Joining the MTD ITSA pilot

Many businesses and agents are already keeping digital records and providing updates to HMRC as part of a live pilot to test and develop the Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA). Under the pilot, qualifying landlords and sole traders (or their agents) can use software to keep digital records and send Income Tax updates instead of filing a Self-Assessment tax return.

The full launch of MTD for ITSA is expected to start from 6 April 2024. The rules will initially apply to taxpayers who file ITSA returns with business or property income over £10,000 annually. General partnerships will not be required to join MTD for ITSA until a year later, in April 2025. A new system of penalties for the late filing and late payment of tax for ITSA will also apply. Taxpayers interested in signing up for the pilot should contact their software provider or agent for further information. 

HMRC’s guidance on who can use the pilot has been updated as the pilot has been expanded. Currently to be eligible, taxpayers need to have an accounting period that aligns exactly to the tax year (6 April to 5 April) to join the 2022-23 pilot. The option to sign-up as an individual for MTD for ITSA is currently only available to individuals using a recognised provider offering software that is compatible with MTD for ITSA.

The pilot currently needs taxpayers who file for:

  • self-employment (including multiple self-employments)
  • UK property
  • Gift Aid
  • Pay As You Earn income, including employment income and occupational pensions (excluding those with a coded-out liability)
  • UK interest
  • UK dividends

Later this tax year, the pilot will be expanded to include the following customer types

  • pension contributions
  • CIS
  • Student Loans
  • additional Self-Assessment (SA 101)
  • foreign income from property
  • voluntary class 2 NICs
  • capital gains
  • marriage allowance.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs Sun, 25 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0100

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Breaking even – checking the numbers

In previous newsfeeds we have described how you can calculate the level of turnover you need to create in order to meet all your costs whether they be fixed costs (rent, rates etc.,) or variable costs (goods you need to buy to convert into goods you sell).

For example, if your fixed costs are £50,000 per annum and your variable costs are 25% of your turnover, the annual turnover you need to breakeven will be £200,000. The formula is:

Annual fixed costs divided by 25 (the gross profit)

Bereavement Support Payment

The amount of Bereavement Support Payment you can claim will depend on your relationship to the person who died and when you make your claim.

Your payments will be paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If you were married or in a registered civil partnership with the person who died

If you were receiving Child Benefit when your partner died (or did not get it but were entitled to it), you will get the higher rate.

This is made up of:

a first payment of £3,500;

Tax codes for employees

The P9X form is used to notify employers of the tax codes to use for employees. The latest version of the form has been published and shows the tax codes to use from 6 April 2023. The form states that the basic personal allowance for the tax year starting 6 April 2023 will, as expected, be £12,570 (£12,570 in 2022-23) and this means that the tax code for emergency use will remain at 1257L.

The basic rate limit will be £37,700 (£37,700 in 2022-23) except for those defined as Scottish taxpayers

Properties not let at commercial rates

There are special rules where a property is let at less than a commercial rate or isn’t let on commercial terms. These rules also apply if a property is occupied rent free or at less than a commercial rate, for example, a property is occupied by a family member at a reduced or nil rent.

In these circumstances, HMRC can take the view that unless the landlord charges a full market rent for a property and imposes normal market lease conditions, it is unlikely that the expenses of the property are

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