Free MTD spreadsheet template

Written by the Quidtrail team · Facts last checked 18 October 2026

The short answer: you can keep your Making Tax Digital for Income Tax records in a spreadsheet, but a spreadsheet can't send anything to HMRC by itself. You also need bridging software that's digitally linked to it, to send your quarterly updates and, ideally, your tax return (GOV.UK). Our free template is laid out so that each record has what HMRC asks for: the amount, the date and the category (GOV.UK).

Get the template (.xlsx) CSV pack (.zip)

The CSV pack has one CSV file per data-entry tab. CSV files can't carry formulas, drop-down lists or the Summary tab, so the CSV pack has none of these. Use the .xlsx file if you want the totals worked out for you.

What's in the template

The .xlsx file has seven visible tabs and one hidden lists tab:

• Notes: how to use the template, the deadlines, record-keeping reminders and links to the GOV.UK pages it's based on.
• Settings: the tax year (the year it starts in), update period type (standard or calendar), which income sources you have, whether you use simpler categorisation, and names for up to 5 foreign properties. It works out the end date and deadline of each cumulative update period, and the 31 January tax return date. The records start date defaults to 6 April of the tax year. If you use calendar update periods, change it to the start date your bridging software uses.
• Self-employment 1 and Self-employment 2: one tab for each sole-trade business, with columns for date, description, amount, income or expense, category, and notes or receipt reference. Each tab holds up to 500 rows. If you have more than two businesses, copy a tab by hand and add matching rows to the Summary tab. HMRC says each self-employment business needs separate records (GOV.UK).
• UK property: one tab for all your UK properties, because HMRC treats them as one UK property business (GOV.UK). Columns: date, property reference, description, amount, income or expense, category, your ownership share (%), your share (£, worked out for you), and notes.
• Foreign property: the same columns, but each row has a property drop-down that picks one of the names you entered in Settings. That's how the template keeps records for each foreign property, which HMRC requires (GOV.UK).
• Summary: formulas only. It shows cumulative totals by category, from the records start date to the end of each update period, for Self-employment 1, Self-employment 2, UK property, and each foreign property separately (up to 5). Property totals use your share. The formulas link to the transaction tabs, and HMRC counts linked cells as a digital link (GOV.UK).

Categories follow the Self Assessment boxes: the SA103F expense and income boxes for self-employment, and the SA105 boxes for property. Examples are "Turnover", "Rent income", "Property repairs and maintenance" and "Residential property finance costs". Each list also has "Income (simpler categorisation)" and "Expenses (simpler categorisation)" options if your turnover for that business is under £90,000 (GOV.UK). Residential landlords use "Residential property finance costs" for mortgage interest and similar costs, so they can be identified (GOV.UK).

Joint lets: enter the full amount and your ownership share, and the "Your share (£)" column works out your share. Or enter only your share and leave the percentage at 100. HMRC says you only need records of your share (GOV.UK).

What it doesn't do: it can't send anything to HMRC, and it doesn't check your figures. Check each Summary total yourself before you send an update.

How to use it: step by step

1. Choose your bridging software first. It has to be listed on HMRC's software finder (use the "bridging" filter) and cover all your income sources. Check whether it also submits the tax return (GOV.UK). See Can I keep using spreadsheets for MTD?
2. Check how your bridging product reads spreadsheets. We haven't tested this template with any bridging product. Tools differ: some let you map any spreadsheet, others read particular cells or need their own fixed template, and some take an uploaded file. Read your bridging tool's import instructions before you start recording, and adapt the layout or use the provider's own template if that's what it needs. Check that the category names map to the ones your tool expects.
3. Fill in the Settings tab. Pick standard update periods unless your accounting period is 1 April to 31 March. In that case HMRC says to use calendar update periods, and you select this in your software before your first update (GOV.UK).
4. Record every transaction with its date, amount and category. If your turnover for that business is under £90,000, you can use simpler categories (GOV.UK).
5. Joint lets: enter only your share. You can choose to leave joint-let expenses out of quarterly updates and add them by resending your fourth update (GOV.UK).
6. Link, don't retype. Connect the summary tab to your bridging software by import or upload. Once a record has been sent to HMRC, don't move it by retyping or copying and pasting (GOV.UK).
7. Send each quarterly update from the bridging software by 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May (GOV.UK).
8. Correct mistakes in the spreadsheet, not in the bridging software, so the fix flows through to your next update (GOV.UK).
9. Keep the file and your receipts for at least 5 years after the 31 January deadline (GOV.UK).

Changing bridging software

If you switch bridging products during a tax year, link the new product to your spreadsheet and remove the link to the old one (GOV.UK).

Related: Spreadsheets and bridging software · Free MTD software · MTD software directory · Quarterly checklist

Last checked against GOV.UK on 18 October 2026. Not tax advice.