Importing Data into an Ftax MTD for IT Quarterly Update Form

If you are a tax agent filing on behalf of clients – first, you must follow the ‘agent MTD step-by-step guide’. After logging into your Ftax Account, click the down arrow to the right of the menu bar. Then click ’HMRC Auth’ and follow the instructions. You will need to authorise MTD for VAT and MTD for IT separately after entering your HMRC User ID and Password.

If you are filing your own tax – first, you must follow the ‘business MTD step-by-step guide’. After logging into your Ftax Account, you will be able to initiate your Ftax web form from the Dashboard by clicking the appropriate NEW button. This will open the form Overview that will guide you through the tax submission process. An ‘Authorise Ftax for MTD’ button, in an early section of this Overview will initialise the authorisations process if you have not already done so. Follow the instructions which include entering your HMRC User ID and Password.

• Click here to read how to download MTD for IT spreadsheet templates from the Ftax website.
• Ftax supply Self-employment, UK Property, and Foreign Property templates.
• Enter each template you are using in a new tab in your spreadsheet.
• Link all the income and expense totals in the template to the totals you have setup to calculate on your spreadsheet.
• Enter all incomes and expenses transactions as they arise.
• These must include the date, the type of transaction, the customer/supplier name, the amount (including and excluding VAT), and any VAT.
• Just before you transfer the spreadsheet data, enter the cumulative period dates in the template as it instructs.
• Export the data from the template tab as a CSV file.
• Click the ‘Import’ button on the Ftax Quarterly update form and select this file.
• Check the imported data. Note – to keep the data transfer MTD complaint, this cannot be changed on the form.

1. Download and open the Ftax Cashbook PDF form in Adobe Reader.
2. Tick the ‘agent’ box and click ‘Enter’. This will make this form an ‘agent copy’.
3. Follow the process on the right beginning by clicking the top button to login.
4. Then click ‘Select/Enter Client’ and select one of the top 2 options.
5. If you select a ‘new MTD for IT tax filer’ then you will be prompted to enter their name, UTR, and National Insurance number.
6. When the ‘Set Cashbook’ button is clicked then the Cashbook is ready to use.
7. Click to enter the business details. You can enter details for more than one business.
8. You may now enter incomes and expense transactions.
9. Regularly save the PDF form. When you do so you will be prompted to forward income and expenses totals to the Ftax Quarterly update form.
10. Download another Ftax Cashbook PDF form if you wish to set up a ‘client copy’.
11. This time click the ‘client’ box before clicking ‘Enter’.
12. If you have already set up the ‘agent’ copy, then the ‘Existing MTD for IT tax filer ’ option may be selected after clicking the second button. This will save having to enter the same UTR and National Insurance number again.
13. The third button should confirm that a credit has already been assigned while to fourth should load any data you have saved using the agent copy.
14. You will now be presented with a Password which you must copy and securely save.
15. After clicking ‘Set Cashbook’ save the PDF form and send it to your client.
16. Send the Password by a different means.
17. When they open the client copy of the PDF Ftax Cashbook it will prompt them to enter the Password and then to save the form.
18. Your client can now enter income and expense transactions. When they save you will also be able to see this data. Follow any ‘Sync’ instructions when prompted.
19. You and your client are now sent up to populate the same Ftax Cashbook. Data may be forwarded to the Ftax MTD for IT Quarterly form every time the cashbook is saved.

1. Download and open the Ftax Cashbook PDF form in Adobe Reader.
2. Follow the process on the right beginning by clicking the top button to login.
3. Then click ‘Select/Enter Client’ and select one of the top 2 options.
4. If you select a ‘new MTD for IT tax filer’ then you will be prompted to enter their name, UTR, and National Insurance number.
5. When the ‘Set Cashbook’ button is clicked, the Cashbook is ready to use.
6. Click to enter the business details. You can enter details for more than one business.
7. You may now enter incomes and expense transactions.
8. Regularly save the PDF form. When you do so you will be prompted to forward income and expenses totals to the Ftax Quarterly update form.

2026/27 is the first year that quarterly update submissions must be cumulative. This means that the period always starts at the beginning of the tax year (usually 6th April but may also be April 1st). The end date can be today’s date or the date of the most recent transaction that was used to calculate the totals.

HMRC require you to submit cumulative period updates for each of the 4 quarters of the tax year (the quarters usually commence for 6th April but the quarters can also commence from 1st April). You can submit more often than this but be sure to submit after each quarter ends and before its due date about 1 month tater. The Ftax Quarterly update form will guide you. 

Click here to view an MTD for IT timeline which shows the periods when the quarterly period updates must be made.

Click here to read how HMRC describe MTD for IT quarterly updates.

Yes, you may purchase Ftax MTD for IT immediately and use it to submit the quarterly update forms. At the end of the tax year it may also be used to submit the End-of-Year form.

HMRC do not require the first MTD quarterly update submission to be made until just after the end of the first tax year quarter on July 5th (or July 1st if you have selected the ‘calendar’ period type). You then have until August 7th to make the first quarterly update submission to HMRC.

Continue recording incomes and expense transactions, either by using a spreadsheet or the Ftax Cashbook.

The Ftax team are here to help you prepare and submit your MTD for IT quarterly update submissions  on time. 

