Coming Soon: Quarterly Digital Tax for Musicians
From April 2026, self-employed musicians earning over £50,000 will need to submit quarterly updates to HMRC using approved software. This page explains what to do and how to get ready.
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Log income and expenses digitally - no manual data entry.
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Use HMRC-approved software or spreadsheets with bridging tools.
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HMRC won’t provide their own software.
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4 updates a year (every 3 months)
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Final Declaration due by 31 Jan, replacing the SATR
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If you have multiple trades, more updates required
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From 2026: £50K+ income
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From 2027: £30K+
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From 2028: £20K+
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Compliance required from 3rd tax year after passing the threshold.
FAQs
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CHALLENGES
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Software learning curve
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Ongoing admin (quarterly vs yearly)
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Potential added costs
BENEFITS
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Know your tax bill in real-time
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Less chance of error
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Easier long-term compliance
Preparation Checklist
"Daunted by the prospect of MTD I have taken the plunge and signed up for Xero with supervision and support from Orpheus Accounting. I am now a few weeks in and am feeling quite confident about navigating it all. It is extremely satisfying “reconciling” all my bank transactions in and out with the knowledge that they are now dealt with and ticked off. ... It is giving me a better understanding of how my accounts are organised and I hope that I might be able to take a bit more control of ordering and submitting them to HMRC in the future."
Clare Hayes
We are proud to be Xero Partners. Contact us today to see if we can help you navigate Xero, or try our self-paced Xero for Musicians online course.
Making Tax Digital
Making Tax Digital
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