When does MTD start for me? (free calculator)

MTD for Income Tax doesn’t arrive for everyone at once. It’s phased in by income, so your start date depends on how much you earn from property and self-employment — and, if you own jointly, on your share. Here’s exactly how to work out your year.

The thresholds and dates

• Qualifying income over £50,000 → mandated from 6 April 2026.
• Over £30,000 → mandated from 6 April 2027.
• Over £20,000 → mandated from 6 April 2028.
• £20,000 or less → no confirmed date yet; keep good records and stay ready.

What counts as “qualifying income”

This trips people up, so read it twice. Qualifying income is your gross income before expenses — not your profit. It combines your rental income with any self-employment turnover. So a landlord with £22,000 of rents and a £10,000 side trade has £32,000 of qualifying income and lands in the April 2027 band, even if their actual profit is far lower.

For jointly owned property, it’s your share that’s tested, not the property total. A couple splitting £60,000 of gross rents 50/50 each count £30,000 — see the couples guide for how the split works.

Which tax year’s income is tested

HMRC looks back at the qualifying income on your most recent finalised Self Assessment return — in practice the current year minus about two. So the return you file for 2024/25 is the one that decides whether you’re in the first (April 2026) cohort. If your income has grown recently, don’t assume last year’s figure keeps you out; check the return HMRC will actually use.

Two worked examples

Solo landlord, growing portfolio. £54,000 of gross rents, no self-employment. Over £50,000, so mandated from 6 April 2026 — with a first quarterly update due 7 August 2026.

Couple, one with a side business. They split £70,000 of rents 60/40. Partner A has £42,000 of rent + £12,000 self-employment = £54,000 → April 2026. Partner B has £28,000 of rent = under £30,000 → April 2028. Same property, two different start dates. That’s normal.

Work out your exact date

The MTD start-date calculator does all of this for you — enter your total gross rents, your ownership split and any self-employment turnover, and it shows when each of you is mandated, plus your first quarterly deadline. It’s free, nothing is stored, and the result has a shareable link.

Once you know your year

Knowing the date is half the job; the other half is picking software you’ll actually use. Run the two-minute picker to match a tool to your situation, and grab the 10-minute prep checklist so nothing’s left to the last quarter. Always confirm the current thresholds on GOV.UK.