Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration has the Government made of providing free software for low income self employed people to assist with compliance as part of the roll out of Making Tax Digital.

The government has worked closely with the software industry to ensure the availability of a broad range of MTD-compatible products to suit different needs and budgets.

This includes free products supporting those with the simplest affairs, low-cost bridging software for those who prefer to continue using spreadsheets and more sophisticated products that integrate with other business software.

Currently, there are more than 20 free products (excluding free trials) covering a range of different scenarios including bookkeeping, quarterly updates and end-of-year submissions

HMRC is not providing its own MTD solution because commercial software providers are better positioned to be able to provide a broad range of products to meet the diverse needs of businesses and landlords.