Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: who it hits and when
Quarterly reporting is arriving for the self-employed and landlords. If your income is over £50,000, it has already started.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment replaces one annual return with quarterly updates plus a final declaration. It applies to self-employed income and property income, added together.
The thresholds
From April 2026, anyone with combined self-employment and property income above £50,000 is in scope. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027, and to £20,000 from April 2028.
The figure is turnover, not profit. A landlord with £55,000 of rent and a £4,000 profit is in scope on the £55,000.
What actually changes
You will need to keep digital records and submit a quarterly summary of income and expenses through compatible software, followed by a final declaration after the tax year ends. The quarterly submissions are summaries, not full returns, and they are not a tax bill — payment dates are unchanged for now.
What to do about it
If you are already using cloud accounting software and keeping records as you go, this is a change of process rather than a change of habit. If you are still working from a shoebox and a spreadsheet in January, the shoebox is the thing to fix first, and it is worth fixing before the deadline rather than after.
This article is general information, not advice for your particular circumstances. Tax rules change and the right answer depends on your situation — please speak to us before acting on anything here.