Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax (in beta) resource hub

Welcome to the Xero MTD for Income Tax beta resource hub. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know to be part of the beta.

MTD for IT beta FAQs
mtd for IT

Why join the MTD for Income Tax beta programme

By taking part you’ll help test and develop the service, and be ready to advise your clients ahead of mandation.

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    Exclusive access

    Be the first to access, test and use Xero for MTD for Income Tax and get a head start before April 2026.

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    Direct product impact

    Your feedback will directly influence product development to help create a seamless experience for all Xero users.

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    Getting ahead

    Get ahead with a deeper understanding of how MTD for Income Tax can work for you and your clients.

How you’ll be able to use MTD for Income Tax

During the beta test period, you’ll be able to:

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    Keep digital records and send submissions to HMRC using Xero.
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    Manage the obligations of sending quarterly updates and a final declaration directly to HMRC through Xero.
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    Trial the user experience and the integration of MTD for Income Tax with existing Xero features and functionality, and provide feedback.
Read our MTD for IT beta FAQs for full details
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How you’ll be involved

Here’s what’s involved:

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    Complete HMRC’s eligibility check and sign up the clients you want to participate as part of the beta testing.
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    Complete the Xero registration form to let us know which clients you’ve signed up with HMRC.
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    Once we let you know, you can start using MTD for Income Tax in Xero for your clients.
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    You’ll receive guidance and instructions on how to use the features and complete tasks.
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    Provide feedback through our surveys and, potentially, interviews, with full support from our team every step of the way.
Read our MTD for IT beta FAQs for full details
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How to get started

Step 1: Select and sign up clients

Check your clients meet HMRC’s beta eligibility. Select a mix of clients and sign them up.

Check HMRC eligibility

Step 2: Register and set up

Fill out the Xero registration form so we know which clients to check are signed up with HMRC.

Complete registration form

Step 3: We'll confirm access in Xero HQ

Once enabled, you can manage digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC directly within Xero.

Find out more

Resources to support your clients

Beta FAQs

To join the MTD for Income Tax beta, your clients must meet HMRC's criteria: UK residency with a National Insurance number, at least one submitted self-assessment tax return, an accounting period ending 31 March or 5 April, and up-to-date tax records with no outstanding liabilities. You must select the 2025–26 tax year when signing them up with HMRC, HMRC also specifies exclusions - please check these before signing up. Additionally, participation requires you to be a Xero partner, your clients to have a Xero business edition subscription.

Check HMRC eligibility criteria

To join the MTD for Income Tax beta, your clients must meet HMRC's criteria: UK residency with a National Insurance number, at least one submitted self-assessment tax return, an accounting period ending 31 March or 5 April, and up-to-date tax records with no outstanding liabilities. You must select the 2025–26 tax year when signing them up with HMRC, HMRC also specifies exclusions - please check these before signing up. Additionally, participation requires you to be a Xero partner, your clients to have a Xero business edition subscription.

Check HMRC eligibility criteria

To choose clients for the MTD for Income Tax beta, consider those with a range of income types and situations, such as single self-employment or UK property businesses, those using different agents for updates and declarations, clients with multiple businesses using a single Xero subscription, and those with income from jointly-owned or foreign property. However, avoid clients with complex personal tax affairs or those whose tax information is only available close to the January filing deadline.

Find out more

To choose clients for the MTD for Income Tax beta, consider those with a range of income types and situations, such as single self-employment or UK property businesses, those using different agents for updates and declarations, clients with multiple businesses using a single Xero subscription, and those with income from jointly-owned or foreign property. However, avoid clients with complex personal tax affairs or those whose tax information is only available close to the January filing deadline.

Find out more

To complete the Xero registration form for the MTD for Income Tax beta, you'll need to provide client details, including information about their self-employment and/or property businesses, detailing all businesses if they have multiple. You'll need to specify your agent authorisation status, indicating whether you're the main agent (where you’ll have full access to all services, including final declaration) or a supporting agent (quarterly updates only). You'll also need to let us know if their personal tax needs are simple or complex, ensuring their full tax needs are met during the beta. You can register up to 10 clients per form, with the option to submit additional forms for more clients.

Find out more

To complete the Xero registration form for the MTD for Income Tax beta, you'll need to provide client details, including information about their self-employment and/or property businesses, detailing all businesses if they have multiple. You'll need to specify your agent authorisation status, indicating whether you're the main agent (where you’ll have full access to all services, including final declaration) or a supporting agent (quarterly updates only). You'll also need to let us know if their personal tax needs are simple or complex, ensuring their full tax needs are met during the beta. You can register up to 10 clients per form, with the option to submit additional forms for more clients.

Find out more

You'll receive a notification in HQ once MTD for Income Tax access is enabled for your registered clients. Initially, access will be granted to clients with a single self-employment or UK property business, allowing us to test the basic submission process. As the beta progresses, we'll enable access for more client types, testing new functionality in a controlled manner, and we'll keep you informed about the availability of each client type for onboarding.

Find out more

You'll receive a notification in HQ once MTD for Income Tax access is enabled for your registered clients. Initially, access will be granted to clients with a single self-employment or UK property business, allowing us to test the basic submission process. As the beta progresses, we'll enable access for more client types, testing new functionality in a controlled manner, and we'll keep you informed about the availability of each client type for onboarding.

Find out more

You’ll need to have successfully signed up your clients with HMRC and then registered them with Xero. We will review if they meet the criteria and then enable MTD for Income Tax in your clients’ Xero organisations and notify you in Xero HQ. The new MTD for IT features can be accessed from the Accounting dropdown menu. Please note that users will need the standard or advisor role to access to the client’s organisation, and the organisation type will need to be set to ‘Person’ or ‘Sole trader’ to see MTD for IT in the menu, so please check the organisation details.

How to update your organisation's details

You’ll need to have successfully signed up your clients with HMRC and then registered them with Xero. We will review if they meet the criteria and then enable MTD for Income Tax in your clients’ Xero organisations and notify you in Xero HQ. The new MTD for IT features can be accessed from the Accounting dropdown menu. Please note that users will need the standard or advisor role to access to the client’s organisation, and the organisation type will need to be set to ‘Person’ or ‘Sole trader’ to see MTD for IT in the menu, so please check the organisation details.

How to update your organisation's details

You can choose to opt your clients out of the beta at any time via your HMRC online services account. This means you’ll need to complete a self assessment tax return for them as usual. We’d really appreciate that you also let us know too by emailing us at mtditbeta@xero.com with the client’s details, so that we can keep our records up to date.

HMRC beta opt out processFind out more

You can choose to opt your clients out of the beta at any time via your HMRC online services account. This means you’ll need to complete a self assessment tax return for them as usual. We’d really appreciate that you also let us know too by emailing us at mtditbeta@xero.com with the client’s details, so that we can keep our records up to date.

HMRC beta opt out processFind out more

We appreciate your time to take part in Xero’s MTD for Income Tax beta, our team is here to support you every step of the way. If you have queries, please email us at mtditbeta@xero.com.

Find out more

We appreciate your time to take part in Xero’s MTD for Income Tax beta, our team is here to support you every step of the way. If you have queries, please email us at mtditbeta@xero.com.

Find out more

Any other questions?

For everything you need to know about the beta process see all our detailed questions and answers FAQs page

See FAQs