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Do I need to register for Self Assessment before MTD?
By the VoxaMTD team. Last verified 31 October 2026
Yes. To sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax you must be registered for Self Assessment and have submitted a tax return in the last 2 years. You sign in with the same user ID and password you used for Self Assessment.
You also need the date your business started or the date you started receiving property income, if that was within the last 2 tax years, and the tax year you will start using the service. Sole traders also need their business name, address and nature of business.
HMRC checks your eligibility using the details you give. You still need to submit a Self Assessment return for the tax year before you start using the service.
If you use an agent, they can sign you up instead. If you are new to renting out property, check whether your income needs reporting first: gross property income above £2,500 needs registration for Self Assessment, and you register by 5 October after the tax year you had the income.
Read next
- What is Signing up for MTD for Income Tax? →
- HMRC Signed You Up for MTD? What to Do Next →
- Year-end Self Assessment →