Sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

You need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2026 if your total annual income from self-employment and property is over £50,000.

Qualifying income is your total income from self-employment and property. This is the amount before expenses (also known as turnover), based on the tax return you submitted in the previous year.

You will not be asked about your other sources of income and gains in the sign up service. Once you’re using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, you’ll add these into your compatible software before you submit your tax return.

If you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for the 2026 to 2027 tax year, you should sign up now.

HMRC will check that you’re eligible to sign up based on the details that you provide.

If you use an agent, they can sign you up instead.

You still need to submit a Self Assessment tax return for the tax year before you start using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.

To sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax you must:

have submitted a tax return in the last 2 years

You can sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax before you need to use it to help you get ready. You can sign up for the current tax year or the next one.

For example, you may need to use it from 6 April 2027, but you can sign up and volunteer now. 

You’ll need to use software that works with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax to send any missed quarterly updates for the year so far.

From September 2026, HMRC will start to sign up anyone who needs to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for the 2026 to 2027 tax year and has not signed themselves up. If we’ve signed you up, you can find out what to do next.

If we have not signed you up, there is still time to sign yourself up or ask your agent to do it on your behalf.

When you sign yourself up, you can make sure your details are correct from the start by:

making sure your income sources are up to date

including your latest circumstances in the service