Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT has been with us since April 2019, with the extension to all VAT registered businesses from April 2022. The next roll-out will be the introduction of MTD for income tax which is scheduled to start in April 2024.

The obligation to keep records in a digital format and report information quarterly will apply to unincorporated businesses and property landlords with gross income from all business activities in excess of £10,000 a year.

Businesses operating MTD for VAT may already have ‘functional compatible software’ for income tax purposes but will need to get into a new routine for income tax reporting. The changes will be more significant for property landlord businesses, most of whom are not VAT registered and so have not already been through MTD for VAT.

If you believe you need a new digital accounting system for your business, there are a number of MTD compliant accounting software packages on offer. There are even relatively low-cost software packages specifically designed for property rental businesses.

MORE DETAILS OF MTD FOR INCOME TAX REPORTING

HMRC are currently consulting on the precise details of what needs to be reported each quarter. As expected, the accounting software will need to record and report income and expenditure in the same categories currently used for self-assessment.

The main categories are:

• Turnover/gross rents
• Costs of goods sold
• Materials
• Wages and salaries of employees
• Sub-contractor costs
• Rent, rates, power, and insurance
• Repairs and renewals
• Professional fees
• Telephone and other office costs
• Interest on bank and other loans
• Motor and travel expenses

HMRC also proposed that businesses with turnover below the £85,000 VAT threshold will only need to report the totals of income and expenditure each quarter. This will be a welcomed simplification for small businesses.