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.
Opting out is not a preference setting. It becomes available when the numbers say you no longer need to be in.
Once you start using the service, if your qualifying income drops below the relevant threshold for 3 tax years in a row, you can choose to opt out.
You select the option in your HMRC online services account, or your agent does it in their agent services account. The option only appears if you are eligible.
Where you are opting out because your qualifying income has been below the relevant threshold for three consecutive years, you do not need to wait until you have sent the tax return for the third year.
You must still send a Self Assessment tax return for that tax year. You do not have to use your MTD software to send it, though you can if you prefer.
Opting out is for income that has fallen and stayed low. If a trade or a property business actually ended, that is a cessation, and it runs on a much shorter clock: you must notify HMRC of the date it stopped by the quarterly update deadline for the period that date falls in. Work out your final update and notice deadline →
Opting out is not the same as becoming exempt. If your circumstances change you may become exempt — and that changes which penalty regime you sit under. Become exempt in the 2026 to 2027 tax year and you return to the current Self Assessment late payment and late submission penalties. Become exempt in 2027 to 2028 and you stay under the new penalties, because from April 2027 they apply to everyone who submits a personal Self Assessment tax return.
HMRC considers changes to Self Assessment returns when checking qualifying income. A change made before the start of a tax year can move you in or out for the upcoming year. A change made after the start of a tax year can only move you out, not in — changes that push you above the threshold are not considered for that tax year. If you have already signed up, you can carry on voluntarily or opt out.
You can opt out once your qualifying income has been below the relevant threshold for 3 consecutive tax years. You select the option in your HMRC online services account.
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.
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