How do I register for Making Tax Digital?

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is currently compulsory for people that are self-employed (or have income from Land and Property), with gross qualifying income over £50,000. However this threshold reduces to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028 which will mean most self-employed people will need to comply. As Making Tax Digital is a relatively new process, many people are now asking how they actually sign up for it, what registering for MTD involves and the information they need to get set up.

To help answer these questions and more, the taxation experts at Brearley & Co. have come together to create this detailed guide, explaining what the Making Tax Digital registration process involves, so you can be sure you’ve set everything up correctly and your tax records are compliant in the future. Outside of this guide, if you have any more questions about MTD or general queries about tax, get in touch with us directly, and our experts will be happy to help you.

When do I need to sign up for Making Tax Digital?

Ideally you should sign up for Making Tax Digital as soon as possible, so you have time to test everything is working correctly. For those with total qualifying income over £50,000, it was mandatory to register for Making Tax Digital on the 6th of April 2026. For anybody with total qualifying income over £30,000, it’s mandatory to sign up from the 6th of April 2027 and people with total qualifying income over £20,000 need to register by the 6th of April 2028. Not signing up ahead of these future deadlines means you risk receiving penalties from HMRC. You can also receive penalties for not using recognised HMRC software, which is why we encourage you to register for Making Tax Digital sooner rather than later.

What documentation do I need to sign up for Making Tax Digital?

Luckily you don’t need any physical documentation to hand to sign up for Making Tax Digital. You do need certain details though so you can go through the registration process correctly. It’s worth noting that self-employed individuals and landlords need to provide slightly different information when registering for Making Tax Digital. In order to register for Making Tax Digital you need to:

• Have a Government Gateway ID and account – These are the same details you use when doing a standard Self Assessment
• Include your business start date or for landlords the date you began receiving property income (if it is within the last two years)
• Confirm which tax year you’ll begin using Making Tax Digital for your Income Tax

Along with these details, sole traders also need to provide the:

• Name of the business (this is the business name used on invoices)
• Registered business address
• Nature of the business (which trade the business belongs to)

It’s also good to have your National Insurance number, Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and any VAT information to hand. And that’s all the information you need to sign up to Making Tax Digital. The next step is actually registering.

How long does it take to sign up for Making Tax Digital?

The registration process for Making Tax Digital takes between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on how much information you need to provide. You might also need to provide proof your identity by either:

• Using an app on your mobile phone to match your face to your passport or driving license
• Answering certain questions about your identity related to the information HMRC already holds about you such as your credit reference or passport.

There are five clear steps you can follow when signing up to Making Tax Digital.

1. Sign into your Government Gateway self-assessment account

Access your self-assessment account using your Government Gateway ID.

2. Confirm the income of your business or property

Your eligibility for Making Tax Digital is based on the total income of your business and/or property. HMRC will check this information so ensure that your records match those you report to HMRC.

3. Enter the details requested by HMRC

As noted earlier, you need to provide your contact details, business information, details about each of your properties (if you’re a landlord), National Insurance number and Unique Taxpayer Reference. This information is what HMRC uses to link your account to the Making Tax Digital service.

4. Link up your Making Tax Digital software

After entering your details and HMRC approves you’ve signed up to MTD correctly, you get the option to activate and link your Making Tax Digital software. When your software is linked to the service, it allows you to send updates to HMRC directly.

5. Save your records digitally and submit them through your MTD software

As your MTD software can submit your records directly, you need to make sure following its activation that you save all your tax records digitally. The advantage is that this takes away the long, manual process of entering information into HMRC’s online forms. And that’s it! You should be all signed up and ready to start providing your tax information digitally.

How do I know I have successfully registered for Making Tax Digital?

HMRC should send you an email within 72 hours of registering for Making Tax Digital, confirming you have signed up successfully. If you don’t receive an email after 72 hours, you need to contact HMRC directly, to check your status.

If I have an accountant, can they sign me up to Making Tax Digital?

Yes, so long as the accountant or agent has an agent services account. They will need to be authorised by you to act on your behalf with HMRC.

How Brearley and Co. can help you register for Making Tax Digital

Although the registration process for Making Tax Digital is straightforward, we know that it can still be tricky to get your head around. Suddenly changing how you manage your taxes is quite daunting, but luckily, MTD makes it so the process is much quicker and far more organised than it has been in the past. Plus, with accountants being able to register you for Making Tax Digital on your behalf, it means that if you haven’t got the time to devote to your tax returns, you can still use an accountant to help manage your finances.

For our taxation experts at Brearley & Co., they are happy to answer any questions you have about Making Tax Digital ahead of the deadlines. Get in touch with our friendly team and book a free meeting at one of our four offices in South Yorkshire, to make sure you’re ready to register for Making Tax Digital.