How to sign up for MTD for Income Tax: step by step

You sign up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax on GOV.UK using your Self Assessment sign-in details, after checking you need to join and choosing compatible software. The process takes one sitting if you have your business and property details ready. Agents use a separate route through their agent services account.

Do you need to sign up now?

You need to sign up before 6 April 2027 if your 2025-26 qualifying income from self-employment and property, before expenses, is over £30,000. If it was over £50,000 in 2024-25, you should already be using MTD. See who must join at £30,000.

Not everyone in the first group has signed up. On 12 August 2026 HMRC said over 570,000 people had signed up and more than 436,000 had sent their first quarterly update, and it began signing up the rest of the April 2026 group itself from September 2026. We found no newer official sign-up figure. See is HMRC signing you up automatically?

Before you start: checklist

GOV.UK’s sign-up guidance, updated 13 October 2026, says you must have:

• a Self Assessment registration, and a tax return submitted in the last two years
• your Self Assessment user ID and password
• a passport or driving licence, in case you need to prove your identity with an app
• your business name, as used on invoices, plus business address and trade, if you are a sole trader
• details of each self-employment and property income source
• the start date of any source that began in the last two tax years
• the tax year you will start using MTD

Check you are not exempt before you sign up. Exempt people keep filing a normal tax return.

How to sign up yourself: step by step

1. Choose software. Pick a product that works with MTD for Income Tax and check with the provider that it covers your income types. See MTD software requirements.
2. Open the sign-up service. Go to the GOV.UK sign-up page and select the online service.
3. Sign in. Use the user ID and password you got when you registered for Self Assessment.
4. Prove your identity if asked. Use the app with your passport or driving licence. The option to answer questions instead was removed on 13 October 2026.
5. Enter your income sources. Add every sole trade and property business, including any started in the last two tax years.
6. Choose your start year. Pick the current tax year or the next one. If you are in the April 2027 group, choosing 2027-28 avoids catching up missed updates.
7. Finish and connect your software. Follow your provider’s steps to link it to HMRC, then start keeping digital records.

You must still file your Self Assessment return for the year before you start MTD.

How agents sign up clients

The agent guidance, updated 24 August 2026, sets out this route:

1. Get an agent services account. It is separate from the HMRC online services for agents account. See setting up an agent services account.
2. Check authorisations. Existing Self Assessment authorisations carry over, but check each client appears and add any that are missing. If the client has no Self Assessment authorisation, ask them to authorise you through the account.
3. Collect client details. You need the client’s full name, date of birth and National Insurance number, plus the business details and income sources.
4. Sign up each client. Adding an authorisation does not sign the client up, so each one needs its own sign-up.

Sign up now or wait?

Volunteers do not get penalty points straight away. HMRC will contact them to confirm when they become liable.

Common sign-up problems

• Cannot sign in. Use the Self Assessment user ID, not a different Government Gateway account.
• Identity check fails. Contact HMRC; the question-based route is no longer available.
• Told you are not eligible. HMRC checks the details you give. You may not have filed a return in the last two years, or may be exempt.
• A source is missing. Add it during sign-up. If all sources have ceased, tell HMRC before the next tax year starts.

What to do if you are stuck

Call the Self Assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. HMRC says it handles sign-up queries; software problems go to your provider. See our Self Assessment helpline guide for tips on getting through.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to sign up for MTD for Income Tax?

Your Self Assessment user ID and password, a passport or driving licence for the identity check, your business name, address and trade, and details of each income source.

Can I sign up for MTD before April 2027?

Yes. People who must join from 6 April 2027 can sign up voluntarily now, for either the current tax year or the next one.

Can my accountant sign me up?

Yes. An agent can sign you up through their agent services account, using your name, date of birth, National Insurance number and business details.

Does adding my accountant as an agent sign me up?

No. HMRC says adding an authorisation does not sign a client up. The agent must complete a separate sign-up for each client.

Do I still file a tax return after signing up?

Yes. You file your Self Assessment return for the year before you start MTD in the usual way, and a tax return through MTD software after each MTD year.

What is the MTD sign-up phone number?

Call HMRC’s Self Assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, for help signing up.