Making Tax Digital means sole traders and landlords now report to HMRC every quarter, through software, from digital records that have to be right. We review your bookkeeping, flag anything that needs fixing, and make every submission on your behalf. One simple price: £50 + VAT a month.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is HMRC's new way of reporting for sole traders and landlords. It replaces the single annual Self Assessment return with three things: digital records kept in MTD-compatible software, a summary of income and expenses submitted to HMRC every quarter, and a final declaration after year end that confirms your tax position.
Your payment dates do not change: tax is still due by 31 January, with payments on account by 31 July where they apply. What changes is the reporting rhythm. Instead of one filing deadline a year, there are now five.
It started in April 2026, and it rolls out in stages based on your qualifying income: your combined gross income (turnover before expenses) from self-employment and property.
| From | Who it covers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Sole traders and landlords with gross qualifying income over £50,000 | In force now |
| April 2027 | Gross qualifying income over £30,000 | Confirmed |
| April 2028 | Gross qualifying income over £20,000 | Announced |
Not sure whether you cross the threshold, or when? Ask us on a free call and we'll tell you straight, including if MTD doesn't apply to you yet.
Three things, and each one catches people out:
You need MTD-compatible software. Digital records are now the legal baseline. Paper books and standalone spreadsheets no longer qualify on their own. Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent all work, and we can set you up on whichever fits your business.
You report every quarter. Four quarterly updates a year, each with its own deadline, plus the final declaration. Miss them and HMRC's points-based penalty system starts adding up.
The bookkeeping has to be right. Quarterly submissions are built directly from your records. If income is missing or expenses are miscategorised, the submission is wrong, and HMRC can query or push it back. Clean books stopped being good practice and became a filing requirement.
On the standard quarters, updates are due one month and two days after each quarter ends:
| Quarter | Update due |
|---|---|
| 6 April to 5 July | 7 August |
| 6 July to 5 October | 7 November |
| 6 October to 5 January | 7 February |
| 6 January to 5 April | 7 May |
Then the final declaration confirms your position for the year by 31 January, as before. With Clearsight, all five deadlines become our job to track, not yours.
You keep running the business. We make sure what reaches HMRC is correct, on time, every quarter:
Record income and expenses in your MTD software as you go. Already doing this? Nothing changes.
Each quarter we go through your bookkeeping and check it is complete, categorised correctly and ready for HMRC.
If something is wrong or missing, we tell you exactly what and how to fix it. No jargon, no guesswork.
Once the numbers are right, we make the quarterly submission to HMRC as your agent and confirm it is done.
The price is £50 + VAT a month, agreed up front, and it includes your self assessment at year end, so the quarterly updates and the final return are all covered. Thinking about moving to a limited company? We can handle that too: see year-end accounts and accountants for limited companies.
Rather not do the bookkeeping yourself? We can keep the books for you as an additional service, so the whole quarterly cycle is handled end to end. See small business support or ask about it on your call.
Yes. Your accountant can review your digital records and submit every quarterly update and the final declaration on your behalf as your HMRC agent. That is exactly what this service is: we check your bookkeeping each quarter, flag anything that needs fixing, and make the submissions for you. The £50 + VAT a month also includes your self assessment at year end.
It is HMRC's new way of reporting income tax for sole traders and landlords. Instead of one annual Self Assessment return, you keep digital records in MTD-compatible software, send HMRC a summary of income and expenses every quarter, and confirm your final position after year end.
Not yet. From April 2026 it applies if your combined gross income from self-employment and property is over £50,000. From April 2027 the threshold drops to £30,000, and the government has announced £20,000 for April 2028. Below the threshold you carry on with normal Self Assessment for now.
HMRC-recognised, MTD-compatible software such as Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent. Paper records and standalone spreadsheets no longer meet the rules on their own. If you are not set up yet, we will recommend the right option for your business and get it running as part of onboarding.
HMRC can query or push back submissions built on incorrect records, and repeated late or missing updates earn penalty points. That is why we review your bookkeeping before anything is sent: if we find errors we highlight exactly what needs fixing, then submit once it is right.
You register through HMRC, linked to MTD-compatible software, before your first quarterly update is due. As your agent we can handle the sign-up for you: we confirm your start date, register you with HMRC, connect the software and make sure the first quarter goes out correctly.
No. You pay income tax on the same dates as before: 31 January, with payments on account by 31 July where they apply. MTD changes how and how often you report, not when you pay.
Book a free call. We'll check when MTD applies to you, get your software sorted, and take the submissions off your plate for £50 + VAT a month.