Making Tax Digital, done in Bookfolio.

MTD for Income Tax doesn't land on everyone at once. It's being introduced in phases from 2026 onward for sole traders and landlords over the income threshold, and there are exemptions — so it isn't universal, and the timetable is set by HMRC. The honest answer to 'does this apply to me yet?' comes from HMRC's free online checker, which tells you whether and when you're in. Bookfolio keeps you ready either way.

MTD asks for digital records — but that's exactly the habit Bookfolio is built around. Import a CSV from any UK bank or card, reconcile in minutes, and keep business and personal cleanly apart. For landlords, keep each property's rental income and allowable expenses straight, ready to roll up. No shoebox, no end-of-year scramble — and every change kept on record if HMRC ever asks. You stay in control of every entry.

Every three months you send HMRC a summary of income and expenses for the tax year so far — each update is cumulative, not just the latest three months. Bookfolio totals your reconciled figures, shows you the update in plain English, and files it straight to HMRC over its recognised connection. You check it first; we submit when you're ready. On the standard quarters, the update for the period to 5 July is due in August, to 5 October in November, to 5 January in February, and to 5 April in May — Bookfolio shows the dates that apply to you.

Your updates and final declaration report what you earned and the expenses you're allowed to claim. As you reconcile, Bookfolio totals your income and breaks expenses down by category, so the self-employment (SA103) figures and the property (SA105) figures are sitting there when each update or the final declaration is due. We give you the numbers; we don't give tax advice, and you decide what to claim.

If you let property, MTD for Income Tax applies to your rental income too. Bookfolio keeps each property's income and allowable expenses straight, then rolls them up into the property (SA105) figures your updates and final declaration need — nothing double-counted across properties. Finance costs on a let property are kept separate and clearly labelled, so they sit in the right place on your return; how the relief applies is for you or your accountant to confirm. This is bookkeeping for your rental income, not a property-management tool — no tenants, no rent collection.

Bookfolio is HMRC-recognised software for Making Tax Digital — you authorise it once, signing in through HMRC's secure service, and your quarterly updates go directly to HMRC from Bookfolio. When the year ends, you can review and send the final declaration with the same review-first approach. You stay responsible for the numbers — we transmit the ones you confirm.

After the quarterly updates, the final declaration is where you add any other income — employment, savings, dividends — make your adjustments and reliefs, and confirm the figures for the year. It's the legally binding submission, and it's still due by 31 January, the same date Self Assessment has always anchored to. Bookfolio brings your reconciled figures together so you can review and send the final declaration from the same workspace. For those in scope, this is how you complete Self Assessment — and the 31 January date stays.