For landlords
HMRC now wants quarterly updates on your rental income. You did not sign up to become a part-time bookkeeper, so aligned.tax reads the property spreadsheet you already keep, maps it to HMRC's fields, and files your update in minutes. No accounting software to learn.
No credit card · Keep the spreadsheet you already use · Connects securely to HMRC.
Found 8 potential mappings in your spreadsheet.
Most MTD tools want you to learn property management software. aligned.tax reads your existing rental spreadsheet, maps the columns, and lets you file the quarterly update from it.
Drop in your XLSX spreadsheet with your own layout. Safe, secure AI reads your columns and maps them to the right HMRC fields for you, so there is no re-keying and nothing to reformat. You stay in control: check the mapping, hit submit, and your quarterly update is filed. The mapping saves, so next quarter takes seconds.
Download a rigid template. Link cells with formulas. Or re-key every figure by hand into another tool. Every quarter. For every client. HMRC's digital mandate means you can't just copy and paste - so you're stuck adapting your workflow to fit someone else's software.
Your rental workbook stays put. The mapping saves for next quarter. No accounting software to learn.
Your start date depends on your rental and self-employment income, not a letter from HMRC. Check exactly when, and why, in under a minute. Every answer traces back to GOV.UK.
Check your start dateUpload the rental spreadsheet you already keep. No reformatting, no template to learn. Smart Map reads your property income and expenses, however your sheet is laid out.
Smart Map matches your column headers to the property MTD fields and proposes the mapping. Review what it suggests, adjust if needed, and approve everything before the update is sent.
Check the figures and file the quarterly property update directly to HMRC via their MTD API. The mapping is saved for next quarter, so repeat filings take seconds with a full audit trail.
If you would rather not build your own, start from our free, professionally developed landlord bookkeeping spreadsheet. It is structured for Making Tax Digital from the first row, so aligned.tax can read and file it without any reformatting.
A 5-minute read covering MTD for property income, key dates, and what to do without changing how you keep your rental records.
Read the MTD guide for landlordsYes. aligned.tax is officially HMRC-recognised bridging software for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, recognised in July 2026. Recognition means aligned.tax passed HMRC's production checks and files your quarterly updates through HMRC's official MTD API - while you keep your rental records in the spreadsheet you already use.
Yes. Spreadsheets can remain part of your digital records when compatible bridging software submits the required updates to HMRC.
aligned.tax is for landlords who already keep suitable spreadsheet records and want a simpler route to MTD filing.
You can start now. Create a free account, connect securely to HMRC, upload the spreadsheet you already keep, and file your next quarterly update. No credit card required.
aligned.tax is free for landlords - the core upload-and-submit workflow is always free. It works whether you let one property or several, with no credit card required to try it.
aligned.tax accepts .xlsx files. Bring the workbook you already use for property income and expenses, and Smart Map matches your column headers to the right HMRC fields. If it is in another format, save or export it as .xlsx before upload.
Yes. You can keep the rental spreadsheet you already use rather than learning a property management package, and aligned.tax reads it directly each quarter.
Yes. Once you are mandated into MTD ITSA you stay in unless you opt out, and opt-out is only available after three consecutive tax years with qualifying income below the applicable threshold. A single year below the threshold does not remove the obligation, and you may also choose to stay in MTD for continuity.
HMRC requires a digital record of each income or expense item, including the date, amount, and category. The line-item record itself must be digital and digitally linked to your filing software, but HMRC does not separately mandate that the underlying paper receipts must be scanned. Keep paper receipts as you would today for your own audit trail.
You send separate quarterly updates for each income source. Your self-employment income is one update and your property income is another. You then complete and submit one tax return for the year.
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Free for individuals, always. Practices start with three clients free. No credit card, no setup.