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If you’re using a spreadsheet to keep your records for HMRC, you’re in good company. Plenty of landlords and sole traders prefer a simple spreadsheet over complicated accounting software. It’s clear, flexible and, once set up properly, surprisingly easy to maintain.
That’s exactly what suiteSheets templates are designed for.
Whether you’re a landlord or a sole trader, the exact categories that HMRC asks for are slightly different.
Landlords track rental income and property expenses.
Sole traders track business income and trading costs.
The good news? The process for using your suiteSheets template is exactly the same.
Once you understand the simple rhythm of recording transactions, the Overview sheet simply links to your totals so they can be stored and submitted in line with HMRC’s ‘digital link’ requirements.
Let’s walk through the basics.
Digital link requirements
Under MTD, HMRC requires a clear digital link from your transactions all the way through to submission.
In practice, that means your totals should be calculated using formulas (not typed in), with data flowing automatically from your records to your summary. The suiteSheets templates have been designed to do exactly that.
From there, your figures must be sent to HMRC using MTD-compatible software, like suiteSheets!
Cash accounting
suiteSheets templates use cash accounting, which is the simplest way to keep records for tax. Instead of worrying about when invoices were issued, you simply record money when it actually moves.
When rent or business income hits your account, record it as income.
When you pay an expense, record it as an expense.
If nothing has been paid in or out yet, nothing gets recorded yet.
That’s it. No complicated accruals, no accounting gymnastics. Just real money in, real money out.
For many landlords and small businesses, this approach keeps book-keeping manageable without needing accounting training.
Standard reporting period
suiteSheets templates follow the standard reporting period used by HMRC. The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year. Your template is designed around this cycle so that:
Your records match the tax year automatically
Your quarterly updates stay organised
Your totals are ready when you need them
No mental arithmetic required.
Is it right for you?
suiteSheets templates are designed for simple, practical record-keeping.
They’re ideal for:
Landlords reporting rental income
Sole traders or freelancers
People using cash accounting
Businesses with annual income under roughly £90,000 (the built-in tax estimate assumes income below £100k)
If that sounds like you, you’re exactly who the template was built for.
Record each transaction
To keep compliant digital records for HMRC, each transaction should be recorded individually.
For every entry you simply record:
Date
Category (income, expense etc)
Amount
You can also add a description if you want a reminder of what the transaction was for. It’s not strictly required but future you may appreciate the extra detail.
Running totals
The template is designed around four updates per year.
Each quarterly update shows running (cumulative) totals, meaning each quarter builds on the previous one.
This keeps everything aligned with digital reporting requirements and avoids the classic end-of-year spreadsheet scramble.
Top tip: If you'd like to keep things even simpler, many users just set a monthly reminder to update their transactions. Ten minutes a month can save a surprising amount of stress later.
Let the spreadsheet do the heavy lifting
Once your transactions are entered, the spreadsheet quietly does its job.
Totals update automatically.
Summaries build as you go.
Quarterly figures are ready when you need them.
Your main task is simply keeping your entries up to date. The spreadsheet handles the rest.
Full instructions
Don’t worry about memorising everything straight away.
The full step-by-step instructions for both landlords and sole traders are included directly inside your spreadsheet.
Just head to the Welcome sheet in your template and follow the guidance there. It’s all laid out clearly so you can get started in minutes.
Submission
The first Making Tax Digital quarterly submission for 2026 must be completed by the beginning of August 2026.
When you’re ready to submit, simply upload your spreadsheet to your suiteSheets account. Our system reads the totals directly from your Overview sheet, shows them clearly on screen, and asks you to confirm that everything looks correct. Once you’re happy, you can submit the figures straight to HMRC.
No complicated steps — just a quick check and a simple submission.
Next steps
We look forward to inviting you to create your suiteSheets account soon!
In the meantime, you can:
Find a summary of what to expect in our article - Create a suiteSheets account
Make sure you join the waiting list to stay updated - Join waiting list
Download your suiteSheets FULL template - Download template
Start your MTD compliance journey with suiteSheets TODAY!