Practice before April 2026

Hi James,

It is a great idea to start practicing with digital record-keeping before the mandatory deadline in April 2026. This allows you to familiarise yourself with the automated tools available without the pressure of an immediate legal deadline.

To answer your questions regarding linking your accounts and the status of your reports:

Linking Bank Details and HMRC Credentials: Yes, you should link your bank details and authorise your HMRC Government Gateway account now.

Bank Feeds: Linking your bank allows transactions to flow into Clear Books automatically. This gives you real-world data to practice "explaining" transactions.

HMRC Connection: Authorising Clear Books with your Government Gateway account is a one-off setup step. It allows the system to fetch your specific "obligation periods" (the dates HMRC expects updates for). Connecting now does not force you to submit anything immediately. For the practice quarter, HMRC will not push an obligation period for this and therefore, cannot be submitted.

Tommy

Im the same as you, im practicing now to see whats what and what niggles there are before April - Ive not signed up yet for MTD as i dont see the point until nearer the time. Its a headache trying to learn new things and where everything is (well it is for me!) - Good luck ?

Hi Carl,

We understand learning a new software can be daunting, however, we have compiled a comprehensive library of resources to help you get the most out of your account. You can view all our guides here:

https://support.mtdincometax.clearbooks.co.uk/support/solutions

To get started and understand how to use your account effectively, we highly recommend reading our overview guide on digital record keeping.

Tommy

Thank Tommy, ill get reading now ?