Turnover, not profit
The test uses money that came in, before costs. Profit is what is left. Profit is usually smaller, so it can hide the real answer.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Am I in MTD?
A free check for sole traders and landlords. It follows the published rule: qualifying income more than £30,000 in the 2025 to 2026 tax year. If that is you, the start date on GOV.UK is 6 April 2027.
About ten questions. Plain English. We do not file with HMRC, and we do not ask for a Government Gateway login. Not tax advice.
Wages do not count
PAYE salary, dividends from a limited company, pensions, and partnership profit are left out. Rent and sole-trader takings are added together.
£30,000 exactly
GOV.UK says “more than £30,000”, not “£30,000 or more”. £30,000.00 is not over the line. £30,000.01 is.
Try an example
Three ready-made paths. They are not your figures. Use them to see what a result looks like, then answer for yourself.
When people have to start
From GOV.UK’s table (opens in a new tab), checked on 5 October 2026. Qualifying income is total self-employment and property income before expenses.
| Self Assessment return | Qualifying income | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 to 2025 | more than £50,000 | 6 April 2026 |
| 2025 to 2026 | more than £30,000 | 6 April 2027 |
| 2026 to 2027 | more than £20,000 | 6 April 2028 |
A separate GOV.UK page says qualifying income of £20,000 or less is an automatic exemption unless your circumstances change. That phrase is not the same as “more than £20,000”. This check keeps them apart.
What HMRC said on 5 October 2026
HMRC’s news release said around 1,077,000 more sole traders and landlords will need digital records and compatible software from 6 April 2027. HMRC says that estimate comes from 2024 to 2025 Self Assessment returns. The same release says turnover includes gross income from self-employment and property before tax allowances or expenses. Read the news release (opens in a new tab).
What this check will not do
- It will not file a return or a quarterly update.
- It will not ask for your Government Gateway login, National Insurance number, or UTR.
- It will not store the figures you type. They stay in the browser tab.
- It will not tell you that you are exempt. Exemptions have their own GOV.UK rules.
- It will not sell you software. Affiliate links are not switched on.
MTD Checker is run by Gary Lea. If a rule on this site and a page on GOV.UK ever disagree, GOV.UK wins.