Despite steady setbacks and ongoing issues with HMRC and continuing uncertainty in other areas, Making Tax Digital continues to be on target for the launch for VAT registered businesses from 1 April 2019. Software will be required an API link with the ability to send and receive information from HMRC, and currently this does mean that software such as MS Excel will not be compliant, although this may change between now and the launch.
More details on Making Tax Digital can be found here.
We highly recommend using a cloud based software such as Xero, Freeagent (free for Natwest Business customers), QuickBooks to name a few, and we are qualified advisors for the aforementioned products, so can provide you with support for setting up and running of these.