MTDLandlord guide · updated July 2026
Making Tax Digital for landlords: the honest guide
MTD for Income Tax is the biggest change to landlord tax admin in a generation. Here's what it actually requires, when it applies to you, and what to do about it — without the scaremongering.
The dates that matter
| From | Applies to | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| 6 April 2026 | Qualifying income over £50,000 | LIVE — ~780,000 taxpayers |
| April 2027 | Qualifying income over £30,000 | A further ~970,000 |
| April 2028 | Qualifying income over £20,000 | Third wave |
"Qualifying income" is gross income from self-employment and property combined, before expenses. Source: GOV.UK.
What MTD actually requires
- Digital records. Income and expenses kept in software — a paper ledger or a shoebox of receipts no longer counts.
- Quarterly updates. Four submissions a year to HMRC through recognised software, instead of one January panic.
- A final declaration. Year-end confirmation replacing the traditional self-assessment return.
What to do now (in order)
- 1. Work out your cohort. Add your gross rental income to any self-employment income. Over £50k? You're already in. Over £30k? April 2027.
- 2. Get your records digital before your start date. The transition is far easier with a year of clean, categorised records behind you than a March scramble.
- 3. Choose software you can live with. You'll touch it every quarter. Check the HMRC-recognised list for filing — and be wary of anyone claiming recognition they don't have.
- 4. Talk to your accountant early. Quarterly rhythm changes their workflow too; the good ones are planning 2027 cohorts now.
Where Keyledger fits — the straight version
Keyledger keeps your records MTD-shaped today: digital, bank-fed, categorised against a landlord chart of accounts, split per property, exportable. That is the hard 90% of MTD readiness.
What we won't claim: Keyledger is not yet HMRC-recognised and cannot submit your quarterly updates. Recognition is on our roadmap; until then your accountant or recognised filing software handles the submission itself — fed by clean records instead of a shoebox.