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Guide · Making Tax Digital

A new statement never touches your old records.

Importing next quarter's bank statement adds new transactions. It doesn't overwrite, re-categorise or undo anything you've already done. Here's exactly what happens, and why you can import without worrying.

3 minute readLast reviewed 9 October 2026How RentalForce works
The four rules Live

What an import can and can't do

01Import only adds

New transactions are added. Existing ones are never updated, merged or replaced.

02Overlaps stop the whole import

If any row in the file has already been imported, nothing from that file is added. No duplicates, and no half-finished imports.

03Auto-categorise only fills gaps

It only touches transactions with no category that haven't been reviewed. Anything you've categorised or reviewed is left alone.

04Old rows change only if you change them

A past transaction only changes when you open it and edit it yourself.

What it looks like

Last quarter stays put. This quarter is added below.

TransactionsSample data
Already imported · Jul to Sep
28 Sep14 Elm Road · RentRent incomeReviewed£950.00
19 SepBoiler repair · Flat 3RepairsReviewed−£186.40
02 SepTransfer to savingsIgnoredReviewed−£500.00
Unchanged by the import
Added by today's import · Oct to Dec
28 Oct14 Elm Road · RentRent incomeAuto-categorised£950.00
15 OctCard payment · ScrewfixNo categoryTo review−£42.18
New rows only. You categorise and review these.
If your file overlaps

What if the new file overlaps?

If your new statement includes even one transaction that's already in RentalForce, the whole import is stopped and nothing is added. Your records are exactly as they were.

A transaction counts as already imported if it matches on
Same account+same date+same amount+same description
or
The same transaction ID from your bank

To fix it: download the statement again, starting from the day after your last imported transaction. Or open the file and delete the rows you've already imported, then import it again.

Your quarterly routine

Five steps, and last quarter isn't one of them

  1. 1
    Check your last import

    Note the date of the most recent transaction for that account.

  2. 2
    Download from the next day

    Export the new statement from your bank as a CSV, starting the day after.

  3. 3
    Import

    New transactions are added. Nothing else changes.

  4. 4
    Auto-categorise

    Your rules fill in categories for the new, uncategorised rows only.

  5. 5
    Review the new rows

    Check each one and mark it reviewed. Auto-categorise never does this for you.

  6. +
    Only if you want to

    Go back to last quarter to change a category or ignore a transaction. Otherwise, leave it.

If you do change a past transaction, the change flows into your next year-to-date figures automatically. Every Making Tax Digital update covers the whole tax year so far, so corrections are built in.

Quick answers

The questions people ask

What if I import the same file twice?

The second import is stopped, because every row is already there. Nothing is duplicated.

Will auto-categorise change my past categories?

No. It only acts on transactions with no category that haven't been reviewed.

If I add a new rule, does it rewrite old transactions?

No. Rules are applied by auto-categorise, which only fills in blank categories.

Can I still see what the bank said?

Yes. The bank's original date, amount and description are kept unchanged on every imported transaction.

RentalForce

Import the new. Leave the old alone.

Each quarter is a few minutes of adding and reviewing, not a rebuild.

Become a founding landlord Your tax year at a glance

This guide explains how RentalForce imports bank statements. It is not tax advice.