Accountants
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: how accountancy firms get found by the clients searching for help
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies from 6 April 2026 to sole traders and landlords whose qualifying income from self-employment and property is over £50,000, according to GOV.UK. Thousands of them are searching for an accountant who will handle it. The firms that win them have a clear MTD page per audience, a quarterly price, and the software they support named.
Most accountancy websites mention MTD in a news post. Very few answer the question the client is actually asking.
What changed in April 2026, and who does it affect?
GOV.UK says "You need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2026 if your total annual income from self-employment and property is over £50,000" (GOV.UK, Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax). Qualifying income is measured before expenses, from the previous tax return. People below that level may need to use it from 6 April 2027, and GOV.UK says HMRC started signing up those who are required but have not signed up from September 2026.
That is a defined audience with a deadline, which is exactly the kind of search demand an accountancy firm can win. A landlord with two flats, or a self-employed consultant who has always filed one return a year, now has to keep digital records and send quarterly updates. Many of them have never had an accountant. Many who have are looking for one who will do the quarterly work.
What are those people typing?
Their own situation, not the regulation's name. "Accountant for landlords MTD", "do I need an accountant for making tax digital", "MTD quarterly updates cost", "making tax digital sole trader help", "which software for MTD income tax". The phrasing tells you what the page must answer: whether it applies to them, what they have to do, what it will cost, and whether you will do it for them.
A news post titled "MTD update" answers none of that. Neither does a services page that lists "Making Tax Digital" as a bullet point between payroll and VAT.
Which pages should an accountancy firm build for MTD?
One page per audience, because a landlord and a sole trader have different questions. Each page should answer, in this order:
| Question | What the page should say |
|---|---|
| Does it apply to me? | The £50,000 test in plain words, with an example, and a link to GOV.UK |
| What do I have to do? | Digital records, quarterly updates, the final declaration, in a short timeline |
| Will you do it for me? | Exactly what you handle and what the client still does |
| What does it cost? | A quarterly or annual fee, or a "from" price with what changes it |
| Which software? | The products you support, and a link to HMRC's list of compatible software |
| What happens next? | How sign-up works; GOV.UK confirms an agent can sign a client up |
HMRC publishes a list of software that works with MTD for Income Tax. Link to it rather than claiming every product works, and name the ones your practice actually uses.
Should an accountant publish MTD prices?
Yes, at least a starting price. The client searching "MTD quarterly updates cost" is comparing firms, and the one with a number on the page gets the enquiry. A range with what moves it, such as the number of properties or how tidy the records are, is honest and filters out the wrong clients.
It also protects your time. A landlord who reads the price before ringing has already decided it is affordable. Our wider guide to SEO for accountancy firms explains why qualifying on the page beats reassuring.
How do AI assistants answer MTD questions?
The same way as other factual questions: they look for short, clear passages that answer the question directly, and they name the sources that wrote them. A page that opens with "MTD for Income Tax applies to you if..." and gives the threshold, the dates and a link to GOV.UK is far easier to quote than a long news post.
Write the first paragraph under each heading so it makes sense on its own. Put the date you last checked the rules on the page, and update it when HMRC changes something. Our guide to getting recommended by AI search covers the rest.
What does it take to build this, and what does it cost?
For most firms it is three to five new pages on an existing site, plus a clear route from each page to an enquiry. If your site is small or dated, a redesign from £495 can add them while keeping what already ranks. A new multi-page site starts from £1,495, and every price is on the price list.
The enquiries then need handling. Quarterly clients mean four touchpoints a year instead of one, so onboarding and record collection are worth automating. Our guide to accountancy client onboarding covers how, and websites and SEO for accountants shows how we work with practices.
Questions accountants ask about MTD and their website
Who has to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from April 2026?
According to GOV.UK, sole traders and landlords whose total annual income from self-employment and property is over £50,000 must use it from 6 April 2026. Qualifying income is measured before expenses, using the previous tax return. Others may need to use it from 6 April 2027.
Should an accountancy firm have a page about MTD?
Yes, ideally one page per audience, such as landlords and sole traders. Each should say whether MTD applies, what the client must do, exactly what the firm handles, what it costs, and which software it supports.
Can an accountant sign a client up for MTD for Income Tax?
Yes. GOV.UK says that if you use an agent, they can sign you up instead, using a separate route for agents.
How can an accountant get more MTD clients online?
Build clear MTD pages for each audience with a published starting price, name the software you support, link to GOV.UK and HMRC's software list, and make the enquiry route short. Keep the pages updated as the thresholds change.