Free PDF guide · updated 26 October 2026 Independent service · Not affiliated with HMRC
📘 Free 21-page PDF · British English · fully referenced

Making Tax Digital, explained in plain English.

Since April 2026 sole traders and landlords over £50,000 send HMRC an update every quarter. From April 2027 it’s anyone over £30,000. Our free guide explains why it’s happening, whether it applies to you, and exactly what to do.

Cover of the free guide: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax in plain English
  • Why the tax system is changing
  • The £50k, £30k and £20k thresholds
  • Every deadline for 2026/27 and 2027/28
  • How and when you pay – and if you can’t
  • The new penalty points, step by step
  • Software or accountant? Checklists
  • Official HMRC videos and 28 sources
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What’s inside

  1. MTD at a glance – the five-minute version.
  2. Why the tax system is changing – the tax gap, the history since 2015, and what critics say.
  3. Are you in? Qualifying income, worked examples and HMRC’s checking tool.
  4. Exemptions – automatic ones, and applying as “digitally excluded”.
  5. What changes and what doesn’t – digital records, quarterly updates, the tax return.
  6. Deadlines calendar for 2026/27 and 2027/28.
  7. How and when you pay – payments on account, ways to pay, payment plans.
  8. The new penalty system – points, percentages and the first-year easement.
  9. Ten steps to get ready, software vs accountant, special situations and myths.
  10. Printable checklists, official HMRC videos (with QR codes), glossary and sources.

General information based on GOV.UK guidance as at 26 October 2026, not tax advice. MTD Match is not affiliated with HMRC.