From 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep digital tax records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using compatible software as part of the phased rollout of digital tax reporting. The requirement will widen to those with lower income thresholds in later years. This change replaces the traditional annual Self-Assessment tax return with more regular digital reporting to help modernise the UK tax system.
What this means for you:
1. If you earn over £50,000 a year, before tax, you will need to make quarterly digital submissions in addition to your annual tax return submission, which will now be known as your Final Declaration.
You can see step by step guidance from HMRC.
2. You will need to create and store digital records of your self-employment and property income and expenses. You can find guidance from HMRC on this.
3. And you will need to ensure you are using compatible software to report self-employment and property income to HMRC. You can find guidance on this from HMRC.
4. Key dates and details are available from HMRC.