Your returnReady
Freelance designSA103 self-employment
- Brighton Bakery Ltd+£1,450.00ReviewMoney in
- Adobe Creative Cloud£59.99ReviewSoftware
- Shell Service Station£64.20ReviewCar, van & travel
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax began on 6 April 2026 for the highest earners and reaches everyone else in stages. Two figures tell you your date.
Gross takings, before any expenses.
Gross rent, before costs. Your share if the property is jointly owned.
Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.Your qualifying income£0Type your figures to see when Making Tax Digital reaches you.
Qualifying income is gross self-employment and property income added together, before expenses. Employment, pensions and dividends do not count.
Who it reaches, and when.
Two figures decide your date.
It depends on your qualifying income
Qualifying income is your gross self-employment income and your gross rental income, added together, before any expenses. Salary, pension and dividends don’t count towards it. If you own a property jointly, only your share counts.
Over £50,000 and you started on 6 April 2026, judged on your 2024/25 return. Over £30,000 and you start on 6 April 2027, judged on 2025/26. Over £20,000 and you start on 6 April 2028, judged on 2026/27. Under £20,000 isn’t yet mandated, and the government has said it will decide on that group later.
What changes once you’re in
You keep digital records of your income and expenses, and every quarter you send HMRC a summary of them: totals by category, no tax worked out at that stage. One update per business, so a sole trader with a rental sends two each quarter.
The year-end return still happens. You confirm the figures, add anything else such as savings interest or dividends, claim your allowances, and file by 31 January as now. Tax is still paid once a year unless you choose to pay as you go.
The dates, and what a miss costs.
Four updates a year, and a points system for late ones.
The four deadlines
Quarter Period Update due 1 6 April to 5 July 7 August 2 6 July to 5 October 7 November 3 6 October to 5 January 7 February 4 6 January to 5 April 7 May Penalties
Each missed quarterly update earns one penalty point. At four points HMRC charges £200, and £200 again for every further miss while you stay at the threshold. Points expire after 24 months of filing on time. The usual interest and penalties for paying late still apply.
See how late filing penalties build →
Who is left out.
Who is exempt
You’re exempt if your qualifying income is £20,000 or less, if HMRC agrees you can’t engage digitally because of age, disability or where you live, or if you don’t have a National Insurance number by the 31 January before the tax year. Non-resident landlords are included if they meet the threshold and have a National Insurance number.
What Swiftmore does about it.
Swiftmore files your annual Self Assessment return now. Quarterly updates arrive in Swiftmore in 2027, written from the same records with nothing typed twice. If your date was 6 April 2026, you need other software for this year’s quarterly updates; your annual return can still be filed here.
Start free£99 when you file. No card to start.
Start freeFree to keep records. £99 for a tax year you read and file. No card to start.