Hidden MTD news in Spring Statement documents
Chancellor Rachel Reeves kept her pledge that there would be no more tax rises at the Spring Statement, but there are some important Making Tax Digital developments hidden away in the tax related documents. What do you need to know?
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HMRC clarifies treatment of averaging relief under MTD IT
HMRC has updated its guidance to explain how averaging relief claims will operate under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD IT). The clarification addresses concerns about how farmers and creators will claim relief once quarterly reporting becomes mandatory. What has changed?
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Double up on the employment allowance
You’re the sole shareholder of a limited company which employs several members of staff. You’re working on plans to start another business with an ex-colleague. Can both businesses benefit from the full employment allowance (EA)?
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VAT cut for children's holiday activities over summer
The government has announced a temporary reduction in the rate of VAT applying to certain children's holiday activity programmes during the summer holidays. The measure is intended to help families with childcare costs during the school break. What has changed?
The timetable for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment (MTD ITSA) includes mandating sole traders and landlords with revenue exceeding £50,000 from April 2026, then £30,000 the following year. The government has published a technical note alongside the Spring Statement documents that provide further details on the measures. The note includes the following key points:
- The mandation threshold will fall to £20,000 from April 2028 for sole traders and landlords;
- Exempting certain taxpayers from MTD, including non-UK resident entertainers and sportspeople with no other income sources;
- Deferring mandation from ministers of religion, Lloyds underwriters, and recipients of the married couples’ allowance (note that this is not the same as the marriage allowance, and is only relevant where one of the couple was born before 6 April 1935) and blind persons’ allowance until after the end of the current parliament;
- Confirmation that eligible software will be mandatory – there will be no filing service provided by HMRC for the end of year confirmation.
There is still no certainty of if and/or when taxpayers with income below £20,000 will be brought within MTD ITSA. The note simply says “As part of the ongoing rollout of MTD, the government will continue to explore how we can best bring the benefits of digitalisation to a greater proportion of the 4 million sole traders and landlords who have income below the £20,000 threshold.”
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