Making Tax Digital

This Content Was Last Updated on March 9, 2024 by Jessica Garbett

 

Making Tax Digital – HMRCs digitalisation strategy – is coming in over several years:

  • Making Tax Digital for VAT – from April 2019
  • Making Tax Digital for Income Tax – from April 2026
  • Making Tax Digital for Corporation Tax – date as yet unspecified

These dates, and all the Making Tax Digital requirements, are mandatory for businesses and/or landlords

 

Making Tax Digital for VAT

MTD VAT came in for most VAT registered businesses from April 2019 – for businesses with voluntary VAT registration, the mandation date was April 2022.

The requirements are to:

  • Keep your accounting records Digitally and have Digital Links within differing parts of your records
  • Submit VAT returns via your software – desktop or app – connected to HMRC via API. You can no longer submit VAT returns via HMRC website or on paper.

Read more about Making Tax Digital for VAT

 

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

MTD ITSA comes in from April 2026 for:

  • Sole Traders and Partnerships
  • Landlords

This is a deferral from April 2024 as originally planned.  The new staging is:

  • From April 2026 landlords, sole traders and partnerships with turnover of £50,000 or more
  • From April 2027 landlords, sole traders and partnerships with turnover of £30,000 or more
  • Position for landlords and businesses with turnover below £30,000 being reviewed (last update on this, December 2022, and nothing further expected for some time – probably one to two years)

The key obligations are to:

  • Keep Digital Records
  • Submit Quarterly Interim Returns to HMRC digitally one month after quarter end
  • Submit final returns to HMRC by 31 January after the end of the tax year

Read more about Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

 

Making Tax Digital for Corporation Tax

We don’t know anything about this yet, other than its an aspiration.

 

Position Statement on Prospective Fee and Service Changes for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

In March 2022 we published a Position Statement on how Making Tax Digital for Income Tax may affect the services we offer, and our charges.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax – Position Statement on Prospective Fee and Service Changes

This is for information and to give a direction of travel – nothing is yet finalised.  However we are planing ahead for April 2026, to ensure we and our clients are prepared.