How do I sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax?

Checked against GOV.UK on 14 August 2026

Signing up is quick, but two conditions stop people at the door and one step has to happen first: choosing the software.

The two conditions

• You must be registered for Self Assessment
• You must have submitted a tax return in the last 2 years

Do this first

HMRC's guidance says to choose your software before you sign up. Check with the provider that the product meets your needs — your income sources, your accounting period, and both types of submission.

Also check whether you might be exempt. If you are, you do not sign up at all.

What you will need

• Your business start date, or the date you started receiving property income, if within the last 2 tax years
• Confirmation of the tax year you will start using MTD
• Sole traders: your business name as used on your invoices, your business address, and the nature of your business
• With multiple self-employment sources or property businesses: check each in the online service and add any that are missing
• Details of any self-employment or property income that has ceased since your last tax return

Signing in

Use the same user ID and password you got when you registered for Self Assessment. You may be asked to prove your identity — by matching a photo of your face to your passport or driving licence using a phone app, or by answering questions about information HMRC holds, such as passport, credit reference, driving licence, Self Assessment, your latest P60 or a recent payslip.

After signing up

Authorise your software, then start creating digital records. HMRC's records guidance asks you to check you have followed every step of signing up, including authorising the software, before you begin.

If you use an accountant

An agent can sign you up instead, through a separate agent route.

Sign up free at GOV.UK. We are not HMRC, cannot sign you up, and charge nothing for anything HMRC provides free.

Sources

• Sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (HMRC guidance)
• Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: create digital records (HMRC guidance)
• Choose the right software for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (HMRC guidance)

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.

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