Who can't yet sign up for MTD IT?
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD IT) becomes mandatory from April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. However, HMRC’s current guidance makes clear that not everyone can sign up yet. If you are preparing early, are you actually eligible?
According to HMRC’s sign-up guidance, certain taxpayers are currently excluded from joining MTD IT. These include individuals who:
- are members of a partnership
- are subject to bankruptcy or an individual voluntary arrangement
- have certain complex tax affairs that the system does not yet support
- do not meet the digital and identity verification requirements.
In addition, some taxpayers with particular reporting needs may find that the service cannot yet accommodate their circumstances. HMRC has indicated that functionality is being expanded in stages. If you attempt to sign up and are not eligible, your application will be rejected and you will remain within self-assessment. This does not remove the obligation to join when mandation applies and your circumstances fall within scope. As 6 April 2026 approaches, you should review both your income level and your eligibility under HMRC’s current criteria before attempting to enrol. Checking the guidance in advance can prevent delays and confusion during the transition to digital reporting.
Related Topics
-
Selling spare items to your company
You’re short of cash but if you use the traditional methods to take more money out of your company you’ll pay higher rate taxes. Is there another way to extract profits without paying income tax or NI?
-
No such thing as a (tax) free lunch?
You run a small consultancy company and treat your staff to lunch in the office once a week. Your bookkeeper says it’s a taxable benefit in kind because staff lunches are only exempt if they are provided in a workplace canteen. Is this correct?
-
Judge criticises use of fabricated AI-generated cases in HMRC appeal
A tax tribunal judge has criticised the use of apparently fabricated case references generated by artificial intelligence in an appeal against HMRC. The incident highlights growing concerns over the use of AI tools in legal and tax proceedings. What happened?
This website uses both its own and third-party cookies to analyze our services and navigation on our website in order to improve its contents (analytical purposes: measure visits and sources of web traffic). The legal basis is the consent of the user, except in the case of basic cookies, which are essential to navigate this website.