What is Making Tax Digital (MTD)?

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a UK government initiative requiring self-employed individuals and landlords earning over £50,000 to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using compatible software. The deadline for MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD ITSA) compliance is April 6th, 2026. After this date, affected taxpayers must use MTD-compliant software like VoxaMTD for their tax submissions.

Do I need MTD software by April 2026?

Yes, if you are a sole trader or landlord with annual income over £50,000, you must use MTD-compliant software for quarterly submissions starting April 6th, 2026. From April 2027, the threshold reduces to £30,000. HMRC penalties for non-compliance start at £200 per missed quarterly submission. VoxaMTD offers free MTD compliance to help you prepare before the deadline.

Is VoxaMTD really free?

Yes! VoxaMTD's core MTD compliance features are completely free: HMRC quarterly submissions, Open Banking bank feeds, AI-powered transaction categorization, real-time tax calculations, and email support. No credit card required. You only pay if you need premium add-ons like mortgage interest calculators (£20/mo) or GPS mileage tracking (£15/mo).

How does VoxaMTD compare to Sage and QuickBooks for MTD?

Unlike Sage (from £12/month) and QuickBooks (from £10/month), VoxaMTD offers core MTD compliance features completely free. This includes HMRC submissions, bank feeds, and AI categorization at no cost. VoxaMTD is purpose-built for MTD compliance rather than being a full accounting suite, making it simpler and more focused for sole traders who just need to meet the April 2026 deadline.

What happens if I do nothing before April 2026?

If you earn £50,000+ as a sole trader or landlord and don't use MTD-compliant software by April 6th, 2026, you'll face HMRC penalties. Penalties start at £200 per missed quarterly submission and increase with repeated failures. You'll also need to maintain digital records, which VoxaMTD handles automatically through Open Banking integration.

Is VoxaMTD HMRC recognized software?

Yes, VoxaMTD is built to meet HMRC's MTD for Income Tax requirements. We use secure HMRC OAuth authentication (we never see your Government Gateway password), include all required fraud prevention headers, and submit directly to HMRC's MTD API. Our Open Banking connections are FCA-authorized for secure bank data access.

Can I use VoxaMTD if I'm both self-employed and a landlord?

Yes! The free tier covers both sole trader and landlord income sources. VoxaMTD categorizes all your business transactions and calculates combined tax liability. If you want premium features for both (mortgage calculators AND mileage tracking), our Professional plan at £40/month includes everything with priority support.

How accurate is the AI transaction categorization?

VoxaMTD's AI achieves 95% accuracy in categorizing transactions based on testing across 10,000+ transactions. The AI learns from HMRC's allowable expense categories and continuously improves. You always review and confirm categories before HMRC submission, ensuring you stay in control of your tax data.

How VoxaMTD Works

From sign-up to HMRC submission in under 5 minutes. VoxaMTD is free, HMRC-recognised MTD software that connects to any UK bank, categorises your expenses with AI, and submits your quarterly updates to HMRC with one click.

Sign up free

Google or email. 30 seconds. No credit card required.

Connect your bank

Open Banking, any UK bank. FCA-regulated via Finexer. Read-only access — we can never move your money.

Connect HMRC

Secure OAuth via Government Gateway. We never see your password. Token-based, encrypted end to end.

AI categorises your transactions

95% accuracy on HMRC expense categories. Review and confirm before anything reaches HMRC.

See your live tax estimate

Updated every transaction. Payments on account included. No January surprises.

Submit to HMRC quarterly

One click. Fraud prevention headers built in. Free forever.

Ask Alex anything

Voice AI with live access to your books. 24/7 tax advice in plain English.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Making Tax Digital?

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD ITSA) requires UK sole traders and landlords to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC. Mandatory from April 2026 for those earning over £50,000.

Who needs MTD software?

Sole traders and landlords with gross income over £50,000 from April 2026, over £30,000 from April 2027, and over £20,000 from April 2028. You must use HMRC-recognised software — VoxaMTD is free.

Is VoxaMTD free?

Yes. Core MTD compliance — quarterly HMRC submissions, bank feeds, AI categorisation, Section 24 calculator — is free forever. No credit card required.

How does VoxaMTD connect to my bank?

Via Open Banking, regulated by the FCA. Finexer (FRN: 925695) provides read-only access to your transactions. Works with any UK bank.

Is VoxaMTD HMRC recognised?

Yes. VoxaMTD is HMRC-recognised MTD for Income Tax software, integrated directly with the HMRC Making Tax Digital API.

When does MTD start?

April 2026 for income over £50,000. April 2027 for £30,000+. April 2028 for £20,000+. Quarterly deadlines: Q1 due 5 Aug, Q2 due 5 Nov, Q3 due 5 Feb, Q4 due 5 May.

Ready to get started?

Free forever for core MTD compliance. No credit card required.

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