Professional services & education
MTD software for swimming teachers.
Focus on the swimmers. Stay afloat with admin.
Pool hire, block bookings and private lessons bring different payment arrangements. Avona helps self-employed swimming teachers keep lesson income and business costs in one manageable place.
- Who it is for
- Swimming teachers 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.
Where a leisure centre collects lesson fees, your contract determines whether the payout represents your teaching fee or sales less charges. Keep the statement as well as the bank receipt.
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 swimming lessons.
Bring the evidence into Avona, review the suggested categories and check the figures before submitting. These three examples show the records behind your swimming lessons, shared purchases and a swimming-course booking.
| What you bring | How you use Avona | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| £420 for your swimming lessons £140 spent on pool-lane hire | Connect your bank or import the payment, then upload the invoice or receipt for pool-lane hire. Review the income and the purchase as separate records. | Keep £420 as the sale and the £140 cost separately. The £280 left after this cost is not turnover. Check that the spending is eligible for your business. |
| £100 mixed purchase £80 for floats used for lessons; £20 for swimming accessories for family use | Upload the itemised receipt and review the suggested category. Identify floats used for lessons separately from swimming accessories for family use. | 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. |
| £240 paid for a block of sessions Payment received before all sessions take place | Keep the booking and payment evidence for a swimming-course booking. Reconcile the receipt with the bank entry and retain any later refund details. | A prepaid block and its individual appointments are not separate sales to count twice. Apply your accounting method to payment timing; attendance alone does not show whether the client has paid. |
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 swimming teachers. Claim only eligible business costs; mixed use, equipment and your accounting method can change the treatment.
Pool lane hire
Teaching floats
Booking software
Professional insurance
Business advertising
Business-use communication costs
One thing to watch
A booking list is not a payment record
A booked block can include missed payments, refunds or transfers to a later course. Keep the actual payment history with the timetable so attendance does not stand in for your accounts.
HMRC: keeping business records ↗Fit the admin around the work
A routine around your swimming lessons.
Upload pool-hire bills and reconcile block-booking payments, refunds and private lessons during a regular review.
Capture the supporting documents
Upload receipts or invoices for pool-lane hire. Keep the date, supplier and amount legible, and distinguish floats used for lessons from swimming accessories for family use.
How document capture works →Reconcile your swimming lessons payments
Review each customer receipt against the work it covers. Keep the breakdown for a swimming-course booking 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 swimming lessons income is complete, and remove duplicate or personal spending. Keep the evidence for a swimming-course booking ready for your annual-return review too.
Before you get started
Questions from swimming teachers.
Does MTD apply to everyone in this profession?
No. This page covers swimming teachers 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.
What if the leisure centre collects the lesson fees?
Use your agreement and the centre's statement to identify your teaching income. It may be a fee paid to you rather than the full amount collected from swimmers.
How do I record a swimming-course booking?
Example: £240 paid for a block of sessions (payment received before all sessions take place). A prepaid block and its individual appointments are not separate sales to count twice. Apply your accounting method to payment timing; attendance alone does not show whether the client has paid.
Which bookkeeping issue should I watch for?
A booking list is not a payment record. A booked block can include missed payments, refunds or transfers to a later course. Keep the actual payment history with the timetable so attendance does not stand in for your accounts.
Can I keep using my existing spreadsheet?
Yes. Bring your swimming lessons income records and evidence of pool-lane hire 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
Make your swimming-teaching admin more manageable.
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.