Questions and answers

Self-employed drivers in the UK: minicab and private hire drivers, taxi drivers, couriers and delivery drivers or riders, and van drivers.

It is not for limited companies or partnerships. If you're not sure which you are: if you just registered with HMRC as "self-employed" and fill in a tax return, you're self-employed.

No. If you can use WhatsApp or the Uber driver app, you can use Meter Max. You type in numbers and tap buttons; the app does the sums and follows the tax rules. Our step-by-step guides show every tap.

Android phones with the Google Play Store. There isn't an iPhone version yet.

It's coming soon. Email us and we'll let you know the day it's available.

No. Meter Max never uses your location. You type in your business miles for a day or a week. Many drivers use the mileage shown in their driver app or note the reading on their dashboard.

Yes. Recording takings, expenses and miles, and seeing your tax estimate, all work without signal. You only need the internet to connect to HMRC, send returns, and check your subscription.

You start with a free trial so you can try everything. After that, choose a monthly or yearly subscription, paid through Google Play. The yearly plan works out cheaper. The exact price is shown in the app and on Google Play before you pay anything.

Yes, unless you cancel before the trial ends. Google Play reminds you before your trial finishes. See guide 14 for how to cancel.

In Meter Max, tap the gear icon (top right) to open Settings, scroll to Subscription and tap Manage or cancel. Or open the Play Store, tap your picture, then Payments & subscriptions › Subscriptions.

Deleting the app does not cancel your subscription.

They're still yours. You can open the app, look at everything, make a backup and export it. You just can't add new entries or send to HMRC until you subscribe again.

Only on your phone. There is no Meter Max account and we don't keep a copy. That's why it's important to make a backup regularly.

No. Your figures only leave your phone when you choose to send them to HMRC, or when you share a file yourself, for example with your accountant. There are no adverts and no tracking. Read the privacy policy.

If you have a backup saved in Google Drive or your email, install Meter Max on your new phone and use Restore. Guide 12 shows how.

Without a backup, we can't get your records back, because we never have a copy. We also recommend turning on the app lock so nobody else can open it.

On your old phone, tap Back up now in Settings and save the file to Google Drive or email it to yourself. On the new phone, install Meter Max, open Settings › Backup and tap Restore, then choose that file.

It's a careful estimate, based on your profit so far and the current tax rates. It assumes you have no other income unless you've added it. HMRC's own calculation is what you actually owe. It's a great guide to how much to put aside each week.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) means sending HMRC a short summary of your income and costs every three months, using software, instead of only one tax return a year.

From 6 April 2026 it applies if your self-employed income was over £50,000; from April 2027 over £30,000; and from April 2028 over £20,000. HMRC writes to people who need to join. Guide 8 explains how to send updates from Meter Max.

No. When you connect, HMRC's own website opens and you sign in there. HMRC then gives the app permission to send your figures. You can disconnect any time in Settings.

You must register if your takings over the last 12 months go over £90,000. Meter Max watches this for you and warns you as you get close. Remember it counts the full fares, not just what the app paid out. If you're registered, guide 9 shows how to do your VAT returns.

There are two ways to claim for your vehicle: a set amount per business mile, or the real costs such as fuel, insurance and repairs. Meter Max works out both from your records and shows you which is worth more before you choose. Guide 5 explains it.

Once you've chosen for a vehicle, you usually have to stick with it for as long as you use that vehicle, so it's worth a look at the comparison first.

No. Meter Max does the sums from the records you put in and explains the rules in plain English, but it isn't a replacement for an accountant for complicated situations. You're responsible for checking what you send to HMRC.