MAKING TAX DIGITAL

What Is Making Tax Digital?

What Is Making Tax Digital?

What Is Making Tax Digital?

Making Tax Digital may sound complicated, but the basic idea is simple. This short guide explains what it means for UK sole traders and how tax reporting is becoming more digital.

Making Tax Digital may sound complicated, but the basic idea is simple. This short guide explains what it means for UK sole traders and how tax reporting is becoming more digital.

3 min read

Want a simple overview first?

Download the free guide for UK sole traders and understand the key accounting records, deadlines and Making Tax Digital changes in plain English.

What is Making Tax Digital?

What is Making Tax Digital?

Making Tax Digital is a new way for some UK sole traders and landlords to report tax information to HMRC.

Instead of keeping paper records and sending one tax return at the end of the year, they must keep digital records and use approved software.

The software sends income and expense updates to HMRC every quarter. At the end of the year, a final submission confirms the correct figures and calculates the tax due.

Common misconception

“Making Tax Digital means I will have to pay tax every three months.”

“Making Tax Digital means I will have to pay tax every three months.”

Not true.

Quarterly updates are reports of income and expenses. They are not quarterly tax bills.

Think of them only as progress reports.

The main idea to remember

The main idea to remember

Making Tax Digital is mainly about keeping records digitally and reporting information more regularly. It is not a completely new tax system, and it doesn't mean sole traders have to pay tax four times a year.

READY to learn?

Ready to understand the full picture?

Ready to understand the full picture?

The complete guide explains accounting, UK tax and Making Tax Digital step by step, with practical examples written specifically for non-accountants.

KEEP READING

Related Articles