Isabella Callaghan, Managing Director of Number Crunchers (Sheffield), discusses how sole traders in the construction industry can prepare properly when it comes to tax issues.

If you are a Limited Company or VAT registered, you will already be familiar with Making Tax Digital. However, if you are a self-employed sole trader working in the construction industry with an annual income of over £10,000 you will soon need to start preparing for MTD, which will come into place in April 2024.

All self-employed businesses and landlords with an annual business or property income above £10,000 will need to follow the rules for MTD for Income Tax.

HMRC will require that a return is submitted quarterly, and that businesses will need to use MTD compatible software to keep digital records.

I have been working with sole traders and companies in the construction industry for over 26 years, so I have a strong respect for their skills and services, as well as understanding their everyday stresses when it comes to bookkeeping. 

As an accountant, I and my fellow accountants have now been tasked to bring these sole traders into the new tax system called MTD.

At present a lot of sole traders think:

  • That doesn't apply to me – some sole traders are ignoring the emails, software advertisements, as they genuinely believe it's not going to affect them
  • More costs – some sole traders are concerned that their accountancy bills or MTD compatible software packages are going to quadruple
  • 2024 is ages away – some sole traders want to wait until April 2024 before thinking about MTD.

If you are a sole trader with an income above £10k – it means you. HMRC will require that you submit a return every quarter, as the name MTD suggests this means digitally and to do that you will need compatible software to keep the digital records.

It doesn't need to be daunting if you start preparing now. We have already transitioned many clients to MTD compatible software, and the majority now prefer the move to digital bookkeeping.

I am not going to pretend that it wasn't different for them at first, but we have had the time to train them at no additional cost and they are now up and running and just can't believe how much time they are saving.

There are various MTD compatible software packages available that you can use, such as Sage, Xero, FreeAgent and QuickBooks to name a few.

Please undertake your research, as some are more affordable than others. Your accountant can also advise you on the most cost-effective option to suit your business needs.

April 2024 seems a long way away, but it is only 18 months and if you move now to digital bookkeeping, you have time to sort any niggles and training out. This will most definitely not be the case in 18 months' time.

In conclusion, don't wait until 2024 - talk to your accountant today. Digital software will improve the way you do business by saving you time and making you look professional to your customers.