Click here to learn more.

Send a support request if you are experiencing any problems or have any questions.

The introduction of the new MTD service is being phased to enable the Ftax team to better support the immediate needs of its customers.

MTD for IT is new and confusing to many. HMRC have held trials but have not yet experienced large volumes of users. To best support its customers Ftax will initially focus on the following first stages of service use:

1. Assistance in selecting and purchasing the appropriate product.
2. Help in Authorising Ftax for the use of MTD for IT.
3. Support in setting up spreadsheets to record income and expense details.
4. Help to setup the Ftax Cashbook to record income and expense details.

The second phase will help customers to transfer income and expense data to the Ftax Quarterly update form and to submit the quarterly data to HMRC. HMRC do not require the first quarterly submission to be made until July 2026. Even though you can submit earlier there is no urgency to do so until then. The Ftax team will step up its support for this phase well in advance.

The following timeline shows how the full lifecycle of MTD for IT tax filing stretches across 1 year and 9 months. HMRC requirements are spread over this period.

MTD for IT Timeline

The Ftax team are here to help. We will tell you what you need to do when you need to do it.

Agent MTD step-by-step guide: 
 

1. Create an Agent Services Account (ASA): Click here to watch an HMRC video, and here to read HMRC’s instructions on how to create your ASA if you don’t already have one.
2. Gain authorisation from each client: Click here for instructions on how to transfer existing client authorisations for you to file tax returns on their behalf. New clients may authorise you to file their taxes using a digital handshake.
3. Authorise Ftax for MTD: As an agent you must inform HMRC Ftax will be used both to submit MTD for VAT and MTD for IT tax returns. This may be done by clicking ‘v’ to the right of your Ftax Account menu bar and selecting ‘HMRC Auth‘. Make sure this links to your MTD ASA and not to your Online Services for Agents account. 
4. Sign up your clients for MTD: Click here to sign up your eligible clients with HMRC for MTD by entering their income details, National Insurance number, and choosing their start dates.

HMRC’s own step-by-step agent MTD guide may be read here.

All newly VAT-registered businesses in the UK are now automatically signed up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT. 

If HMRC have sent you a letter to inform that you must file your self assessment tax return using the new ‘Making Tax Digital’ then you must first sign up for MTD for IT. To do this click here. You may first wish to read the information provided on this webpage to learn more. 

When you are ready to sign up, scroll down and click on the green ‘Sign up now’ button. Before you do, make sure you know what your Unique Tax Reference (UTR) and National Insurance Number (Nino) are. You will now be presented with 3 options, to sign in using Government Gateway, GOV.UK One Login, or to create new sign in details. Make sure you take a note of your Government Gateway User ID and Password if you select the third option.

If you have previously used an accountant or tax agent to file your self assessment tax, then you may not have a Government Gateway User ID and Password. If this is the case, you will need to select the third option. This will require you to prove your identity, and so you must have your passport or other such identity document to hand. 

If you do have a Government Gateway User ID and Password then select the first option, login when prompted and follow the instructions. A large green banner will confirm when you have successfully signed up for MTD for IT.

You may further confirm you are signed up for MTD for IT at any time by logging in to your HMRC account using your Government Gateway User ID and Password. Someway below the title ‘Business tax account’ you should find a further title ‘Making Tax Digital for Income Tax’. A link at the bottom of this section will display further details and confirm that you are now signed up for MTD for IT.

If your business pays by Direct Debit then you need to sign up at least 7 working days before you need to submit.

You must wait for the confirmation email from HMRC before to attempt to use the MTD software.

If you do not receive a confirmation email from HMRC After 72 hours, you should report this to HMRC.

After purchasing an Ftax MTD for VAT or MTD for IT package you must authorise the Ftax service to submit VAT or IT or MTD for IT returns using MTD. This is done by first logging into your Ftax Account, clicking NEW to begin setting up an MTD web form, and then clicking to Authorise Ftax for MTD when prompted (usually the 2nd or 3rd step in the Overview process). You should then be prompted to ‘Continue’, to log into to your HMRC account using your existing Government Gateway User ID and password, and to click a ‘Grant authority’ button.

No. There are several ways the Ftax MTD forms may be used:

1. You may advise your client to purchase the non-agent Ftax VAT or Ftax Cashbook package. These feature a single copy to be used solely by the client.
2. If you have purchased either an Ftax Agent VAT or an Ftax Agent Cashbook package then you may generate both the agent and client copies before securely transferring the latter to your client using the password provided. The two copies are designed to be ‘sync’ed when in use so that the agent and client view the same data. Either may complete the form or submit to HMRC. Typically, the client may enter the VAT data, (either directly into the Ftax Cashbook, or into their own spreadsheet before using the Ftax VAT Link to transfer the data to the Ftax VAT pdf form), under the supervision of the agent.
3. If you have purchased either an Ftax Agent VAT or an Ftax Agent Cashbook package then you may generate the agent copy only. You should do this if you plan to complete and submit the form on behalf of your client.
4. If you have purchased either an Ftax Agent VAT or an Ftax Agent Cashbook package then you may choose to only generate the client copy before securely transferring this form to your client using the password provided. The client would then be able to enter all VAT data and submit to HMRC themselves.