Making Tax Digital for painter-decorators: what's changing in April 2026

TL;DR: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD ITSA) hits self-employed UK painter-decorators in three waves, based on qualifying income from self-employment and/or property: over £50,000 from 6 April 2026, over £30,000 from 6 April 2027, over £20,000 from 6 April 2028. Three things change for your business: digital records that must be created by the relevant update deadline (paper or unstructured records can still be kept, but are not enough on their own), four quarterly updates per tax year (plus a Self Assessment tax return using compatible software), and compatible software to send the quarterly updates and submit the tax return. The time required varies with transaction volume, record quality and the software you use; the continuing duty is to keep accurate digital records and check the software-generated update. The shift is the rhythm: from a once-a-year January scramble to a four-times-a-year discipline.

Current HMRC rule: Each update is calculated by compatible software from digital records and covers cumulative category totals from the start of the tax year to the end of the update period - not only the previous three months. If record keeping and filing use different software, keep a permitted digital link between them; manual re-keying or clipboard transfer is not a digital link. HMRC will not apply penalty points for late quarterly updates in 2026/27, but the updates must still be sent before you submit your Self Assessment tax return using compatible software. Check HMRC digital-record guidance, quarterly-update guidance and HMRC's current MTD journey.

If you're a self-employed UK painter-decorator, the headline news is short. MTD ITSA becomes mandatory in three steps, based on qualifying income from self-employment and/or property:

• From 6 April 2026 — qualifying income over £50,000.
• From 6 April 2027 — qualifying income over £30,000.
• From 6 April 2028 — qualifying income over £20,000.

That will catch many established sole-trader painter-decorators, especially those running a busy book across domestic, commercial, and conservation work. If you also rent out a property, that rental income counts toward the same threshold.

The three real changes:

1. Digital records are required. Create and keep the required income and expense records in a structured digital format by the relevant update deadline. A spreadsheet can work when compatible software preserves the required digital links and can send the quarterly updates and tax return. Some cloud accounting software can handle both record keeping and filing; check HMRC's current compatible-software list and the provider's supported features. Paper or unstructured records can still be kept, but they are not enough on their own once MTD applies; the required records must also be created and kept digitally by the relevant deadline.
2. Four quarterly updates per tax year, plus your Self Assessment tax return using compatible software. Each update contains cumulative totals for the categories you use, from the start of the tax year to the update-period end. You make the relevant adjustments and complete the tax calculation when you prepare and submit your Self Assessment tax return using compatible software.
3. compatible software for the quarterly updates. MTD for Income Tax updates and the tax return must be sent through compatible software. You need either a cloud accounting tool that handles the submission natively, or a spreadsheet paired with compatible bridging software that supports the workbook and a permitted digital link.

Three changes. The rest is operational discipline.

Worth saying plainly: MTD does not change the underlying tax rules. A quarterly update can produce an estimate, but it is not a final tax calculation: adjustments and the final liability are dealt with through the tax return.

Review your existing workflow against HMRC's digital-record and compatible-software requirements. Keep useful invoicing, expense and mileage habits, then close any gap in structured digital records and permitted digital links.

The painter-decorators who'll find this hardest are the ones currently running on memory and a glovebox of receipts. If your "system" is "I give the lot to my accountant in January," MTD effectively makes that approach non-compliant. Your accountant cannot submit a quarterly update if you've handed them nothing for the quarter.

Practical move for the next 30 days: get every business transaction running through a separate business bank account. Set a 15-minute weekly admin slot (Friday afternoon, van parked, kettle on) to log invoices, materials, vehicle costs, and mileage against the right categories. That single habit takes you most of the way.

A quarterly update is not a tax return. It contains cumulative category totals from the start of the tax year to the update-period end. For a painter-decorator, useful internal tracking categories include the following; your filing software should map them to the HMRC fields required for your income source and turnover:

Cumulative income to this update-period end: domestic decorating contracts (full house redecoration, single rooms, exteriors), commercial work (offices, retail), conservation or heritage work, spray-finishing jobs, wallpaper hanging, specialist finishes, and any retail (paint, materials).

