You can use a recurring information request to automatically collect your clients' quarterly Making Tax Digital (MTD) information.
This gives you a flexible way to gather quarterly records using the information request tools you already know. Glasscubes sends the request to your client each quarter, follows up on outstanding items with reminders, and keeps each quarter's responses together in the workspace.
When to use a recurring request for MTD
Clients set up in MTD Assist with the Agent submission type. If your firm completes the quarterly submission to HMRC on the client's behalf with no client involvement, you may still need the client's records each quarter. A recurring request collects them for you.
Firms using other software to file quarterly submissions. If you submit quarterly updates to HMRC through different software, you still need your client's information for each quarter. A recurring request gathers it automatically, ready for each submission.
This guide covers regular (general) information requests only. For MTD Assist, see the Making Tax Digital for Income Tax collection.
Step 1: Choose your workspace structure
You can organise your quarterly MTD requests in two ways.
One workspace for all MTD quarterly updates (recommended). Create a single workspace, such as 'MTD Quarterly Updates', and send one recurring request to all the relevant clients from there. Make sure 'Duplicate this request and send a copy to each recipient' is selected, so each client receives their own copy. If anything changes, you only need to update one recurring request, and you can process updates for multiple clients in bulk.
Individual client workspaces. Set up a recurring request in each client's own workspace. This keeps everything for a client in one place, but any change means updating each recurring request individually.
When you create a workspace for MTD quarterly updates, enable only the 'Requests' feature to start with. You can add other features later if needed.
To add many clients at once, use Bulk import to paste in email addresses, or Upload file to add recipients from a CSV file.
Step 2: Create a quarterly MTD template
Recurring requests are built from an information request template, so create the template first.
You can create the template in a single workspace, or as an account-wide template so every workspace can use it. Account-wide templates are the better choice if you collect quarterly MTD information from several clients.
To create a workspace template, open the workspace, select 'Options' and click 'Manage templates'. For an account-wide template, an Administrator goes to 'Account settings' > 'Advanced options' and clicks 'Manage templates'.
Click 'Create'.
Add the items you want your client to provide each quarter and click 'Add'.
Select the pencil icon next to any item to add instructions or attach supporting documents, then click 'Next'.
Add a template name, such as 'Quarterly MTD records'.
Add an email subject line, which becomes the name of each request, and an optional personalised message. Click 'Next'.
Set up the reminders you want saved to the template, or keep the default reminders, and click 'Save'.
Personalising requests: If you're sending to multiple clients using Bulk import or Upload file, you can add variables to the subject line and message in step 6 to personalise each client's request:
$recipient_id$– your unique client ID$recipient_name$– the client's first name or preferred name$sender_name$– the name of the team member sending the request$company$– your company name
Make sure each variable starts and ends with a $ symbol (for example, $recipient_name$) so it pulls through correctly from your data spreadsheet.
Step 3: Set up the recurring request
Open your MTD quarterly updates workspace or the client's workspace, select the 'New request' dropdown and click 'Recurring request'.
Enter a Recurring Request Name, such as 'Quarterly MTD records'.
Under Select sent from?, choose the workspace member the request should come from.
Under Select template, choose your quarterly MTD template.
Under Who would you like to send this request to?, select your clients or enter their email addresses. If sending to multiple recipients, make sure to click "Duplicate this request and send a copy to each recipient". This ensures each recipient receives a separate copy.
Select 'Edit schedule'. Under 'When', select 'Monthly', then adjust the 'On' setting so the request recurs every 3 months. Set the 'Range of recurrence' by choosing a start date and the number of recurrences, then click 'Update'.
Click 'Save'.
In an individual client workspace, if more than one person needs to contribute to the same request, such as a client and their bookkeeper, deselect 'Duplicate this request and send a copy to each recipient'. They will then share one request rather than each receiving a copy.
To edit, reassign or delete a recurring request later, from the request tab view, select ‘Options’ and click ‘Recurring requests’. Click on the request to open the recurring request setup screen and make any edits. To reassign or delete requests, tick the box next to each request, click ‘Action’, then select ‘Reassign’ or ‘Delete’.
What to include in your template
Add whichever items you need from your clients each quarter. Some firms use items such as:
Self-employment income for the quarter
Self-employment expenses for the quarter
UK property income and expenses for the quarter
Foreign property income and expenses for the quarter
Business bank statements for the quarter
Receipts or invoices for the quarter
Any changes to the business or property this quarter
Use the pencil icon on each item to add instructions, such as the format you would like records in, or attach a spreadsheet for your client to complete. If your clients have different income sources, you can create separate templates, such as one for self-employment and one for property income.
Reminders and reviewing each quarter
Set the recurrence schedule so each request reaches your client soon after the quarter ends, leaving time to review their records before the quarterly update is due.
Glasscubes sends reminders using the schedule saved to your template. Reminders stop once a request reaches Submitted or Verified.
When your client responds, review each quarter's request as you would any other information request:
Raise a query on any item that needs more information. The request moves to In progress until your client responds.
Once all the information has been received, verify the request so the rest of your firm can see that the quarter is complete.
For more on reviewing responses, see Querying and verifying information request responses.