Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: guides for UK sole traders and landlords

Plain-English guides to Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. Rules and dates come from GOV.UK. Software prices come from each vendor's own pricing page. Every page shows the date we checked and links its sources.

General information only, not tax advice. Check GOV.UK or ask a qualified adviser about your situation.

Start here

• MTD for sole traders: dates, thresholds and deadlines. Who must use it, from when, the quarterly deadlines and the penalties.
• Using Excel for MTD: bridging software explained. What it is, two options, and a checklist.
• MTD software: published prices compared. Xero, FreeAgent, QuickBooks, Abridge and VitalTax.

Official guidance

Read the official Making Tax Digital for Income Tax guidance and HMRC's guidance on choosing software.

Still to come

Guides for landlords and for free and low-cost software are planned. MTD for VAT is not covered yet. We will link a guide only when it is published.

How we work

Read how we compare and how we earn money.

Last checked: 1 October 2026. Sources: GOV.UK links above.