Accountex 2026: Making Tax Digital IT revelations
One thing that became very clear from our Accountex discussions was that many accountancy firms are still trying to figure out what their MTD IT operating model will look like in practice. In particular, firms are trying to ensure compliance without creating unnecessary work for either their clients or themselves.
Firms are still defining their approach
Subsequently, most conversations centred less on the legislation itself and more on workflow, client behaviour and operational pressures. Questions repeatedly surfaced around:
- How self-sufficient will clients be with their record-keeping and quarterly submissions?
- How involved will practices need to remain?
- How straightforward will year-end declarations actually be?
- Where can practices add the most value – both for client support and commerciality?
There was also some misunderstanding around the practical requirements of MTD IT. Some accountants still believe quarterly submissions require full quarterly tax reviews, while others remain unclear about exactly what information needs to be submitted.
A number of firms were surprised to learn that spreadsheets can still form part of a compliant MTD IT workflow and that bookkeeping software is not mandatory for every client.
Spreadsheet and lighter-service clients remain a major focus
The strongest conversations centred around spreadsheet users. Landlords, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) contractors, taxi drivers, sole traders and lighter-service clients also featured.
For many firms, these clients represent the real MTD IT challenge. This is because it’s these clients who need a compliant MTD IT process without unnecessary complexity, cost or disruption.
A lot of accountants expressed relief that they wouldn’t need to force every client onto full bookkeeping software solely because of MTD IT. Others liked that TaxNav enables clients to continue working in familiar ways while staying compliant with HMRC requirements. This includes options for direct data entry into our software and keeping their spreadsheets.
Without a practical spreadsheet-compatible solution, many firms felt they were facing an uncomfortable choice:
- absorb significantly more work,
- increase fees clients may resist, or
- lose some clients altogether.
Automation is a must for long-term efficiency
TaxNav’s automation features were particularly well received. Most popular was TaxNav software’s ability to:
- guide clients through the quarterly submission process,
- send reminders to help avoid missed deadlines,
- automatically pull through to HMRC the required information - either from spreadsheets or directly from the software where clients prefer manual entry.
Flexibility to support a mixed MTD IT client base
Our conversations with accountants confirmed that there is unlikely to be a single MTD IT operating model across the profession. Most are recognising that different clients need different levels of support. With MTD IT posing a real risk of increasing volume without commercial value, practices we spoke with are seeking flexible solutions that reduce friction rather than add to it.
Some larger firms are standardising around bookkeeping platforms and centralised workflows. Others are exploring more flexible approaches that allow clients to self-serve while practices retain oversight and year-end involvement. Many smaller firms are still evaluating options entirely and using the first wave of MTD IT clients as a learning exercise before making broader decisions.
Simplicity and visibility are key priorities
Most of the questions our team responded to were operational ones, for example:
- How quickly can clients onboard?
- How easy is the quarterly submission?
- Will clients actually use the software?
- How much admin will this create?
There was strong interest in TaxNav’s track record in HMRC’s MTD IT pilot last tax year, where the software successfully handled more than 600 live submissions. This helped to demystify what quarterly filing feels like in practice.
To enable firms to balance client self-sufficiency with practice visibility, TaxNav is HMRC-recognised MTD IT software that allows clients to manage digital records and quarterly submissions through simple, spreadsheet-compatible and/or manual-entry workflows.
TaxNavHQ gives accountants dashboard-style visibility over their clients’ MTD IT journeys and compliance status. It helps practices monitor submissions, track obligations and remain involved where needed.
We also have a free MTD IT support hub for accountants, called TaxNav Navigator, which they can sign up to. It brings together practical tools, insight and guidance to help accountants support clients, manage workloads and run the MTD IT part of their practice effectively.
What Accountex confirmed
The message from Accountex 2026 was clear. Most accountants aren’t looking for a complicated MTD IT solution; instead, they want something practical, flexible, and commercially sustainable. That means:
- It should be simple enough for clients to actually use.
- It needs to be adaptable to support different types of clients.
- It must be structured in a way that prevents MTD IT compliance from fast becoming the practice’s problem.
TaxNav is continuing to build its position as the MTD IT partner of choice for practices managing clients who need compliance without complexity. Accountex confirmed we are in the right conversation.
To find out more about how TaxNav and TaxNavHQ are helping simplify Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for both accountants and their clients, visit taxnav.digital/accountants