UK HMRC deadline for Making Tax Digital looms as landlords unprepared

HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax requires sole traders and landlords with income over £50,000 to submit quarterly updates via approved software. The first deadline is 7 August 2026. While updates are not full tax returns and need not be 100 % accurate, HMRC advises they be as precise as possible.

A Tide survey of 500 sole traders and landlords found that 22 % are unaware of the changes and 25 % have not yet registered for MTD, leaving an estimated 216 000 of the 864 000 eligible businesses unprepared. To raise awareness, Tide is offering free ice‑cream‑themed advice sessions in several UK cities ahead of the deadline.