Total expenses by category: materials (paint, primer, undercoat, fillers, sandpaper, masking tape, dust sheets, brushes, rollers, trays, fillers), spray equipment and consumables, ladders and scaffold towers, van running costs and fuel, vehicle insurance, professional liability insurance, PDA membership, training and CPD (lead-paint awareness for pre-1960 properties, working-at-height refresher), accountancy, bank charges, software, phone, workwear and PPE (overalls, respirators, eye protection), and use-of-home if you do paperwork from home.

You don't reconcile each line at the quarterly stage. Your software sends cumulative category totals from the start of the tax year to the update-period end. You make the relevant adjustments and complete the tax calculation when you prepare and submit your Self Assessment tax return using compatible software.

When your records are current, compatible software can calculate the update for you to check. Each update is cumulative from the start of the tax year to the end of the update period. If record keeping and filing use different software, transfer the records through a permitted digital link such as linked cells, CSV import/export or an API; manual re-keying or clipboard transfer is not a digital link.

VAT MTD has been mandatory since 2019. Most sole-trader painter-decorators run below the £90,000 VAT threshold and aren't VAT-registered. If you are VAT-registered (busy multi-team painter-decorators or commercial-heavy operations can clear it), you've already been doing quarterly digital submissions for VAT, and ITSA MTD layers on top as a separate filing.

CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) is also separate. Painter-decorators working on new-build sites or refurbishments via main contractor are typically in CIS — most main-contractor clients deduct CIS at source from your invoices. CIS monthly returns continue as they always did. ITSA MTD doesn't replace CIS — it sits alongside it. Your accountant or your software handles the offset; you just need to capture the gross invoice plus the CIS deduction on every job.

For non-VAT-registered painter-decorators (most sole-trader operators), ITSA MTD is the first time you'll have done digital quarterly reporting at all. Build the record-keeping routine now and check HMRC's current deadlines for your circumstances.

There are three legitimate routes. Each has a real fit and a real cost. Pick once, commit, and stop second-guessing.

Cloud accounting software. Prices and features change. Check HMRC's compatible-software list and confirm the provider's current support for MTD Income Tax, bank feeds, invoicing and any payroll or CIS features you need. Most include CIS modules at small extra cost. Best fit: VAT-registered painter-decorators, those with employees, or anyone running heavy CIS work via main contractors.

Spreadsheet plus bridging software. The spreadsheet is your record of income and expenses; compatible bridging software that supports the workbook and a permitted digital link reads the spreadsheet and submits to HMRC in the format MTD requires. Best fit: sole-trader painter-decorators with relatively simple domestic finances and a preference for one-time purchases over monthly subscriptions.

Hand it to your accountant. They handle the quarterly updates on your behalf. Costs more than DIY, but if your accountant already does your year-end, the marginal cost is manageable. The catch: they can only file what you give them. Quarterly cadence still requires you to maintain the records weekly. If full cloud accounting is overkill for a one-van solo painter-decorator, we'd say so plainly.

There's no "best" answer. The right choice depends on your transaction volume, your tech comfort, and what you already pay for.

If you are required to use MTD and your records are not yet digital, act now: bring them up to date from the date HMRC says your digital records must start, choose compatible software and check your current update deadlines.

1. Open a separate business bank account if you don't already have one. Move all business income and expenses through it. Every other MTD step gets easier when business spend stops mixing with personal.
2. Pick one tool (spreadsheet plus bridging, cloud accounting, or your accountant) and commit. Set it up properly with the right categories for decorating work.
3. Start a 15-minute weekly admin slot. Log the week's invoices, materials, vehicle costs, and mileage.
4. If you're VAT-registered or run CIS, layer ITSA MTD onto your existing quarterly rhythm. Same month-end discipline, second submission.
5. If you're not VAT-registered, build the rhythm now. Check HMRC's current update periods and deadlines for the tax year in which you must join.

If you do nothing else this month: the bank account split. Most disputes about income, expenses, and category totals can be traced to mixed personal-and-business spend. The worst route is no route.

For the broader weekly habit applied across UK trades, see keeping your business expenses HMRC-ready in 15 minutes a week. Same operational discipline, different setting.

Check current GOV.UK guidance and HMRC compatible-software information for your own MTD obligations.

The kit pairs with the painter-decorator business documents bundle (£19.99) if you also want contracts, quotation templates with colour-spec sign-off, and warranty terms with the right MTD-friendly categories built in.

This article is general guidance, not professional advice. For your specific tax position, consult a qualified accountant. For lead-paint or working-at-height matters, consult HSE or your trade body.