What is it?
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for individuals is focused on the Personal Tax Account (PTA). The PTA brings together all of your relevant information in one online place. You will be able to access the service at any time, from a digital device of your choice. You will be able to register for new services, update your information and see how much tax you need to pay.
HMRC is joining up their internal systems and will automatically include information it holds about your circumstances or income in your digital account. This means that you will no longer have to do this yourself.
What if you complete your return online already?
There are three important differences between MTD and just completing a return online:
- Bank transactions and other financial information will flow automatically into your digital tax account, whether or not you declare the income or expenses.
- Submissions will need to be made at least once per quarter.
- Submissions will need to be filed using some form of software (you’ll need to use an app that is integrated to your digital tax account).
What’s next?
As the Personal Tax Account develops, you will be able to use it to notify HMRC when things change. Over time, you may no longer need to complete tax returns at the end of the year if your affairs are simple. However if the details of your income received is inaccessible by HMRC, or if your affairs are complex, you will still need to complete a return.
HMRC is still developing the PTA. Guidance keeps shifting and the deadline for introducing the regime keeps slipping, but HMRC are committed to digitalising the tax process and as such it’s a case of ‘when, not if’ these changes will be introduced.
Disclaimer
The information was correct at time of publishing but may now be out of date.
