Your First Login as an Accountant

What this is

When you first log in as an accountant, you land on the Workspace - your central hub for managing all your clients’ MTD submissions. On your first visit, the workspace will be empty because you have not added any clients yet. This guide walks you through what you see and the steps to get your practice up and running.

What you see on screen

On your first login, the Workspace at /app/workspace shows:

• An empty client list - no clients have been added yet, so the main area will prompt you to add your first client
• An onboarding checklist for ARN setup, adding a client and completing authorisation
• The MTD Quarterly Updates navigation for released quarterly tasks
• The header at the top with the aligned.tax logo, your tax year selector dropdown, notifications bell, and the help assistant icon

The sidebar includes these key items for your practice:

• Dashboard - your personal overview
• Income Sources - manage business income sources across clients
• Quarterly Statuses - see obligation statuses for your clients
• Upload Quarterly Data - upload spreadsheets for your clients
• Past Submissions - view submission history across your client base

How to get started

Follow these steps to set up your practice in aligned.tax:

Step 1: Add your first client

1. Select Add Client in the Client Workspace.
2. Enter the client’s name, email, National Insurance number and postcode.
3. Choose whether you are the Main agent or Supporting agent, then add the client.

Step 2: Set up your Agent Reference Number (ARN)

Your ARN is the reference number HMRC uses to identify your practice. You need it to authorise yourself to act on behalf of your clients.

1. Go to your account settings
2. Enter your ARN
3. This is a one-time setup for your practice

Step 3: Authorise your client with HMRC

Before you can submit returns for a client, you need to be authorised to act on their behalf through HMRC.

1. Navigate to the client you just added
2. Start the HMRC authorisation process
3. If HMRC does not confirm an existing Self Assessment relationship, send the client a digital-handshake link to approve through their own HMRC account
4. Once authorised, the client’s status will update and you can begin uploading data and submitting returns

Step 4: Upload your first spreadsheet

Once your client is authorised:

1. Go to Upload Quarterly Data in the sidebar
2. Open the client from the workspace or choose them with the header switcher so they are the active taxpayer.
3. Choose an open obligation.
4. Upload an XLSX spreadsheet through Smart Map.
5. Review the mapping and figures, then submit.

Things to know

• ARN is essential. Without your Agent Reference Number, you cannot authorise with HMRC to act on behalf of your clients. You can find your ARN on your HMRC Agent Services account.
• New authorisation depends on the client. A digital-handshake request remains pending until the client approves it, and the link expires after 21 days.
• You can add multiple clients. There is no limit to the number of clients you can manage through your aligned.tax practice account.
• The tax year selector in the header controls which tax year’s data you see across the entire app. Make sure it is set to the correct year when uploading or reviewing data.

FAQ

Where do I find my ARN?

Your Agent Reference Number is available from your HMRC Agent Services account at gov.uk. It is a unique reference that identifies your practice.

Can I import my client list from another system?

Clients are currently added individually from the Client Workspace.

What if my client has not authorised me yet?

You can still add the client and enter their details. The authorisation step can be completed later. Until authorised, you will not be able to upload data or submit returns for that client.