MTD Bridging Software: What It Is and Do You Need It?
If you currently track your income and expenses in a spreadsheet, you might be wondering whether you need to abandon it entirely for Making Tax Digital. The answer is no — but you will need bridging software.
What Is Bridging Software?
Bridging software is a tool that takes data from your spreadsheet and submits it to HMRC in the format required by Making Tax Digital.
Under MTD, you cannot submit your quarterly updates by typing numbers into the HMRC website. All submissions must go through HMRC's MTD API using compatible software. Bridging software acts as the link between your spreadsheet and HMRC's systems.
How Does It Work?
The typical process is:
- You keep your records in a spreadsheet as you do now
- At the end of each quarter, you enter your income and expense totals into the bridging software (or it reads directly from your spreadsheet)
- The bridging software submits the data to HMRC via the MTD API
- You receive confirmation that your quarterly update has been accepted
Some bridging tools can read directly from Excel or Google Sheets files. Others require you to enter the summary figures manually.
Bridging Software vs Full MTD Software
There is an important distinction between bridging software and full MTD software:
| Feature | Bridging software | Full MTD software |
|---|---|---|
| Digital record keeping | No — you keep records in your spreadsheet | Yes — built-in income and expense tracking |
| HMRC submission | Yes | Yes |
| Quarterly update reminders | Sometimes | Usually |
| EOPS and Final Declaration | Usually | Yes |
| Price | Often cheaper | Varies (from under £10/month) |
| Ease of use | Requires spreadsheet management | Everything in one place |
Should You Use Bridging Software?
Bridging software makes sense if:
- You have a well-organised spreadsheet system that works for you
- You are comfortable managing your own records
- You want to minimise costs
- You do not want to learn new software
Full MTD software makes sense if:
- You want everything in one place
- You find spreadsheet management tedious or error-prone
- You want a simpler, more guided experience
- You want to avoid the risk of digital link requirements causing issues
The Digital Link Requirement
One important consideration: HMRC requires a digital link between your records and your submission. This means you should not be retyping numbers from your spreadsheet into the bridging software — the data should flow digitally.
In practice, this means the bridging software needs to read from your spreadsheet file, or you need to copy and paste (which HMRC considers a digital link) rather than retype.
If you are manually entering totals into a separate tool, you may not be meeting the digital link requirement. This is worth checking with your specific bridging software provider.
The Simpler Alternative
If managing a spreadsheet alongside bridging software feels like unnecessary complexity, consider using purpose-built MTD software for sole traders instead. Tools like ClearMTD handle both the record keeping and the HMRC submission in one place, starting from £9/month.
The advantage is simplicity: enter your income and expenses as they happen, and submit your quarterly update with one click. No spreadsheet to maintain, no separate bridging tool, no digital link worries.
For most sole traders and landlords, the small monthly cost of dedicated MTD software is worth the time saved and the peace of mind that your records and submissions are always in sync.
For a full comparison of the spreadsheet approach vs dedicated software, see MTD: Can I Use a Spreadsheet or Do I Need Software?