Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: a simple guide to getting ready

If you’re affected, you’ll move from one annual Self Assessment return to a more digital system that involves keeping digital records, sending quarterly year-to-date updates of your income and expense totals, and submitting a final declaration each year.

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For many people, this feels like a big change, so to help make things clearer, the TaxNav team has created a simple MTD IT guide. It explains what’s changing, who needs to follow the rules, and the practical steps to take before April 2026.

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Download the guide

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Who MTD applies to ‍

MTD IT is being introduced in stages based on your gross income from self-employment and/or property:

£50,000 or more from April 2026
£30,000 or more from April 2027
£20,000 or more from April 2028

If you earn income from both self-employment and property, HMRC adds these together.

What the guide covers ‍

The guide explains in simple terms what MTD IT means for you and what to do next, including:

£50,000 or more from April 2026
£30,000 or more from April 2027
What MTD IT is and how it works
What quarterly updates really involve
What stays the same under the new system
How to choose software and get ready
A simple readiness checklist to follow

It’s designed to be quick and easy to follow, helping you navigate MTD IT smoothly and comfortably.

Get prepared with TaxNav

TaxNav is HMRC-recognised MTD IT software and is built to keep things simple. You can use our app or browser-based software, and if you prefer spreadsheets, you can continue using them with our bridging
software.

You can also use TaxNav to join the HMRC MTD IT pilot and practise ahead of mandation. The software is free to use for the rest of the 2025/26 tax year.