In an announcement from the Government, it has been confirmed that there will be a two-year delay and further changes to the implementation of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax initiative.
The delay means that MTD for Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) will now be phased in from April 2026 for a smaller number of businesses instead of the initial planned launch of April 2024.
This will give sole traders, self-employed workers and landlords more time to prepare for these changes.
What is changing?
From the new start date, instead of MTD for ITSA applying to all self-employed workers and landlords with property and/or business income of more than £10,000, it will now only apply to those with income exceeding £50,000.
As per the original plan, they will have to keep digital records and provide quarterly updates on their income and expenditure to HMRC through MTD-compatible software.
Those with an income of between £30,000 and £50,000 will also need to comply with this from April 2027. However, all taxpayers will be able to join voluntarily beforehand if they wish to eliminate common errors and save time managing their tax affairs.
What about smaller businesses?
A review of the needs of smaller businesses has also been announced, especially those under the £30,000 income threshold.
The review will consider how MTD for ITSA can be shaped to meet their requirements and the best way for them to fulfil their Income Tax obligations. It will also inform the approach for any further rollout of MTD for ITSA after April 2027.
MTD for ITSA will not be extended to general partnerships in 2025, as previously announced. However, the Government says it “remains committed to introducing MTD for ITSA to partnerships in line with its vision set out in the Tax Administration Strategy”.
Why has the implementation of MTD for ITSA been delayed?
The announcement comes days after a recent survey found a huge majority of Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) members said it cannot be successfully introduced in its current form on 6 April 2024.
The joint CIOT and ATT survey found 97 per cent of the 322 professionals questioned said the top three reasons for concern about the digital project are:
You must use software that works with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, which will allow you to:
The Government have said they understand that many self-employed individuals and landlords are facing a difficult economic environment and that this transition to MTD for ITSA will be a significant change for many so have chosen to delay it for these reasons.
For help preparing for these changes, contact us.
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