Do I need to do Making Tax Digital? Here is the answer.

Free to read. No sign-up, no cookies, no trackers. We never ask for your name, National Insurance number, or tax figures — the tools on this site run entirely in your browser.

Every page on this site checked against GOV.UK on 14 August 2026

The one-line rule

If you are a sole trader or landlord registered for Self Assessment, add up your gross self-employment income and gross property income — before any expenses. That number, on the tax return shown below, decides everything.

Qualifying incomeOn your tax return forYou must use MTD from
Over £50,0002024 to 20256 April 2026 — already in force
Over £30,0002025 to 20266 April 2027
Over £20,0002026 to 20276 April 2028
£20,000 or lessAutomatically exempt, unless your circumstances change

Employment (PAYE) income, a partnership profit share, dividends, the State Pension and private pensions do not count towards that figure. Partnerships are not in MTD yet.

Check my position — two numbers, no sign-up →
7 Aug · 7 Nov · 7 Feb · 7 May
The four quarterly update deadlines — the same every year, for everyone. The tax return deadline is still 31 January.

The thing most people get wrong

Making Tax Digital does not replace the tax return, and it does not mean paying tax quarterly. A quarterly update is a summary of income and expense totals generated by your software. HMRC never sees an individual receipt. You still file one tax return, by 31 January, and you still pay on the same dates as before.

→ MTD versus Self Assessment, side by side

Happening right now

HMRC said on 12 August 2026 that from September 2026 it will begin signing up, in stages, customers who need to use MTD for the 2026 to 2027 tax year but have not signed up themselves. HMRC's reason for signing up first: you get to choose the software and check your details are right.

HMRC also reported that more than 436,000 people had sent a first quarterly update and more than 570,000 had signed up. In February 2026 HMRC put the number facing the new rules at 864,000.

→ What happens if HMRC signs you up

And the part nobody believes until they read it

There are no penalty points for late quarterly updates in the 2026 to 2027 tax year. Late tax returns and late payments are not covered by that, and you still cannot file your tax return until your updates are in.

→ Exactly what the first-year concession covers

Free tools

Am I in MTD?

Two numbers and a tax year. Applies HMRC's thresholds and automatic exemptions and tells you your start date. Runs in your browser — the figures never leave your device.

→ Open the checker

Quarterly deadline calculator

Your four update deadlines, your record-keeping start date and your tax return date — for standard or calendar update periods.

→ Open the calculator

The questions people actually type

All 30 answers →

How this site is paid for

Everything above is free and stays free. We sell one thing: a £7.99 MTD Readiness Checklist (and a £12.99 three-guide bundle) for people who want to work through their own position on paper. No ads, no affiliate links, no commission from any software provider, and nothing charged for anything HMRC provides free.

General information about UK tax rules, not tax advice. Your own circumstances and HMRC's official guidance govern your position. If you are unsure, speak to an accountant or contact HMRC. Every page names the GOV.UK source it came from and the date we checked it. Found an error? Email hello@getaxionlabs.com and we will correct it.