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

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.

Short answer

Choose software first, then sign up with your Self Assessment user ID. You need a tax return filed in the last 2 years.

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.

What to do tonight

half an hour, tonight, and you may not need to spend a penny

Open HMRC's own recognised-software list before you open anyone's sales page. It is the only list that decides what can actually send an update.
Filter it for products that cost £0. They exist, for sole traders and for landlords, including bridging tools that submit straight from a spreadsheet you already keep.
If your records are already in a spreadsheet, keep the spreadsheet. Bridging software is built exactly for that, and nothing in the rules requires you to move to a monthly subscription.

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.

The free route, before anyone sells you a subscription

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.

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.

Questions people ask

What do I need to sign up for MTD for Income Tax?

You must be registered for Self Assessment and have submitted a tax return in the last 2 years, and you should choose compatible software first.

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.

Sources

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