Yes. An authorised accountant can handle agreed MTD work using compatible software. Confirm who keeps the books, sends each update and submits the annual return. You still need to provide complete information and answer questions about it.
Appointing help does not hand HMRC responsibility to someone else in the abstract. You still need to supply complete, accurate information. The accountant manages process and software. They cannot invent missing invoices or guess rent you never recorded.
What an authorised agent can typically help with
In practice, once you have authorised an agent for MTD (and they have the right HMRC agent services setup), they can usually help with:
- signing you up for MTD where that step is still needed
- choosing and connecting compatible software
- creating and maintaining digital records from the evidence you provide
- preparing and sending quarterly updates
- helping you complete and submit the year-end tax return through that software
Exact permissions depend on how you authorise them. Ask your accountant to spell out what they will do and what stays with you.
Checklist: what you normally still need to do
- Authorise the agent for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (and Self Assessment where relevant) through HMRC’s agent processes.
- Confirm your income sources (self-employment, UK or foreign property, or both) so the right records and updates are set up.
- Hand over usable evidence on a steady rhythm: bank exports, sales invoices, expense receipts, letting-agent statements, and notes for anything unusual.
- Answer clarifying questions when a transaction is unclear (private vs business, which property, which category).
- Review and approve work where your service process asks you to, before updates or the return go to HMRC.
- Keep supporting documents. MTD digital records sit alongside the invoices and statements you still need for Self Assessment evidence.
Late or incomplete records make quarterly updates harder for everyone involved. That is a customer-side constraint, not something software can paper over.
DIY software vs accountant support
With DIY-compatible software you drive categorisation, submissions, and HMRC screens yourself. With an accountant-led service such as TaxSimba, you feed information through a client workflow and accountants use compatible software to help manage MTD. TaxSimba is not standalone DIY filing software you are expected to run unsupervised.
DIY can still suit simple affairs if you are comfortable with software and will update records weekly. Mixed income, several properties, or a sudden HMRC signup are usually when people want help.
If you are still checking whether MTD applies
Use GOV.UK’s eligibility guidance and our free MTD checker, then read how qualifying income thresholds work if the £50,000 (and later) figures are unclear.
Prefer not to learn every MTD screen? Compare packages on MTD information and pricing, then start from the Making Tax Digital accountant service if you want managed support rather than DIY software alone. Authorisation and software choices should still follow current GOV.UK guidance for your situation.
Use an unanswered transaction to test responsibility
Illustrative preparation example.
Your bank feed contains a £450 transfer with no explanation. The accountant cannot reliably classify it from the amount alone. Agree how you will answer record queries and when, even where the accountant handles every software submission.
Check: Who answers a transaction query, and what happens if the answer is missing near a deadline?
| Check | Practical action |
|---|---|
| Client information | Supply complete records and explain unclear transactions. |
| Agent authority | Match the authorised role to the agreed tasks. |
| Filing responsibility | Identify who checks, sends and confirms each obligation. |
Does appointing an accountant remove my responsibility?
You still need to provide accurate, complete information and check the return information as required.
Does every supporting agent handle the annual return?
No. Check main-agent responsibilities and who is engaged to finalise and submit the annual return.
Download a checklist for this guide
- Engagement scope
- Main or supporting-agent role
- Record delivery arrangements
- Query and approval process
- Submission confirmations and outstanding work