Bookkeeping workbooks
Keep the underlying records
Enter individual income and expense transactions as they happen. The workbook calculates useful quarterly and year-end totals for you.
See the three bookkeeping workbooksFree Excel templates
Free Making Tax Digital spreadsheet templates, all in one place.
Download six free Excel workbooks for landlords and sole traders. Choose a complete bookkeeping workbook to record income and expenses throughout the year, or a cumulative quarterly summary template for figures kept elsewhere. Every file is an .xlsx download and requires no sign-up.
Start with the job
Two types of spreadsheet
Pick the format that matches where your records live today.
Quarterly summary templates
Summarise records kept elsewhere
Enter cumulative year-to-date totals from your existing digital records, ready to upload and review in aligned.tax.
See the three quarterly summariesBookkeeping workbooks
Keep your records
Use these workbooks as your day-to-day digital record of income and expenses.
Best for 1 to 3 properties
Landlord Starter workbook
Record rental income, property expenses and mortgage interest throughout the year, then see quarterly and year-end totals.
- Up to 3 property sheets
- Quarterly and year-end summary
- UK property income and expense categories
Landlord_Starter_UK_v2.0.xlsxDownload .xlsx
Best for 4 to 10 properties
Landlord Portfolio workbook
Keep each property separate while viewing consolidated rental income, expenses and year-end totals across the portfolio.
- Up to 10 property sheets
- Portfolio overview dashboard
- Consolidated year-end totals
Landlord_Portfolio_UK_v2.0.xlsxDownload .xlsx
Best for self-employed record keeping
Sole Trader workbook
Log sales and business expenses against clear HMRC categories, with automatic quarterly totals and a live profit and loss view.
- Transaction-by-transaction ledger
- Quarterly totals calculated automatically
- Expense guide and simplified expenses calculator
Sole_Trader_UK_v2.0.xlsxDownload .xlsx
Quarterly summary templates
Prepare a quarterly summary
Use these when the detailed digital records already live in another spreadsheet or bookkeeping system.
Best if UK property records are kept elsewhere
UK Property quarterly summary
Bring cumulative year-to-date rental figures into one structured sheet, using detailed expense categories or a single consolidated expense total.
- Cumulative year-to-date figures
- Detailed or consolidated expenses
- Built-in validation and profit checks
Landlord_Summary_UK_quarters_cumulative_v2.0.xlsxDownload .xlsx
Best for foreign property income from 2026-27
Foreign Property quarterly summary
Prepare cumulative year-to-date income and expenses for foreign properties before uploading the completed summary to aligned.tax.
- Supports up to 20 properties or country codes
- Detailed or consolidated expenses
- Validation and submission-ready checks
Foreign_Property_quarters_cumulative_v2.0.xlsxDownload .xlsx
Best if sole trader records are kept elsewhere
Self Employment quarterly summary
Enter cumulative year-to-date self-employment income and expenses in the format needed for review in aligned.tax.
- Cumulative year-to-date figures
- Detailed or consolidated expenses
- Tax year, quarter and period controls
Self_Employment_quarters_cumulative_v2.0.xlsxDownload .xlsx
Quick decision guide
Which one should I use?
01
Choose your income source
Use the landlord templates for UK property, the foreign property template for overseas property, or the sole trader and self-employment templates for business income.
02
Choose how much detail to enter
Need somewhere to keep each transaction? Pick a bookkeeping workbook. Already have digital records? Pick the matching cumulative quarterly summary.
The templates organise your figures. They do not send anything to HMRC by themselves. Upload the completed file to compatible bridging software, review it and authorise the submission.
Common questions
MTD spreadsheet template FAQs
Which MTD spreadsheet template should I use?
Choose a bookkeeping workbook if you want to record individual transactions throughout the year. Choose a quarterly summary template if you already keep digital records elsewhere and need to organise cumulative year-to-date totals for upload to aligned.tax.
Are these Excel spreadsheet templates free?
Yes. All six .xlsx files are free to download and there is no email form or sign-up gate. You can keep using the file on your own computer.
Do these spreadsheets submit figures directly to HMRC?
No. The spreadsheets help you keep or organise digital records. To send an MTD quarterly update to HMRC, upload the completed file to compatible bridging software such as aligned.tax, review the figures and authorise the submission.
Can I use Excel for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax?
Yes, provided you keep the required digital records and use compatible software to submit the required updates to HMRC. The digital link between your records and the submission must be maintained.
Can landlords and sole traders use the same spreadsheet?
Use the template for the relevant income source. UK property, foreign property and self-employment have different income and expense fields, so separate templates reduce mapping mistakes and make review clearer.
From spreadsheet to submission
Got your spreadsheet? File it free with aligned.tax.
Upload the completed workbook, review how Smart Map reads it and authorise your MTD submission when you are ready.
Start filing now