A practical walkthrough — software, bank feeds, and whether to DIY or hand it to an accountant.
Lower ongoing cost. Works well if your affairs are relatively simple (e.g. locum income from a handful of sources) and you're comfortable with basic bookkeeping software.
Higher cost, but valuable if you have a limited company, rental property, multiple income sources, or simply want quarterly submissions handled without adding it to your own to-do list.
Many self-employed clinicians do their own day-to-day bookkeeping in software with bank feeds, then have an accountant review and submit the quarterly updates and final declaration — combining lower cost with a safety check.
Not necessarily — many accountants can work with the records you already keep, provided they're digital and can be submitted through MTD-compatible software on their end. Ask your accountant what they'd prefer before buying anything.
MTD for Income Tax applies to your personal self-employed and property income; your limited company has separate corporation tax obligations. Keeping the two clearly separated in your records (and likely in your software) avoids confusion at submission time.