Lodge · construction
Terms and conditions
Last updated: June 2026
These terms govern your use of LodgeHQ, a mobile application and web service for self-employed tradespeople to manage their tax records and submit to HMRC under Making Tax Digital. By creating an account, you agree to these terms.
LodgeHQ is operated by Lodge HQ Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number: [to be added]).
1. What LodgeHQ does
LodgeHQ helps you keep digital records of your self-employment income and expenses, and submit quarterly updates and an annual Final Declaration to HMRC under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
The app can connect to your bank account (read-only, via Open Banking) to import transactions, categorise them with AI assistance, track mileage and CIS deductions, capture receipts, and submit figures to HMRC on your behalf.
2. What LodgeHQ is not
LodgeHQ is not an accountant. It is not a substitute for professional tax advice. The app helps you organise your records and submit them, but it does not verify that your figures are correct, that you have claimed all allowances available to you, or that your tax position is optimal.
If you are unsure about any aspect of your tax affairs, seek advice from a qualified accountant or tax adviser. LodgeHQ provides tools, not advice.
3. Your responsibilities
Accuracy of your records. You are responsible for ensuring the information you provide and the categories you assign to transactions are accurate. When you submit to HMRC through LodgeHQ, you are confirming that the figures are complete and correct to the best of your knowledge. LodgeHQ facilitates the submission — you are the one filing.
HMRC obligations. Making Tax Digital requires you to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates and a Final Declaration by the relevant deadlines. LodgeHQ helps you meet these obligations, but the legal responsibility to file on time and file correctly is yours. If you miss a deadline or submit incorrect figures, any penalties from HMRC are your responsibility.
MTD enrolment. You must be enrolled in Making Tax Digital for Income Tax with HMRC before LodgeHQ can submit on your behalf. Enrolment is done on GOV.UK — LodgeHQ cannot enrol you. If you are not enrolled, submissions will be rejected by HMRC.
Bank connection consent. If you connect a bank account, you are granting LodgeHQ read-only access to your transaction data via an FCA-authorised Open Banking provider. You can revoke this access at any time through your bank.
Security. You are responsible for keeping your LodgeHQ login credentials secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at support@lodgehq.co.uk.
4. What we charge
LodgeHQ is free to use. You can connect your bank, import transactions, categorise them, capture receipts, track mileage, track CIS deductions, and export your data — all at no cost.
You pay a flat fee each time you submit a quarterly update or Final Declaration to HMRC. The price is shown clearly throughout the app — on the landing page, during onboarding, on the dashboard, and on the submission review screen. There are no tiers, no feature gating, and no hidden costs.
An optional annual plan (covering all submissions for the tax year at a discounted rate) may be offered to returning users after their first submission. This is never shown during your first submission.
5. Payment and refunds
Payment is taken at the point of submission via Stripe. We authorise your card before submitting to HMRC and only capture the payment after HMRC confirms receipt. If HMRC rejects the submission for any reason, the payment authorisation is released and you are not charged.
If a submission succeeds but you believe you were charged in error, contact support@lodgehq.co.uk within 14 days for a review.
All prices include VAT where applicable. A VAT receipt is provided for every payment — your LodgeHQ submission fee is itself a tax-deductible business expense.
6. HMRC submissions
When you tap "Submit" (or hold to submit for the Final Declaration), LodgeHQ transmits your figures to HMRC via their Making Tax Digital APIs. Once HMRC confirms receipt, the submission cannot be undone through LodgeHQ — you would need to submit an amendment.
LodgeHQ transmits your data accurately as you have reviewed and confirmed it. We do not alter your figures. If HMRC returns an error, we display it and allow you to correct and retry.
As required by law (Taxes (Digital Requirements) Regulations 2019), we transmit fraud prevention data (device type, operating system, IP address, and other technical identifiers) to HMRC with every API request. This is a legal requirement, not optional. See our Privacy Policy for details.
7. AI categorisation
LodgeHQ uses AI to suggest categories for your bank transactions (for example, suggesting that a Screwfix purchase is "cost of goods sold"). These are suggestions, not assertions. You confirm, change, or reject every suggestion. The AI learns from your decisions to improve future suggestions.
We do not guarantee that AI suggestions are correct. You are responsible for reviewing and confirming every category before submission.
8. Data ownership and portability
Your data belongs to you. LodgeHQ stores it on your behalf to provide the service, but you can export all your data at any time from the Settings screen — transactions, submissions, CIS records, mileage logs, receipts, and categorisation rules — in machine-readable format (CSV and JSON) at no cost.
9. Account closure
You can close your account at any time from the Settings screen. When you close your account:
- Your bank connection is disconnected immediately.
- Your HMRC connection is revoked.
- Your active sessions are terminated.
However, we are required to retain your tax records (submissions, supporting transaction data) for a minimum period to comply with HMRC record-keeping requirements — typically 5 years after the 31 January filing deadline for the relevant tax year. This data is kept in a locked, read-only state and deleted after the retention period. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
We will not use retained data for any purpose other than legal compliance. You will not be contacted for marketing after account closure.
10. Availability and interruptions
We aim to keep LodgeHQ available at all times, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted service. Maintenance, HMRC API outages, and Open Banking provider issues may cause temporary interruptions.
We will give reasonable notice of planned maintenance. If an unplanned outage occurs near a submission deadline, we will notify affected users by email.
We are not liable for penalties arising from HMRC submission delays caused by HMRC's own systems being unavailable.
11. Limitation of liability
LodgeHQ is provided "as is." To the fullest extent permitted by law:
- We do not guarantee that the app is error-free or that AI categorisation suggestions are correct.
- We are not liable for penalties, interest, or other costs arising from incorrect submissions, missed deadlines, or errors in your records — unless caused directly by a defect in LodgeHQ's submission process.
- Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of LodgeHQ is limited to the total amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.
Nothing in these terms limits our liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
12. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email and/or in-app notice at least 30 days before the changes take effect. If you do not agree to the new terms, you may close your account before they take effect.
Continued use of LodgeHQ after the effective date of updated terms constitutes acceptance.
13. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
14. Contact
Email: support@lodgehq.co.uk Privacy enquiries: privacy@lodgehq.co.uk
LodgeHQ is operated by Lodge HQ Ltd, registered in England and Wales. Company number: [to be added].