Sixteen Days to MTD Sign-Up Outage: Register Before 11 September
As of 26 August 2026, HMRC’s Making Tax Digital for Income Tax sign-up service goes offline in sixteen days — from 5pm Friday 11 September to 1pm Tuesday 15 September — sole traders and landlords still unsigned should register this week.
HMRC’s Sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax guidance confirms planned maintenance from 5pm Friday 11 September 2026 to 1pm Tuesday 15 September 2026. You will not be able to sign up for MTD for Income Tax during that window. As of Wednesday 26 August, that outage starts in sixteen calendar days.
Sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 who need MTD for the 2026 to 2027 tax year should sign up now — and HMRC’s 24 August update confirms it will begin automatically signing up mandated taxpayers who have not yet registered from September 2026. Do not leave first-time enrolment until mid-September.
Who should register before the outage
Anyone required to use MTD for Income Tax from 6 April 2026 (qualifying self-employment and/or property income over £50,000) who is not yet signed up.
Agents clearing client enrolments through the Agent Services Account before the September auto sign-up wave and the 11–15 September maintenance window.
Voluntary early adopters who want digital records in place before the next quarterly update cycle.
Sixteen-day sign-up checklist
Confirm qualifying income from the last Self Assessment return and whether an exemption applies before you start.
Have business start dates, addresses, and property income details ready — incomplete identity checks are the usual enrolment stall.
If you use an agent, authorise them in the Agent Services Account so they can sign you up without waiting for the outage to clear.
Diary HMRC’s September auto sign-up letters so unexpected enrolment messages are forwarded to your adviser immediately.
How FinnAccountings helps before MTD enrolment
Digital books make quarterly updates faster once you are signed up. FinnAccountings helps Ireland and UK sole traders and landlords prepare bookkeeping and tax packs with Chartered Accountant insight before you or your ICAEW/ACCA or Chartered Accountant (Ireland) adviser files. Start a free trial for review-ready drafts — we prepare records; we do not sign you up for MTD or submit quarterly updates to HMRC on your behalf.
Related reading
Yesterday’s seventeen-day outage briefing still maps the maintenance window.
HMRC’s September automatic sign-up wave is the other reason to enrol before the outage.
For dual-market income tax estimates while you prep packs, use the free calculator.
Sources & references
This article draws on official guidance and publications from the sources below.
- 1.Sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
HM Revenue & Customs · Accessed 2026-08-26
- 2.Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
HM Revenue & Customs · Accessed 2026-08-26
- 3.Sign up your client for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
HM Revenue & Customs · Accessed 2026-08-26
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FinnAccountings helps with bookkeeping, tax, and VAT prep for Ireland and the UK — with Chartered Accountant insight on AI drafts. Educational articles are not filing advice.
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