How to sign up to MTD for Income Tax

• Who is eligible for MTD for Income Tax?
• How do I register for MTD for Income Tax?
• 5 steps for registering for MTD for Income Tax
• Why should you sign up for the MTD pilot ahead of April 2026?

While 31% of accountants are thinking of waiting until 2026 to begin implementing MTD, many are getting ready now, and looking to sign up—often motivated by the strategic advantage and opportunities MTD brings.  

In this blog, we walk you through everything you need to know about signing up for MTD for Income Tax, from which clients are eligible, to how to register, and the benefits of joining the pilot ahead of 2026.

Who is eligible for MTD for Income Tax?
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MTD for Income Tax applies to taxpayers with income from property, or income from sole trade(s), whose gross income (before tax and expenses are deducted) is over a certain threshold. This threshold determines when they will be required to join MTD.

• Those with income above 50k will be required to join from April 2026.
• Those with income above 30k will be required to join from April 2027.
• Those with income above 20k will be required to join from April 2028.

HMRC also have a service for enabling you to check if a client is eligible. You can click here to see if a client needs to sign up by answering a few questions about your client, then they’ll give you an answer.

How do I register for MTD for Income Tax?
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For MTD for Income Tax, all mandated clients must be signed up. HMRC will not complete this step for you, so either the taxpayer must sign themselves up, or as their accountant, you can do this for them.  

From April 2025 you’ll have two options on HMRC’s website:

• Sign up voluntarily from April 2025 (to help get ready for April 2026). It’s worth noting that if they sign up early, they won’t need to do it again.
• Or sign up for April 2026, when it’s mandatory.

5 steps for registering your client for MTD for Income Tax

1. Conduct initial checks
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Before signing your client up for MTD, there’s a few factors you need to ensure you’ve checked first. Ensure you’ve addressed these four points:

• Check if the client will need to use the service.
• Get your client’s permission to sign them up.
• Choose software recognised by HMRC, such as CCH iFirm MTD for Income Tax.
• Confirm your client’s authorisation in your Agent Services Account.

2. Sign up your client for MTD for Income Tax
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Next, you can go to this link on GOV.UK, to sign up your client. You’ll be asked to login using your government gateway ID, and your password.

3. Enter your client’s details
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You’ll be asked for your client’s full name, date of birth, and national insurance number. If your client can use this service you’ll get confirmation immediately, and you can click ‘Sign up this client’ to start the process for them.

4. Check your software is compatible
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The next screen will ask you if you’re using HMRC recognised software, that’s compatible for digital record keeping.  

If you click ‘No’, you’ll be asked to come back later, but if you’re using a compatible solution, you can continue. You’ll be asked in which year you want to begin MTD.

5. Add your client’s income sources and get confirmation
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Next you can confirm your client’s sources of self employment and property income, one at a time.  

For each income source you’ll need to enter the start date (if it’s within the last two years), and confirm the accounting method used—if needed.  

Once you’ve confirmed all their sources of income you’ll get confirmation you’ve successfully signed them up to MTD. And you’re ready to go!

If you’re still unsure about the process, you can view HMRC’s explanation video here.

Why should you sign up for the MTD pilot ahead of April 2026?
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While it might be tempting to kick the can further down the road with MTD, there are many benefits to signing up to MTD for Income Tax now, for the pilot phase. Some benefits include:

• Some taxpayers will need to join from April 2026, which is fast approaching—particularly when you think about the number of working days, and working weeks, ahead of the start.
• Taking part in the pilot also offers an advantage for you and your clients, as it’ll help you understand the transition ahead of April 2026.
• You’ll also get the opportunity to see what MTD looks and feels like ahead of the real quarterly submission deadlines. This is ideal for training staff and getting your team to work on your new MTD software with ease.
• There are no penalties during the testing phase for quarterly submissions, meaning you can make errors in this practice run.
• Get direct access to HMRC’s support team and the Wolters Kluwer product team for help and feedback.

Interested in joining MTD with Wolters Kluwer? Meet CCH iFirm MTD for Income Tax, your HMRC recognised cloud solution.