Description

MTD Scope is an independent guide to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax in the United Kingdom, written for sole traders, landlords and the people who help them. It is not part of HMRC or GOV.UK and it is not tax advice. The site says its explanations link to official guidance, and that decisions about your own circumstances should be checked with HMRC or an accountant. It also states that no independent tax-professional review has been completed.

A start-date checker uses qualifying-income figures you enter from your tax return, or your best estimate, and applies the thresholds published on GOV.UK. The rules written out on that page are: more than £50,000 on the 2024 to 2025 return means a start date of 6 April 2026; more than £30,000 on the 2025 to 2026 return means 6 April 2027; and more than £20,000 on the 2026 to 2027 return means 6 April 2028. Qualifying income is total self-employment and property income before expenses; PAYE wages, partnership profit shares, dividends and pensions do not count. The checker can scale part-year figures and split jointly owned property, and it stops short of a start date when an unusual situation needs a separate official check.

A software directory lists all 163 products that were in HMRC's software finder on 27 October 2026. You can filter the list and compare up to three products side by side, including whether a product has a free version according to HMRC, whether it keeps records in software or through spreadsheet bridging, and whether it submits the tax return or updates only. Prices were read on the vendor's own page for 18 products; the rest are marked “Not checked.” MTD Scope states that it is not paid by any vendor.

Guides cover practical questions such as keeping a spreadsheet with bridging software, receipt images, “free” software limits, and the difference between quarterly updates and tax payments.