Contents
1. Understand Which Clients Are Affected
Action Steps:
List all your landlord clients.
Check each client’s property (and self-employment) income for the 2024/25 tax year.
Identify those whose total qualifying income is above £50,000 as they will be required to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2026.
Record each client’s preferred contact details and current bookkeeping method.
Useful Reference:
2. Segment and Prioritise Your Clients
Action Steps:
Split clients into:
Wave 1: Income over £50,000 (due April 2026)
Wave 2: £30,000–£50,000 (due April 2027)
Note which clients currently use spreadsheets or paper, these are high priority for education and onboarding.
Select a small group of early adopters to pilot your new MTD workflow. Choose digital tech savvy clients.
3. Get Your Software Ready
Important: If you haven't yet chosen your preferred software, this is crucial to making sure your successful with onboarding and activation. If you're interested in Landlord Studio and how to get free access until April 2028, book a call with our partner team here.
Action Steps:
If you're using Landlord Studio, accept the invite that was sent to you by our partner success team and proceed to set up your account.
Read through our key help guides:
Test the platform with a sample property, income, and expenses to get comfortable. If you have staff members with rental properties, get them to try it out.
Make sure you understand how to invite clients, view their progress, and provide support.
4. Prepare Your Team
Action Steps:
Arrange an internal demo of Landlord Studio (or your chosen software) for your team if they aren't yet familiar with it
Assign an MTD champion or lead contact in your practice.
Train all relevant staff in:
MTD requirements and deadlines
Using Landlord Studio (sending invites, onboarding, support)
Answering common landlord questions about MTD and software use
Team Training Template:
Subject: MTD & Landlord Studio Training Session
Hi Team,
We’re preparing for Making Tax Digital and will be supporting landlords via Landlord Studio. Please join our training session on [date/time] for a walkthrough and Q&A.
[Add resource links]
Thanks,
[Your Name]
5. Educate and Engage Your Clients
Action Steps:
Send an initial email (or call) to explain what’s changing and how you’ll support them.
If you're using Landlord Studio, highlight that Landlord Studio is free to them through your firm until April 2028.
Focus on benefits: easier record-keeping, time savings, staying compliant, support provided.
Client Email Template:
Subject: Important: Making Tax Digital (MTD) – What You Need to Know
Hi [Client Name],
From April 2026, HMRC will require landlords with property income over £50,000 to keep digital records and file quarterly tax returns using approved software.
We’ve partnered with [software provider] to make this transition as smooth as possible. You’ll get free access until April 2028, along with our full support.
Look out for an invite email to join Landlord Studio soon. If you have any questions about MTD or what you need to do, just reply to this message or call us.
For more details, visit: GOV.UK MTD for Income Tax guidance
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Firm]
6. Send Invitations and Track Progress
Action Steps:
Send Landlord Studio invites via the accountant dashboard, ideally to pilot clients first.
Monitor who has accepted, who’s pending, and who needs a follow-up.
Schedule reminder emails for anyone who hasn’t accepted within a week.
Invitation Email Template:
7. Support Client Onboarding
Action Steps:
Offer support calls, webinars, or in-person sessions to help clients get started.
Share Landlord Studio help articles and videos:
Encourage clients to ask questions and provide feedback on their onboarding experience.
Remind clients about the upcoming MTD requirements and the importance of acting early.
8. Monitor and Review
Action Steps:
Track onboarding progress using your Landlord Studio accountant dashboard.
Check in regularly with both your team and your clients to gather feedback and answer questions.
Review and update your internal processes as you go, what works for one client may need tweaking for another.
Stay up to date with any changes to HMRC’s MTD requirements.