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

Many self-employed people, landlords and those with property rental income now need to follow Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD IT).

If you’re affected, you now 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.


For many people, this feels like a big change, but it needn't be. TaxNav is all about making the MTD IT transition simple. We've created a short and helpful MTD IT guide that explains what’s changed, who needs to follow the rules, and a handy checklist to get MTD IT ready.

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 and secure MTD IT software that is built to keep things simple. Our user-friendly browser-based software makes digital record-keeping, quarterly updates and final declarations straightforward and hassle-free. If you prefer spreadsheets, you can continue using them with our bridging functionality.

You automatically get a 30-day free trial and we offer low-cost subscriptions to keep things affordable. An annual subscription is £60+VAT or pay as you go for £6+VAT per month.

Download the simple MTD IT guide to get MTD IT ready.

Or find out more about information about TaxNav’s software