HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has begun to encourage eligible taxpayers to sign up to a testing programme for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
It has made the announcement a year before the service is scheduled to go live on 6 April 2026.
On that date sole traders and landlords with an income over £50,000 per year will be expected to use the digital service.
HMRC said that by keeping digital records throughout the year, sole traders and landlords can save hours previously spent gathering information at tax return time.
Although use of the service is currently voluntary, it has urged them to sign up for the test period, pointing out that they will need to use software that works with it.
Significant change
Craig Ogilvie, HMRC’s director of Making Tax Digital, said: “MTD for Income Tax is the most significant change to the self-assessment regime since its introduction in 1997. It will make it easier for self-employed people and landlords to stay on top of their tax affairs and help ensure they pay the right amount of tax.
“By signing up to our testing programme now, self-employed people and landlords will be able to familiarise themselves with the new process and access dedicated support from our MTD customer support team, before it becomes compulsory next year.”
