How much does an accountant charge for Making Tax Digital?

A typical return fee is £200–£500 + VAT, according to fee guides published in 2026. Quarterly updates are usually charged on top, often as a monthly fee. Firms' listed MTD prices are in the table below.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD) adds four quarterly updates a year to the tax return most sole traders and landlords already send. That extra work is what pushes the cost up. The figures below were checked on 15 October 2026. They are general information, not a quote, and firms change their prices often.

What fee guides say about the tax return

These guides come from accountancy firms, or from a publisher that works with partner firms, so they have a commercial interest. No independent survey with a current figure was found. Sleek says several rental properties can push the fee past £400.

Listed MTD prices from UK firms

No published survey of fees for quarterly updates was found. The nearest guide is what firms list on their own websites. Each price below is as listed on the firm's website in October 2026.

Several firms also advertise introductory discounts for the first few months. Check what the price becomes when the offer ends. Pie's own pages show different figures in places, so confirm the price before you sign up.

What pushes the price up

• More than one business, such as a trade and a let property. Each needs its own quarterly update.
• CIS. Working out deductions and claiming back any overpayment adds work.
• Property detail. Accotax lists the number of properties, mortgage interest and joint ownership as the main drivers for landlords.
• Bookkeeping. If the firm sorts your transactions, rather than you, expect to pay more.
• VAT registration. ByteStart puts a basic monthly package at £25–£50, rising to £50–£100 or more with VAT and support.

What this means for you

Compare prices as a yearly cost including VAT. For example, The Accountancy Partnership's sole trader package at £29.50 a month plus the quarterly updates add-on at £35 a month comes to £64.50 a month plus VAT. That works out at £77.40 a month, or £928.80 a year, including VAT. Taxfix's £39.99 a month, including VAT, is £479.88 a year.

If you start on 6 April 2027, your first update covers 6 April to 5 July 2027 and is due by 7 August 2027. At the Budget on 28 October 2026 the government said people who must join in April 2027 will get no penalty points for late 2027-28 quarterly updates either, though the updates must still be sent. For them, the earliest a late update can earn a point is 7 August 2028. Four points means a £200 penalty, so a price that leaves deadlines to you may not be the saving it looks.

The other routes cost less but leave more to you: software you use yourself, bridging software with your spreadsheet, or a bookkeeper for the updates only.

Steps to compare prices

1. Use the free MTD check to confirm your start date.
2. List what you need: each business and let property, CIS, VAT, and whether you want bookkeeping.
3. Ask at least three firms for a written price, including VAT.
4. Turn each price into a yearly figure, including VAT.
5. Check it covers all four quarterly updates, the tax return and any software.
6. Check the firm has an HMRC agent services account and money-laundering supervision.
7. Ask what the price becomes after any introductory offer, and how to leave.

There are more guides for tradespeople in the trades section and for rental income in the landlord section.