Cuppa for Tutors:
The Simplest Way to Handle Your Tax

If you are a private tutor or music teacher, your bookkeeping needs are about as simple as they get. You teach lessons, students pay you, and you have a few business expenses. That should not require complicated accounting software.

Cuppa is a clean, simple app for recording your income and expenses and submitting quarterly updates to HMRC. It was built for sole traders who want something straightforward, not a full accounting platform.

Why tutors need to think about bookkeeping now

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax starts in April 2026. If your sole trader income is above £50,000, you will need to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using compatible software. In April 2027, that threshold drops to £30,000.

Many tutors are approaching or already past these thresholds, especially those teaching multiple subjects or running a busy practice. Even if you are below the threshold today, getting into the habit now means you will not be caught off guard later.

What makes Cuppa right for tutors

Cuppa was designed for people who are not accountants and do not want to become one.

• Simple to learn. You can set up an account and start recording in under five minutes. There is no training required.
• Clean interface. No confusing dashboards or menus with dozens of options. Just income, expenses, and your tax position.
• Works on your phone. Record a payment between lessons without needing a laptop.
• Tax estimates. See roughly what you owe at any point, so there are no surprises at year end.
• HMRC submissions. When you are ready, Cuppa Pro handles your quarterly MTD submissions directly.

A typical week with Cuppa

For most tutors, bookkeeping with Cuppa takes about five minutes a week:

1. At the end of the week, open Cuppa on your phone or laptop.
2. Add your lesson income for the week. You can record individual lessons or batch them.
3. Log any expenses (new textbooks, travel to students, software subscriptions).
4. That is it. Your running total updates automatically.

When the quarter ends, your records are already complete. If you are on Cuppa Pro, submitting to HMRC takes a couple of clicks.

Common expenses for tutors

Private tutors and music teachers can claim a range of business expenses. Here are the most common:

• Teaching materials. Textbooks, workbooks, sheet music, stationery, printing costs.
• Travel. Mileage or public transport to students' homes. Parking costs.
• Home office. A proportion of rent, utilities, and broadband if you teach from home.
• Instruments and equipment. For music teachers, instruments, stands, metronomes, tuners (check capital allowance rules for higher-value items).
• Software and subscriptions. Video call tools (Zoom, etc.), online teaching platforms, educational apps.
• Professional development. Courses, qualifications, DBS checks, professional memberships.
• Insurance. Public liability insurance, professional indemnity.
• Marketing. Website hosting, online directory listings, business cards.

Record these in Cuppa and they will be included in your quarterly HMRC submissions automatically.

Built for people, not accountants

Cuppa does not assume you know accounting terminology. There are no journals, ledgers, or chart of accounts. You record income, you record expenses, and Cuppa calculates the rest.

The categories are plain English. The tax estimate is clear. The quarterly submission process is guided step by step. If you can keep a lesson diary, you can use Cuppa.

What Cuppa costs

Cuppa has a free tier that includes unlimited income and expense tracking, tax estimates, and CSV export.

Cuppa Pro costs £4.50 per month or £45 per year. Pro unlocks quarterly HMRC submissions for Making Tax Digital compliance.

Both amounts are deductible business expenses. That is less than the cost of a single lesson.

Getting started

1. Create a free account at cuppa.tax.
2. Add your income and expenses as they happen.
3. Check your tax estimate to see what to set aside.
4. When you are ready for MTD, upgrade to Pro and connect to HMRC.

No forms, no phone calls, no onboarding meetings. Just open the app and start recording.