Checked against GOV.UK on 14 August 2026 · Applies from 6 April 2026 onwards.
“why is there not a simple software that one can use?”
We hear this most. a landlord who banks online and has done for 34 years, OpenRent Community forum, 1 August 2026 — someone in the same position as you.
Whatever software you end up choosing, it has to hit these dates. Your next quarterly update is due 7 November 2026, and because updates are cumulative it covers 6 April to 5 October 2026 — so it also catches up 7 August 2026 if you missed it. Your tax return for 2026 to 2027 is due 31 January 2028, and that one is still in the points system. And from September 2026 HMRC has been signing people up itself, in stages, if they had not signed up.
You are not alone, and this is the measured version of that sentence. HMRC put 864,000 sole traders and landlords in scope for this tax year (HMRC, 5 February 2026), and reported on 12 August 2026 that 436,000 had sent a first quarterly update and 570,000 had signed up. We have not subtracted one from the other to make a "how many are behind" headline — they were published six months apart and count different things — but you can see the size of the room you are standing in.
half an hour, tonight, and you may not need to spend a penny
None of those three steps costs money. Anyone charging you to do them is selling you something HMRC gives away.
Where these come from, on GOV.UK: quarterly updates and their deadlines · the tax return · who has to use MTD, and when · working out qualifying income · the recognised-software finder · what to do if HMRC signed you up.
HMRC publishes the official list of software recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, and its own guidance says plainly that “free products are available for those with simple tax affairs”. We drove that finder ourselves on 1 September 2026 and it returns recognised products costing £0 — for sole traders and for landlords, including bridging tools that submit straight from a spreadsheet you already keep. We take no commission from any of them, we rank none of them, and this site carries no affiliate links.
HMRC's official software finder (gov.uk) · how bridging software works · the free two-number check · your own four dates
Signing up for Making Tax Digital is free at GOV.UK. So is the checker on this page, and so is every answer on this site.
On 12 August 2026 HMRC announced that it will start signing up people who need to use Making Tax Digital for 2026 to 2027 but have not signed up themselves.
From September 2026, HMRC will begin signing up customers who should be using MTD for the 2026 to 2027 tax year but have yet to do so, helping them meet their requirements. HMRC said this would happen in stages over the coming months, and that customers can avoid it by signing up themselves first.
HMRC also said new guidance would be published in late August 2026 to explain what customers need to do if they receive a letter from HMRC about being signed up.
HMRC's stated reason: signing up yourself means you can make sure your MTD details are correct from the start, choose the software that works best for you, and prepare in your own time, rather than waiting to be contacted.
| Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|
| 864,000 sole traders and landlords facing the new rules | HMRC news release, 5 February 2026 |
| More than 570,000 signed up to the service | HMRC news release, 12 August 2026 |
| More than 436,000 first quarterly updates sent | HMRC news release, 12 August 2026 |
These are HMRC's published figures on the dates shown, measuring different things at different times. We have not netted them off against each other and neither has HMRC.
Being signed up does not change what you owe or when. It changes how you report: digital records, four quarterly updates, and the tax return from software. Check the guidance HMRC publishes with the letter, confirm the business and property details HMRC has used, and get software in place.
Sign up yourself instead → Check whether you are actually in scope →
HMRC said on 12 August 2026 that from September 2026 it would begin signing up, in stages, customers who need to use MTD for 2026 to 2027 but have not signed up themselves.
Andrew at Axion Labs
I don't sell software, take commission, or rank products, so I can say the plain thing: check HMRC's own list before anyone's sales page, and filter it for the free ones. They exist. If your records already live in a spreadsheet, bridging software is built for exactly that, and you do not have to move onto a monthly subscription to comply.
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. Tax rules change — if this page is more than a few months old, check the GOV.UK pages linked above. Found an error? Email hello@getaxionlabs.com and we will correct it.
← All Making Tax Digital answers
Thank you. That goes straight to the person who writes these pages.
That didn't send — try once more.