A quarter of businesses, including landlords, still haven't signed up for Making Tax Digital, according to Tide.
20th Jul 20260 593 2 minutes read Marc Shoffman
The first deadline for Making Tax Digital (MTD) is approaching in a matter of weeks but there are fears that hundreds of thousands of landlords still aren’t ready.
Since April, sole traders and landlords with annual revenues above the £50,000 qualifying mark have to fill quarterly returns using HMRC-approved software.
The first deadline to do this is on 7 August but research by management platform Tide suggests some businesses, including landlords, either aren’t ready or haven’t even signed up in some cases.
Tide surveyed 500 sole traders and landlords, and found 22% of owners still don’t know the changes are coming, and worryingly, one in four – at 25% – haven’t yet signed up with HMRC for Making Tax Digital.
Out of the estimated 864,000 that would qualify for MTD in 2026, that leaves a huge 216,000 potentially who haven’t registered to file their first update.
In total, sole traders and landlords foresee this new tax admin requiring six full days of their attention in the next 12 months.
To help anyone still struggling to understand Making Tax Digital, Tide is going around the country to help offer advice on how to proceed.
ICE CREAM AND INSIGHTSThe first wave of business owners need to ensure they are signed up with HMRC and file on time.
From Monday 20 July, Tide experts will be “Making Tax Delicious”, giving out free ice cream and insights on switching to Making Tax Digital.
Free ice cream flavours include ‘Self Assess-mint’, ‘VATnilla’ and ‘PAYE-stachio’, in addition to a ‘Declare your Hundreds and Thousands’ topping.
The Tide ice cream van will be in Manchester, – at New Cathedral Street on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 July, in London’s Victoria and the capital’s Broadgate on 23 July and 24 July respectively, and in Brighton’s New Road on 25 July.
George Schmidt, chief executive UK/Europe at Tide, says: “No one wants to be thinking about tax over summer, but we can’t escape the fact that Making Tax Digital is here and the first deadline is just days away.
“The first wave of business owners need to ensure they are signed up with HMRC and file on time, to avoid penalties that accumulate with each missed deadline.
“It is a worry that so many still aren’t ready for the switch, but we hope that over the coming days we can raise awareness, spread some joy and importantly, help people to make their first submission, so they can get on with enjoying their summer.”
TagsMaking Tax Digital 20th Jul 20260 593 2 minutes read Marc Shoffman Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email