From April 2026, landlords and sole traders with a qualifying income above £50,000 keep their records digitally and send HMRC a short update every quarter. The threshold falls to £30,000 a year later.
Who has to join
Count your gross income from self-employment and property together, before costs. If it is above the threshold in a tax year, you join from the April after the return for that year.
| From | Qualifying income above |
| --- | ---: |
| 6 April 2026 | £50,000 |
| 6 April 2027 | £30,000 |
| 6 April 2028 | £20,000 |
What changes
Your rental income and costs are kept in software that can talk to HMRC: a spreadsheet with a bridging tool is enough. Four times a year the software sends a summary; you still file a final declaration after the year ends.
What does not
The tax itself. The rules for allowable costs, the payment dates and the rate you pay are exactly as they were.
What to do now
If your income is close to the threshold, start keeping your records in software this year, while mistakes cost nothing. We set it up for our landlord clients as part of the monthly fee.
