HMRC has issued a warning to Britons earning £50,000 or more from certain sources of income, urging them to prepare for an important upcoming date. In a post on X on Thursday, March 12, the UK tax authority wrote: “Less than 30 days left until Making Tax Digital! “If your combined turnover from self-employment and property is over £50,000, you’ll need to use recognised software and send quarterly updates from 6 April. Act now – sign up and prepare.”

Britons with combined gross income from sole trades and property exceeding that figure in the 2024/25 tax year will need to sign up to the initiative for income tax before it’s introduced from April 6, 2026 – just 11 days away. HMRC first introduced the Making Tax Digital (MTG) scheme for VAT-registered businesses in 2022 as part of a transition to an all-digital service.

From April 6, 2026, the tax authority will also require self-employed people and landlords over the £50k threshold to file updates on their income and expenses four times a year and to pay for approved software to submit with them.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) previously called people in this category to sign up or get their agents (tax professionals, accountants) to do so on their behalf, and get ahead of the changes to avoid any nasty surprises.

Mandation letters started being sent to those who filed their Self-Assessment tax return for 2024/25 by the end of August last year, asking them to sign up, the ICAEW says.

Meanwhile, letters for those who filed their 2024/25 returns between September 2025 and January 2026 were set to be sent out in February and March, the organisation said.

But the ICAEW warned that some taxpayers subject to the new rules won’t get their letters until April, at which point they’ll need to start keeping digital accounting records, unless they already do.

However, taxpayers aren’t automatically signed up to MTD, and eligible people must get it set up even if they don’t receive a letter – so it’s important to check on the UK Government website whether you’re subject to the rules.

Lindsey Wicks, ICAEW senior technical manager, tax policy, said: “MTD for income tax represents the most significant change to income tax reporting for taxpayers and agents for almost three decades.

“It is important that taxpayers understand their responsibilities, beginning with signing up for MTD income tax.

“Once in MTD income tax, they will need to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates and an end of year return to HMRC using compatible software.

“A letter from HMRC indicates that it’s time to get serious about MTD income tax,” she added. “Taxpayers should consider signing up now, and agents should consider how and when they will sign up their clients, so they can get ahead of the curve before the first quarterly updates are due for submission by 7 August.”