Do I Need Making Tax Digital? (MTD for Income Tax Checker)
Enter your self-employment and property income to see if, and from when, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to you.
Employment, pension, dividend and savings income never count toward this threshold — you don't need to include them above.
Partnerships are not currently in scope for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. This may change in a future phase — check GOV.UK for updates.
Based on currently announced rules — this tax year isn't confirmed yet.
Your qualifying income
Threshold compared against
You'd need to join if your qualifying income goes over in a later tax year. You can also sign up voluntarily before then.
What to do next
- Keep digital records of your business income and expenses
- Use HMRC-recognised Making Tax Digital software
- Send a quarterly update every 3 months — see the MTD deadline calendar
- Submit your final declaration by 31 January after the tax year ends
Some people are exempt from Making Tax Digital — for example if you can't reasonably use digital tools. See GOV.UK's exemption guidance.
General guidance only, not tax or legal advice. Check the official source or an accountant for your situation.
Official sources:
Rules last checked: 27 October 2026.
How it's calculated
Qualifying income = self-employment turnover + UK property income (your share), both before expenses. If that total is strictly over the threshold for your tax year, you must join Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from the following 6 April.
Need software for invoicing and records? See DevStaq Distribution Manager.
See the AppWhat counts as qualifying income for Making Tax Digital?
Qualifying income is your gross self-employment turnover plus your share of gross UK property income, both measured before expenses and added together. If you have more than one sole trade or more than one property, every source is combined into a single figure — it's not tested separately per business. Employment (PAYE) wages, pensions, dividends and savings interest never count toward this threshold, no matter how large they are.
How the thresholds work
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is being phased in by qualifying income level: over £50,000 (based on your 2024–25 figures) means joining from 6 April 2026; over £30,000 (based on 2025–26) means joining from 6 April 2027; over £20,000 (based on 2026–27) means joining from 6 April 2028. Each phase looks at a specific earlier tax year's income to decide the join date — the test is always whether you were strictly over the threshold, so being exactly on it doesn't count.
How to use this checker
Select the tax year your figures are for, enter your self-employment turnover and any UK property income, then tick either checkbox if it applies to you. The checker adds your two income figures, compares the total to the threshold for that tax year, and tells you the exact date you'd need to join from if you're over it — or confirms you're not required yet if you're under.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is checking against the wrong tax year — the threshold that applies depends on the income from a specific earlier year, not your current or upcoming income. A second is forgetting to add property income to self-employment turnover; the two are combined into one qualifying-income figure, so having £28,000 of each means £56,000 total, well over the £50,000 threshold, even though neither amount alone would be. A third is assuming salary or pension income pushes you over a threshold — it never does, since only self-employment and property income count.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as qualifying income?
Qualifying income is your gross self-employment turnover plus your share of gross UK property income, both before expenses and added together into one total.
Do I include rental income?
Yes — your share of gross UK property income (before expenses) counts toward qualifying income, added to any self-employment turnover.
Does my salary count?
No — employment (PAYE) wages, pensions, dividends and savings interest never count toward the Making Tax Digital threshold.
What if my income is exactly £30,000?
It doesn't count as "over" the threshold — the test is strictly over, so exactly £30,000 means you're not yet required to join, though you can still join voluntarily.
Can I join MTD voluntarily?
Yes — you can sign up before you're required to, which can be useful if you'd rather get used to quarterly digital reporting ahead of your mandatory join date.
What happens after I sign up?
You'll need HMRC-recognised software to keep digital records and send a quarterly update roughly every three months, plus a final declaration by 31 January after the tax year ends.
Related tools
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Last updated October 27, 2026.