakes include entering an inappropriate UTR, e.g. the Partnership UTR instead of the Individual UTR. Characters are sometimes entered incorrectly, e.g. an ‘l’ can be entered instead of an ‘1’, or an ‘S’ entered instead of a ‘5’. Please check very carefully. Also check that your Password has been activated using the PIN sent to you in the post by Government Gateway when you first registered for online filing.