Everyday Tool
Making Tax Digital Readiness Checker
Check whether current Making Tax Digital for Income Tax thresholds may affect you as a sole trader, landlord, or both.
MTD for Income Tax
Check your likely MTD start point
Answer a few planning questions to see whether current Making Tax Digital for Income Tax thresholds may affect you.
Readiness result
Likely in scope now based on current thresholds
Based on self-employment income of £55,000 for the 2024 to 2025 tax year, you may need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2026. You may need to start keeping digital records and choose MTD-compatible software.
Suggested next steps
- Check whether HMRC has written to you about MTD for Income Tax.
- Confirm your qualifying income using the relevant Self Assessment tax return figures.
- Keep digital records for self-employment and property income.
- Choose software that is compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
- Plan for quarterly updates and a final declaration rather than a single annual return workflow.
Published threshold timeline
Information based on GOV.UK guidance checked on 24 May 2026. This is a planning checker, not tax advice or an HMRC decision.
Privacy note: Your answers stay in your browser. This checker runs locally and does not submit your income figures or readiness answers to Casually Amazing.
What this readiness checker does
This tool gives a planning estimate of whether you may need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax based on your self-employment and property income.
It uses the current published MTD thresholds for sole traders and landlords: qualifying income over £50,000 from 6 April 2026, over £30,000 from 6 April 2027, and over £20,000 from 6 April 2028.
The income year matters because each MTD phase is tested against a specific Self Assessment tax return year. For example, the 6 April 2026 phase uses the 2024 to 2025 tax return, while later phases use later tax years.
Information is based on GOV.UK guidance checked on 24 May 2026. Check the official GOV.UK MTD guidance before making decisions.
What counts as qualifying income?
Qualifying income generally means gross income from self-employment and property, before deducting expenses. It is not the same as profit.
If you have both sole trader and landlord income, the figures are looked at together. HMRC uses Self Assessment return information to decide who needs to use MTD for Income Tax.
Making Tax Digital guide
Learn what MTD changes in practice
The guide explains qualifying income, thresholds, digital records, compatible software, quarterly updates, and the limits of this checker.
Making Tax Digital FAQ
Is MTD based on income or profit?
The threshold is based on qualifying income from self-employment and property, not profit after expenses.
Do landlords need Making Tax Digital?
Landlords may need to use MTD for Income Tax if their qualifying property income, alone or combined with self-employment income, is above the relevant threshold.
Is this an official HMRC checker?
No. It is an independent planning checker. Use GOV.UK and HMRC notices to confirm your actual position.
When to get extra help
- You think an exemption may apply.
- You have both UK and overseas property income.
- Your partnership, trust, or business structure is not straightforward.
- You are unsure whether a figure is income, profit, or another tax return item.
- You have received a notice from HMRC that does not match your expectations.
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