Digital Tax Service · Guidance

How to file Making Tax Digital: 3 simple steps

Last reviewed: Next review: Reviewed by the Digital Tax Service editorial team

The first MTD deadline is 7 August. If you need to register or file and time is short, call 0114 327 1480 or use the enquiry form below.

Step 1 — Set up your HMRC personal tax account and Self Assessment

Before anything else, you need a personal tax account with HMRC and to be registered for Self Assessment (if you are not already). You set these up yourself here:

gov.uk/personal-tax-account →

Important: an accountant cannot set up your personal tax account or register you for Self Assessment — HMRC requires you to do this step yourself. Once it’s in place, we can take over the MTD registration and filing.

Step 2 — Register for Making Tax Digital

Next, register for MTD through your personal tax account. You register each source of income as a separate MTD business. For example, if you are a tradesperson, your trade is business 1; if you also receive property rental income, that is business 2.

We can register you for MTD — fee £95 + VAT (one-off).

Step 3 — File your quarterly update by the deadline

Finally, report all your business income to HMRC through compatible software by the deadline. The first quarterly update is due by 7 August, and you file four updates a year plus a year-end final declaration.

We can file your quarterly update — fee £75 + VAT per submission.

Let us register and file for you

Once your personal tax account and Self Assessment are set up (Step 1), we can handle the rest — registering you for MTD and filing your quarterly updates so you never miss a deadline. Get in touch:

Ask us to register or file your MTD

Tell us what you need and we’ll get back to you. Remember: you must set up your own personal tax account and Self Assessment first — we can’t do that step for you.

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