Digital tax reporting has been given the green light with confirmation that sole traders will be the first taxpayers to use Making Tax Digital for income tax, starting with an initial pilot this spring. If this comes as a complete surprise, you are not alone.

The lack of publicity is typical; one of the fiercest criticisms of HMRC is its failure to communicate changes with businesses and taxpayers. The learned tax types at the various institutes may well be highly informed about the latest changes and machinations of HMRC, but outside the major accounting firms the majority of businesses will be dealing with far more immediate problems from Brexit.