When your client's MTD status shows MTD Sync Needed, it means HMRC has business sources (Self-Employed businesses, Landlord portfolios, or both) registered to them. You need to synchronise these into ApariPro to ensure transactions are allocated to the correct business source throughout the tax year.
Without synchronising, you risk allocating income and expenses to the wrong business — creating compliance issues and incorrect tax submissions.
Important: Verify that your client's business sources are correct in the HMRC portal before synchronising. Log in to check your client's account (or ask your client to verify) that all registered businesses match their actual situation. If the list is outdated or incorrect, either you (if you have access) or your client can update it in HMRC first, then return to ApariPro and synchronise.
From the Agent Dashboard, go to your MTD Client List
Find the client with MTD Sync Needed status
Click the three dots next to their name
Select Impersonate to enter their account
Once in the client's account, you'll see MTD Sync Needed displayed on their dashboard. You have two ways to access the synchronise screen:
Option A (Quickest):
Click on the MTD Sync Needed status badge
Option B (Navigate manually):
Go to Profile & Settings → Data Connections → 3rd Party Accounts
Find the HMRC Agent Services Account card
Click the dropdown arrow and select Synchronise Businesses
On the synchronise screen, you'll see:
Left column: Business sources HMRC has for this client (pulled directly from the HMRC portal)
Right column: Business sources in ApariPro
For each business on the left:
If it already exists in ApariPro: Use the dropdown to match it
If it doesn't exist: Select the option to create it from HMRC data
Once you've matched or created all business sources, click Synchronise.
ApariPro will synchronise these business sources into your client's account. The status changes from MTD Sync Needed to MTD Connected.
To confirm the synchronisation worked, check the client's business sources:
Go to Profile & Settings → Business Sources
You should see the synchronised business sources listed there
Status on the dashboard should now show MTD Connected
If your client has a Landlord portfolio, you can now help them set up their UK property sources within the Landlord section
Verify HMRC first Before synchronising, always check the HMRC portal to confirm the business sources listed are correct and up-to-date. This prevents synchronising stale or incorrect information.
Create during synchronisation You don't need business sources to exist in ApariPro beforehand. You can create them directly from HMRC data during the synchronisation process.
One-time setup Synchronisation is a one-time step per client. Once complete, you won't need to do it again unless the client's registered businesses change.
Q: I see MTD Sync Needed but the business sources on the left don't look right. A: Check the HMRC portal directly. The business sources shown in ApariPro are pulled from HMRC, so if they're wrong, they're wrong in HMRC too. Ask your client to verify and update their registered businesses with HMRC, then try synchronising again.
Q: The synchronise button isn't working or I'm getting an error. A: Try refreshing the page. If the error persists, verify that the business sources actually exist in the HMRC portal. If they do, contact support — there may be a connectivity issue.
Q: What if I match a business incorrectly? A: You can go back and re-synchronise. Simply access the synchronise screen again and update the match. Then synchronise again.
Q: Why is this important for Record Keeping? A: When you categorise transactions in Record Keeping, you assign them to a business source. If your business sources aren't synchronised with HMRC, you might allocate transactions to the wrong business — which creates errors in your MTD submissions and tax returns.
Once MTD is synchronised:
You can start using ApariPro for MTD quarterly submissions
Business sources are ready for transaction allocation in Record Keeping
Your client is ready for MTD-compliant tax workflows
Need help? [Contact support] or check the [MTD setup article] for the full connection workflow.
Related articles:
[MTD Setup in ApariPro] — Full HMRC connection walkthrough
[Record Keeping] — How to allocate transactions to business sources
[MTD Quarterly Submissions] — Submitting quarterly returns to HMRC