A quick note: this article is general information, not personal advice. Tax and accounting rules change and everyone's situation is different, so please don't act on anything here without checking how it applies to you. We'd be happy to help — get in touch before making any decisions.
Making Tax Digital, or MTD, has been on the way for almost a decade now. The VAT phase is fully live, and the income tax phase, known as MTD for ITSA, is finally landing. If you're a sole trader, a landlord or the owner of a small business, here's what you actually need to know.
The basics
MTD is HMRC's programme to move UK tax record-keeping and reporting fully online. Three things change:
- You must keep your business records digitally.
- You must submit returns from compatible software.
- For some taxes, you'll submit quarterly updates rather than one big return.
MTD for VAT, already here
Every VAT-registered business, whatever its turnover, is now in MTD for VAT. You need digital records and a digital submission link to HMRC. The well-known cloud platforms (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage) all handle this natively. If you're still on spreadsheets, "bridging software" can keep you compliant, but in our experience moving to proper cloud accounting is almost always the better long-term answer.
MTD for ITSA, the next big one
MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment is being phased in:
- From April 2026: sole traders and landlords with gross income over £50,000.
- From April 2027: the threshold drops to £30,000.
- Beyond 2027: further phases at £20,000 and below are under review.
If your combined self-employment and property income tips you over the threshold, you'll need to:
- Keep digital records of income and expenses.
- Submit a quarterly update to HMRC (four times a year) per business and per property.
- Submit a final declaration after the tax year, broadly the equivalent of today's tax return, pulling everything together.
What MTD does not change
- It doesn't change how much tax you pay.
- It doesn't change when you pay. Payments still follow the existing self-assessment dates (31 January and 31 July).
- It doesn't change your basis period; that reform happened separately.
What you should do now
- Get on cloud accounting. If you're already on Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent, you're most of the way there. If not, the start of a tax year is the easiest moment to switch.
- Separate business and personal banking. A dedicated business account lets your digital records flow in cleanly.
- Talk to your accountant about a quarterly rhythm. Even before MTD ITSA reaches you personally, working quarterly tends to make your numbers more useful and your tax planning more proactive.
- Don't panic. The headline change is the rhythm, not the rules.
We help businesses and landlords get MTD-ready every week. If you'd like to talk it through, book a free consultation. Landlords in particular often have several properties to bring into a single digital workflow, so do take a look at our property tax specialists in Kent page too.