With Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax Self-Assessment kicking in from April 2026, it’s time to stop dithering and get your digital house in order.
Whether you’re a childminder, preschool owner, or run a small educational business, the software you choose now will make all the difference when quarterly updates become mandatory.
At Childminder Accountancy Services Ltd, we’re fully equipped to support you on this transition — and we’ve narrowed down the software options to the two we trust and work with every day.
✅ Your two main options:
FreeAgent – ideal if you have a business bank account with NatWest, RBS, Mettle, or Ulster, as you might be eligible for a free licence
QuickBooks Online – great if you want full flexibility, app integrations, and HMRC connectivity
We’re accredited FreeAgent advisors and QuickBooks Advanced ProAdvisors, so whichever you choose, we’re here to help get you set up, trained, and ready.
❌ MYTH BUSTER
HMRC will not be providing free software for MTD.
✅ You’ll need to use commercial software — and we’ve done the legwork so you don’t have to.
Both FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online are HMRC-recognised and listed on GOV.UK as fully compatible with MTD for ITSA – not just for now, but for the long haul.
We’ll help you choose the right software based on your bank, your confidence with tech, and how much (or little) time you want to spend on bookkeeping.
⚠️ Important: If you’re not set up and actively using digital software by our internal cut-off, we won’t be able to act for you beyond that point. We simply won’t have the capacity to onboard last-minute panics in March 2026.
Need help deciding? Want a walkthrough or demo?
📅 Book a setup session or get in touch today.
Let’s make MTD manageable – and maybe even painless.