Starts 6 April 2026

MTD for Income Tax, sorted.
£495 a year. Fixed. Done.

In short

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies from 6 April 2026 to UK sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 (£30,000 from April 2027, £20,000 from April 2028). For a fixed £495 a year I set up MTD-compatible software connected to your bank, then prepare and submit the four quarterly updates and the final declaration every year. Onboarding form, email sign-off, recorded walkthrough; set up within two weeks.

Setup, software, quarterly submissions and year-end, done by a chartered management accountant rather than an offshore bookkeeper. Source for the thresholds: gov.uk, Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.

Send my details → Get the Free Readiness Audit

No long-term contracts · Cancel any quarter · ACMA CGMA · 24 years in finance

Stuart Wilson, ACMA CGMA Chartered Management Accountant · CIMA since 2013

Is this for you?

You're caught by MTD ITSA from 6 April 2026 if any of these apply:

Sole trader with annual income above £50,000
Landlord with rental income above £50,000 (gross, not profit)
Combined sole trade + rental crossing £50,000 in any tax year
Already MTD-compatible for VAT — same regime, new income stream

If you're below £50,000 in 2026/27, you have until April 2027 (£30K) or April 2028 (£20K). Setting up early gives you 12 months of "practice runs" before penalties bite.

One fixed price

In pounds, excluding VAT, agreed in writing before any work starts. No meetings unless you want one.

MTD for Income Tax

Done for you

£495/year

Setup in year one, then every quarterly update and the Final Declaration. You sign off by email, I submit.

MTD-compatible software set up and connected to your bank
Chart of accounts mapped to HMRC's quarterly categories
HMRC MTD ITSA registration
All four quarterly updates submitted
Year-end Final Declaration
One sole trade plus one property business; further sources quoted as a fixed add-on
Recorded walkthrough and email support, reply within one working day

Send my details →

Add monthly bookkeeping

Books kept for you

from £150/month

If you would rather not keep the digital records yourself. Quarterly updates are included.

Bank and card reconciliations every month
Books up to date by the 5th
Quarterly MTD updates and Final Declaration
Self Assessment and HMRC correspondence
Behind already? Catch-up from £495

See monthly bookkeeping →

Free 60-Second Check

Are You In Scope? Get Your Readiness Report

3 questions. We email a personal report with software recommendation, deadline, and flat-rate cost — no call required.

From Sign-Off to Compliant in 2 Weeks

Day 1

Form + sign-off

You confirm income sources and software preference in the onboarding form. The £495 fixed fee is invoiced.

Days 2-5

Setup + connection

Software configured, chart of accounts built, bank feed live, PayPal or Stripe connected, and you authorise me as your agent with HMRC.

Days 6-12

Historical tagging

90 days of past transactions reconciled and categorised so your first quarterly submission has clean opening data.

Days 13-14

Recorded walkthrough + handover

A recorded walkthrough of your set-up and a written guide for your records. A call if you want one. You are ready for the first quarter.

Free · No Card Required

MTD ITSA Readiness Audit

7-question diagnostic. We email you a 2-page PDF report covering: are you in scope, what software you should use, what's missing in your records, and what it'll cost to fix.

We email you the diagnostic. You complete it in 4 minutes. We email back a tailored 2-page report.

BlackpeakCFO vs the Alternatives

Option	Annual cost	Your time	Risk
DIY with FreeAgent/Xero	Software subscription only	4–6 hrs/quarter	£200/point penalty if you miss
BlackpeakCFO, done for you	£495 a year, fixed	~15 min/quarter (sign-off)	Prepared by a chartered management accountant; you sign off each quarter

FAQs

When does MTD ITSA actually start for me?

6 April 2026 if your qualifying income (sole trade + rental) exceeds £50,000. 6 April 2027 if it exceeds £30,000. 6 April 2028 if it exceeds £20,000. Limited companies and most partnerships are not in scope yet.

What happens if I do nothing?

From your first late quarterly submission, HMRC issues penalty points. Four points triggers a £200 fine, and each subsequent late submission adds another £200. Points reset only after 12 months of fully on-time submissions. Plus interest on any late payment of tax.

What does the £495 a year cover?

Setup in year one (MTD-compatible software such as Xero, FreeAgent or QuickBooks, chart of accounts mapped to HMRC's quarterly categories, bank feed connection and your HMRC MTD ITSA registration), then all four quarterly updates and the year-end Final Declaration, every year, with a recorded walkthrough instead of a training call. Fixed price, agreed in writing.

Do I need monthly bookkeeping as well?

Only if you want the books kept for you. The £495 a year service submits what is in your digital records; if you would rather not keep them yourself, monthly bookkeeping for sole traders and landlords starts at £150 a month and includes the quarterly updates. You do not need an accountant on top of either, but if you have one, we work alongside them.

Can I just use FreeAgent and DIY?

Yes. FreeAgent is free to customers of some banks, and HMRC publishes a list of MTD-compatible software. If you are happy keeping digital records and submitting four quarterly updates and a final declaration yourself, you do not need this service. It is for people who would rather pay £495 a year than spend a few hours a quarter on it: same outcome, different price.

What if I have rental income AND a sole trade?

Each income source needs its own digital record and its own quarterly submission. So you'd file eight quarterly submissions per year plus a single Final Declaration. The £495 a year service covers one sole trade plus one property business; each further income source is quoted as a fixed add-on before you start.

Who actually does the work?

Stuart Wilson, ACMA CGMA: 24 years in finance, including seven years as Group Finance Director for a portfolio of small and mid-sized businesses in London and earlier roles at Arle Capital Partners and Bancroft Private Equity. Not a junior bookkeeper, not offshored, not a chatbot. One named professional accountable for your account.

Get Sorted Before April 2026

Send your details — we reply within one business day, by email. We confirm fit and you're compliant within two weeks. No pitch, no commitment.

Send My Details →

Or email stuart@blackpeakcfo.com

Related services

About the firm and this page

Who does the work: Stuart Wilson, ACMA CGMA, personally. No juniors, no offshore team, no call centre. His career, 2002 to now · LinkedIn.
Credential: Chartered management accountant: a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) since 2013, with the ACMA and CGMA designations. Seven years as Group Finance Director for a portfolio of SMEs in London (2017 to 2024).
What is not claimed: Not a registered auditor, so no audit opinions. No client counts, testimonials or results figures are published; the sample reports use labelled demo data. Filing as your HMRC agent is set up per client during onboarding.
Prices: Fixed price and fixed scope, in pounds, excluding VAT, agreed in writing before work starts. Delivered in 1 to 5 days or on a monthly cycle, with an onboarding form, email and recorded walkthroughs instead of meetings.
Relationship: BlackpeakCFO is a sister practice of CompanyStack (companystack.co.uk).
Last checked: 19 October 2026

MTD for Income Tax, sorted. £495 a year. Fixed. Done.