Health, beauty & wellness
MTD software for private carers and personal assistants.
Support your clients. Simplify your business admin.
For carers and personal assistants working on a self-employed basis, separate clients and changing schedules can make bookkeeping difficult to fit in. Avona helps organise business payments and receipts around the working week.
- Who it is for
- Private carers and personal assistants working as sole traders, managing their own business records and MTD for Income Tax updates.
- Available now
- Digital records, bank feeds, statement imports, transaction categorisation and quarterly self-employment updates. Pro adds customer invoicing, VAT accounting and reporting.
- Monthly price
- From £15/month for Lite. Pro is £20/month.
- Free trial
- Full access for 7 days. No credit card required.
- Annual-return limitations
- Quarterly updates do not replace your annual tax return. HMRC lists annual-return items including PAYE income, interest, dividends and pensions as in development. Check the listing and confirm support for your income sources before relying on Avona for your annual return.
Making Tax Digital
It’s what comes in.
Before costs go out.
Keep self-employed care fees distinct from any wages received through employment. Your working arrangements matter: being called a personal assistant or sending an invoice does not alone determine employment status.
Understand Making Tax Digital →When does MTD apply?
Combined qualifying self-employment and property income, before expenses:
- Over £50,000 in 2024/25
- From 6 April 2026
- Over £30,000 in 2025/26
- From 6 April 2027
- Over £20,000 in 2026/27
- From 6 April 2028
Eligibility and exemptions matter. These are income thresholds, not tax-free allowances.
Check HMRC’s eligibility guidance ↗From the work to your records
Clear records for your self-employed care visits.
Bring the evidence into Avona, review the suggested categories and check the figures before submitting. These three examples show the records behind your self-employed care visits, shared purchases and shopping money held for a care client.
| What you bring | How you use Avona | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| £480 for your self-employed care visits £55 spent on business protective supplies | Connect your bank or import the payment, then upload the invoice or receipt for business protective supplies. Review the income and the purchase as separate records. | Keep £480 as the sale and the £55 cost separately. The £425 left after this cost is not turnover. Check that the spending is eligible for your business. |
| £100 mixed purchase £80 for protective consumables for care visits; £20 for household toiletries | Upload the itemised receipt and review the suggested category. Identify protective consumables for care visits separately from household toiletries. | Only the eligible £80 business portion belongs in business costs. Exclude the £20 personal purchase, and check that importing both the bank transaction and the receipt has not counted the spending twice. |
| £100 entrusted for client shopping £82 spent for the client; £18 change returned | Keep shopping money held for a care client distinct from your care fees. Retain the client's shopping receipts and the record of the change returned. | This example is money held and spent on the client's behalf, not payment for care. Do not confuse it with your own fees or business purchases; retain a clear trail for the arrangement. |
Keep supporting documents alongside your figures, review business use and apply your accounting method consistently. HMRC: keeping business records ↗
The costs behind your work
Six expenses worth
keeping records for.
Examples for private carers and personal assistants. Claim only eligible business costs; mixed use, equipment and your accounting method can change the treatment.
Business insurance
Business-use phone costs
Protective gloves and aprons
Eligible business travel
Business stationery
Bookkeeping software
One thing to watch
Keep your client’s shopping separate
Money a client gives you to buy their groceries needs a clear trail of receipts and any change returned. Keep it separate in your records from your care fees and your own business purchases.
HMRC: keeping business records ↗Fit the admin around the work
A routine around your self-employed care visits.
Retain the agreements for self-employed work, reconcile care-fee payments and keep client shopping evidence clearly identified.
Capture the supporting documents
Upload receipts or invoices for business protective supplies. Keep the date, supplier and amount legible, and distinguish protective consumables for care visits from household toiletries.
How document capture works →Reconcile your self-employed care visits payments
Review each customer receipt against the work it covers. Keep the breakdown for shopping money held for a care client available alongside the bank entry, so fees, refunds or timing differences can be explained.
How bank review works →Review before you submit
Review Avona AI’s suggested categories, check that your self-employed care visits income is complete, and remove duplicate or personal spending. Keep the evidence for shopping money held for a care client ready for your annual-return review too.
Before you get started
Questions from private carers and personal assistants.
Does MTD apply to everyone in this profession?
No. This page covers private carers and personal assistants working as sole traders. Your start date depends on combined qualifying self-employment and property income before expenses, and any exemptions. Employment and limited-company work have different reporting arrangements.
Does invoicing a client automatically make me self-employed?
No. Your working arrangements determine employment status. Keep self-employed care fees distinct from employment wages and confirm your status where a care contract is unclear.
How do I record shopping money held for a care client?
Example: £100 entrusted for client shopping (£82 spent for the client; £18 change returned). This example is money held and spent on the client's behalf, not payment for care. Do not confuse it with your own fees or business purchases; retain a clear trail for the arrangement.
Which bookkeeping issue should I watch for?
Keep your client’s shopping separate. Money a client gives you to buy their groceries needs a clear trail of receipts and any change returned. Keep it separate in your records from your care fees and your own business purchases.
Can I keep using my existing spreadsheet?
Yes. Bring your self-employed care visits income records and evidence of business protective supplies into Avona using supported spreadsheet uploads. Check dates, categories, personal spending and duplicates against the original documents before you approve the records.
Do quarterly updates complete my annual tax return?
No. You still need the annual tax return and any relevant adjustments or other income. HMRC currently lists annual-return items including PAYE income, interest, dividends and pensions as in development for Avona. Confirm support for your own income sources and circumstances before relying on Avona for the annual return.
Built for the way you earn
Give your care-business records some attention.
Choosing Avona
Your questions, answered.
Can I create customer invoices?
Yes. You can create customer invoices with Avona Pro.
What if I am VAT-registered?
Full VAT accounting is available with Avona Pro, so you can manage your VAT-registered business with Avona.
Can my accountant review my records?
Yes. You can connect your Avona account to your bookkeeper or accountant so they can review your records.
Can I use my phone on site?
Yes. Every feature has a mobile-friendly version, so you can manage your accounts from your phone while you are on the move.
Can I keep using my personal bank account?
Yes. Avona supports Open Banking connections and PDF bank statement uploads. You can clearly separate personal and business transactions to keep your business records organised.