MTD for Income Tax · online sellers

Making Tax Digital for online sellers

Last updated 28 October 2026. Every fact below is checked against the sources listed at the end. General information, not tax advice.

Short answer: If your 2025 to 2026 tax return shows qualifying income over £30,000, you need to use MTD for Income Tax from 6 April 2027. Qualifying income is your total turnover from self-employment and property: the amount before expenses, taken from the tax return you submitted for the previous tax year. It can come from more than one source. Quarterly updates are totals of your self-employment and property income and expenses. They're summaries, not tax returns, and HMRC doesn't receive individual receipts or invoices.

Etsy sellers

eBay sellers

Amazon sellers

Shopify sellers

PayPal sellers

Vinted, Depop and TikTok Shop (not supported by TidyTill yet)

Deadlines

Thresholds and HMRC letters

Topics and glossary

Worked example: one seller, three platforms

Example figures A 2025 to 2026 tax year. Made-up figures for a fictional seller, not real data.

Platform	Turnover	Paid out
Etsy	£14,200.00	£11,960.00
eBay	£9,800.00	£8,520.00
Amazon	£7,400.00	£5,650.00
Total	£31,400.00	£26,130.00

Payouts total £26,130, under £30,000, but turnover is £31,400, so MTD applies from 6 April 2027.

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TidyTill reads Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Shopify and PayPal exports, works out gross turnover, splits it into MTD periods and flags gaps and duplicates. Upload your exports and see your totals, quarters and Health Check free before you pay. Then £19 one-off for a workbook or £49 a year for unlimited workbooks. Paid workbook downloads open very soon; the free preview works now.

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Questions

Do I need MTD if I sell online?

You only need to use it if you're registered for Self Assessment, have submitted a tax return, and get income from self-employment as a sole trader, property as a landlord, or both.

When is the first deadline for the April 2027 group?

7 August 2027. Standard update periods (the default, aligned to the 6 April to 5 April tax year): 6 April to 5 July, due 7 August; 6 April to 5 October, due 7 November; 6 April to 5 January, due 7 February; 6 April to 5 April, due 7 May of the following tax year.

Will HMRC write to me?

If HMRC reviews your return and finds your income is above the relevant threshold, it will write to you confirming that you need to use MTD for Income Tax by the start of the next tax year. Even if you don't get a letter, you must still check your qualifying income yourself and sign up if you need to.

Sources

Using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for the first time (GOV.UK, checked 28 October 2026)
Sole traders and landlords earning more than £30,000 urged to act now (HMRC, 5 October 2026) (GOV.UK, checked 28 October 2026)
Work out your qualifying income for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (GOV.UK, checked 28 October 2026)
Send quarterly updates (Making Tax Digital for Income Tax) (GOV.UK, checked 28 October 2026)

TidyTill is a record-keeping aid only. This page is general information, not tax advice. TidyTill is not HMRC-recognised software and it doesn't submit anything to HMRC: you send quarterly updates and your tax return through HMRC-recognised software. Rules and dates can change, so check GOV.UK or ask an accountant about your own situation.