Who can use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
You can sign up voluntarily now and start using the service if you’re:
- a UK resident
- registered for Self Assessment with returns and payments that are up to date
- a sole trader with income from one business, or a landlord who rents out UK property
You cannot sign up yet if you need to report:
- income from any other sources
- an income tax charge — for example, High Income Child Benefit Charges or certain pension tax charges
When to use this service
You can use the service voluntarily now. This will allow us to test and develop the service before 6 April 2024.
You must use this service starting from 6 April 2024, if your qualifying income is above £10,000.
What you’ll need to do to use this service
To use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, you’ll need to:
- get software that is compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- use software to keep digital records
- send quarterly updates for business income and expenses
- submit your end of period statement
- submit a final declaration
Keeping digital records using software
You’ll need to use compatible software to keep digital records of all your business income and expenses from your self-employment or property business.
You’ll use this software to keep records and send updates. You should maintain your records using the software:
- as close to the date of the transaction as possible
- before you submit the quarterly update for that period
Signing up
You can sign up now for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for your current or next accounting period.
Alternatively, you can authorise an agent to act for you and they will be able to sign up your business.
Find out how to authorise an agent
You can authorise HMRC to exchange data with an agent acting on your behalf for any Making Tax Digital service. Once authorised, an agent can sign up your business and use software to create, view, edit and send your data to HMRC. Your agent may also keep and maintain digital records on your behalf.
If you’ve previously authorised an agent to act on your behalf, you will not need to re-authorise them for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
An agent will not necessarily have access to all your source data. If an agent cannot make corrections to your digital records, they’ll need to tell you about any corrections needed to your digital records.
If you’re an agent there is a different way to sign up your client.
Sending quarterly updates using compatible software
Before you send quarterly updates, follow the instructions using your Government Gateway user ID and password to authorise your compatible software. You must use the user ID you got when you signed up for either:
- Self Assessment
- an agent services account
After your compatible software is authorised, you’ll send updates for each income source to HMRC every 3 months. These updates are summaries of your business income and expenses. Your software will tell you when and how to send the updates.
You must submit quarterly updates within one month of the end of that quarterly period. If you do not submit by this deadline, you may have to pay a penalty.
Use standard quarterly period dates
The standard quarterly periods and deadlines in each tax year are:
| Quarterly period |
Quarterly deadline |
| 6 April to 5 July |
5 August |
| 6 July to 5 October |
5 November |
| 6 October to 5 January |
5 February |
| 6 January to 5 April |
5 May |
Use calendar quarterly period dates
At a later date, you’ll be able to choose to use calendar quarters. We’ll tell you how you can do this, when it is available.
Calendar quarterly periods and deadlines are:
| Quarterly period |
Quarterly deadline |
| 1 April to 30 June |
5 August |
| 1 July to 30 September |
5 November |
| 1 October to 31 December |
5 February |
| 1 January to 31 March |
5 May |
Submitting an end of period statement
At the end of the tax year you need to finalise your business income. For each income source you’ll submit an end of period statement. This is where you:
- make any accounting adjustments
- claim any reliefs
- confirm that the information you’ve sent is correct and complete
Your software will produce these statements for you.
Check the deadline for end of period statements
The deadline for submitting end of period statements is 31 January after the end of tax year. If you do not submit by the deadline, you may have to pay a late submission penalty.
Submitting a final declaration and paying tax
The final declaration replaces your Self Assessment tax return. Once you’ve finalised your income by submitting an end of period statement, you’ll need to:
- tell HMRC about any personal income you have and submit claims for reliefs
- submit your final declaration for the tax year
You must submit your final declaration and pay the tax you owe by 31 January the following tax year.
If you miss the deadline for your final declaration you may have to pay a penalty.
If you do not pay the tax you owe by the deadline, you may have to pay a late payment penalty.
Who can use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
You can sign up voluntarily now and start using the service if you’re:
- a UK resident
- registered for Self Assessment with returns and payments that are up to date
- a sole trader with income from one business, or a landlord who rents out UK property
You cannot sign up yet if you need to report:
- income from any other sources
- an income tax charge — for example, High Income Child Benefit Charges or certain pension tax charges
When to use this service
You can use the service voluntarily now. This will allow us to test and develop the service before 6 April 2024.
You must use this service starting from 6 April 2024, if your qualifying income is above £10,000.
What you’ll need to do to use this service
To use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, you’ll need to:
- get software that is compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- use software to keep digital records
- send quarterly updates for business income and expenses
- submit your end of period statement
- submit a final declaration
Keeping digital records using software
You’ll need to use compatible software to keep digital records of all your business income and expenses from your self-employment or property business.
You’ll use this software to keep records and send updates. You should maintain your records using the software:
- as close to the date of the transaction as possible
- before you submit the quarterly update for that period
Signing up
You can sign up now for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for your current or next accounting period.
Alternatively, you can authorise an agent to act for you and they will be able to sign up your business.
Find out how to authorise an agent
You can authorise HMRC to exchange data with an agent acting on your behalf for any Making Tax Digital service. Once authorised, an agent can sign up your business and use software to create, view, edit and send your data to HMRC. Your agent may also keep and maintain digital records on your behalf.
If you’ve previously authorised an agent to act on your behalf, you will not need to re-authorise them for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
An agent will not necessarily have access to all your source data. If an agent cannot make corrections to your digital records, they’ll need to tell you about any corrections needed to your digital records.
If you’re an agent there is a different way to sign up your client.
Sending quarterly updates using compatible software
Before you send quarterly updates, follow the instructions using your Government Gateway user ID and password to authorise your compatible software. You must use the user ID you got when you signed up for either:
- Self Assessment
- an agent services account
After your compatible software is authorised, you’ll send updates for each income source to HMRC every 3 months. These updates are summaries of your business income and expenses. Your software will tell you when and how to send the updates.
You must submit quarterly updates within one month of the end of that quarterly period. If you do not submit by this deadline, you may have to pay a penalty.
Use standard quarterly period dates
The standard quarterly periods and deadlines in each tax year are:
| Quarterly period |
Quarterly deadline |
| 6 April to 5 July |
5 August |
| 6 July to 5 October |
5 November |
| 6 October to 5 January |
5 February |
| 6 January to 5 April |
5 May |
Use calendar quarterly period dates
At a later date, you’ll be able to choose to use calendar quarters. We’ll tell you how you can do this, when it is available.
Calendar quarterly periods and deadlines are:
| Quarterly period |
Quarterly deadline |
| 1 April to 30 June |
5 August |
| 1 July to 30 September |
5 November |
| 1 October to 31 December |
5 February |
| 1 January to 31 March |
5 May |
Submitting an end of period statement
At the end of the tax year you need to finalise your business income. For each income source you’ll submit an end of period statement. This is where you:
- make any accounting adjustments
- claim any reliefs
- confirm that the information you’ve sent is correct and complete
Your software will produce these statements for you.
Check the deadline for end of period statements
The deadline for submitting end of period statements is 31 January after the end of tax year. If you do not submit by the deadline, you may have to pay a late submission penalty.
Submitting a final declaration and paying tax
The final declaration replaces your Self Assessment tax return. Once you’ve finalised your income by submitting an end of period statement, you’ll need to:
- tell HMRC about any personal income you have and submit claims for reliefs
- submit your final declaration for the tax year
You must submit your final declaration and pay the tax you owe by 31 January the following tax year.
If you miss the deadline for your final declaration you may have to pay a penalty.
If you do not pay the tax you owe by the deadline, you may have to pay a late payment penalty.
