Six April. Nine days away. HMRC's Making Tax Digital for Income Tax goes live.
If you earn over £50,000 from self-employment or property income and you are not yet set up, here is what you need to do this weekend.
Step 1: Confirm you are in scope
MTD for Income Tax applies from 6 April 2026 if your combined self-employment and/or property income exceeds £50,000 in a tax year.
This is based on your 2024/25 tax year income (the one you are filing now). If you crossed the threshold, you are in.
£30,000+ threshold follows April 2027. £20,000+ follows April 2028.
Step 2: Choose your software this weekend
You cannot submit MTD updates from a spreadsheet or manual records. You need HMRC-recognised software.
The fastest to get started:
- FreeAgent — if your bank offers it free (NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Mettle, Starling)
- QuickBooks Simple Start — £10/month, widely used
- Coconut — mobile app, straightforward for sole traders
Check HMRC's full list: gov.uk/guidance/find-software-thats-compatible-with-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax
Step 3: Authorise the software with HMRC
After signing up, you must connect your software to your HMRC account. This authorisation step is separate from creating an account — it is where most people stall.
The software will walk you through it. You will need your Government Gateway credentials.
Do this before 6 April. It takes 15 minutes but HMRC's systems can be slow around deadline dates.
Step 4: Migrate your current records
Your existing transactions from 6 April 2025 onward need to be in the software. For most people this means importing bank statements or entering manually.
You do not need perfection. You need completeness.
Step 5: Know your first quarterly deadline
Your first MTD submission covers 6 April to 5 July 2026. Deadline: 5 August 2026.
You have time. But only if you start the setup now.
Free readiness checker
landolio.com/tools/mtd-readiness-checker — runs through the 5 steps, flags what is incomplete.
Full prep pack
Compatible software comparison, HMRC authorisation walkthrough, quarterly checklist, and what to do if you miss a deadline: landolio.com/products/mtd-readiness-toolkit — £14.
Are you doing MTD setup this weekend? What step are you on?
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