What is Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax?

It’s HMRC’s new way for sole traders and landlords to keep digital records and send regular updates instead of doing everything just at year-end. From 6 April 2026 some individuals with qualifying income will have to use it.

Who needs to use it and when?

If you’re a sole trader or landlord and your combined gross income from self-employment and/or property is above the relevant threshold — £50,000+ for 2024/25 tax year (start 6 April 2026); £30,000+ for 2025/26 (start 6 April 2027). Even if you do not receive a letter you must still check your position.

What will I actually have to do under MTD?

You (or your adviser) will need software that can create and store digital records of income and expenses, send a quarterly update for each income source, and submit your tax return via the software by 31 January following the tax year end.

How do the quarterly updates work?

After each quarter ends you have one month to send your update. Standard periods are 6 Apr–5 Jul (due 7 Aug), 6 Apr–5 Oct (due 7 Nov), 6 Apr–5 Jan (due 7 Feb), 6 Apr–5 Apr (due 7 May).

Do I have to keep every record digitally?

You must keep digital records of your self-employment and/or property income and expenses in compatible software. Other income types (such as dividends or pensions) do not need digital records, but your software must still include them when completing your return.

How does the spreadsheet fit in?

Auto Sheets provides a guided spreadsheet that maps your categories to HMRC’s required fields. You record transactions as you go; our system totals the quarter and submits the figures to HMRC via the required digital link.

What if I make a mistake in a quarterly update?

HMRC allows corrections to be reflected in later updates or at year-end; you do not resend the original quarterly update. Auto Sheets guides you how to correct the figures.

What about penalties if I’m late?

HMRC operates a points-based late submission system. The safest approach is to file each quarterly update on time. Auto Sheets provides reminder prompts and makes the process simpler.

📅 MTD for Income Tax begins April 2026

Get MTD-ready - keep using your spreadsheet

autoSheets helps sole traders, landlords and freelancers earning £50k–£90k prepare for Making Tax Digital. Learn exactly what to do, stay in control, and connect your spreadsheet to HMRC when submissions open.

Join the submission waitlist Copy the template

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Free Knowledge Base Plain-English MTD guidance

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Template Coming Soon Optimised for cash accounting

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Digital Link to HMRC Quarterly submissions when live

Everything you need to prepare for MTD

Built for cash-accounting businesses earning £50k–£90k: learn what’s required, get the template when it’s ready, and submit digitally without switching to complex software.

Copy the template to your Google Drive

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Community & Knowledge Base

Step-by-step guides for landlords, trades and freelancers. Checklists, examples and Q&A so you know exactly what to do - without paying an accountant.

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Spreadsheet Workspace

Keep bookkeeping in Google Sheets or Excel. Our template maps your categories to HMRC fields for quarterly totals.

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MTD Bridging (coming soon)

Spreadsheets alone can’t submit. autoSheets provides the required digital link and a one-click quarterly submission flow to HMRC when live.

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Landlord & Airbnb Ready

Track rent and expenses by property with clean property-level summaries for digital submission.

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Only Pay When You Submit

Learn and prepare for free. When submissions open, pay per HMRC submission - no monthly subscriptions.

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Control & Ownership

Your records stay in your spreadsheet. We send only the required summary figures to HMRC.

Built for your industry

Self-employed professionals preparing for MTD for Income Tax (April 2026)

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Contractors & Consultants

IT, business and technical professionals

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Construction & Trades

Builders, electricians, plumbers

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Freelancers

Creative, digital and service-based

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Landlords / Airbnb / B&B

Single or multiple properties

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Accountants

Manage client submissions at scale

Is this right for you?

A great fit if you match this profile

You're perfect if you:

Earn between £50k-£90k annually
Use cash accounting
Want to keep using spreadsheets
Prefer control and low cost
Have straightforward finances

Ideal business types:

IT contractors and consultants
Construction trades and builders
Landlords (1–10 properties)
Airbnb and holiday let owners
Freelancers and small studios

You'll love that:

No monthly subscription fees
Works with Google Sheets
Pay only for HMRC submissions
No complex software to learn
Your data remains yours

Three simple steps to MTD readiness

Designed for busy contractors and landlords who need simplicity

Join the waitlist

Get early access to the community and be first to receive the MTD-ready spreadsheet template when it’s released.

Learn & track confidently

Use our guides and checklists to set up categories and record income/expenses correctly for cash accounting.

Submit quarterly (when live)

Connect your spreadsheet to HMRC through autoSheets and submit in one click. Pay only when you submit.

MTD 2026 • Learn • Prepare • Submit

Why autoSheets?

Stay compliant with Making Tax Digital in the spreadsheet system you already understand. autoSheets gives you a community and knowledge base today, the template soon, and a digital bridge to HMRC when submissions open.

Understand the MTD requirement

From April 2026, if you earn over £50,000 as a sole trader or landlord, HMRC requires quarterly digital updates. Spreadsheets must use approved bridging software.

autoSheets empowers you to do it yourself: learn what’s required, keep control of your records, and use our digital link to HMRC when you’re ready to submit.

Built for your type of business

Construction & Trades: materials, labour, invoices made simple.
Landlords & Airbnb: rent and expenses by property.
Freelancers & Contractors: categories mapped to HMRC fields.
Accountants: manage multiple clients efficiently.

Why people choose autoSheets

Keep your spreadsheet - no heavy software.
Clear, practical guidance - no jargon.
Pay only when you file.
Your data stays under your control.

Common questions

Can I still use a spreadsheet for MTD?
Yes - as long as it connects to HMRC via bridging software. autoSheets will provide this.

Do I need to buy accounting software?
No - keep your spreadsheet and use our digital link when submissions open.

Will I lose control of my data?
No - your records stay in your spreadsheet; only summary figures are sent to HMRC.

When can I start submitting?
Join the waitlist for early access; we’ll notify you when submissions go live.

Start your MTD journey today

Learn what to do now, keep control of your records, and be ready to submit in 2026

Join the waitlist

Perfect for businesses earning £50k–£90k using cash accounting