HMRC launches Ready, Steady, File for MTD Income Tax
If you’re trialling Making Tax Digital for Income Tax this year, there’s a new helper to keep you oriented. HMRC has published Edition 1 of Ready, Steady, File on 7 November 2025 on GOV.UK. It’s a quarterly note for the 2025 testing programme, sharing updates, dates and resources in one place.
A quick refresher before we dive in: MTD for Income Tax asks sole traders and landlords to keep digital records and send quarterly updates using compatible software. HMRC’s guidance says this should cut mistakes and give you a clearer view of your tax position over the year.
Edition one focuses on what testers are learning together. HMRC summarises recent user research and sets a first practice milestone: a quarterly update due by 5 August 2025, with submissions opening at the end of July. During testing there are no penalties for late quarterly updates, though filing on time helps the team check the service under real pressure.
The newsletter also explains what is being exercised in the service. HMRC reports successful sign‑ups for individuals and agents, including those with non‑standard accounting periods. Volunteers can add income sources, make and amend quarterly updates, opt out of quarterly obligations when needed, and see PAYE information feed into estimated payments on account. Recent work includes supporting multiple agents and checking that payments are matched correctly to charges.
Crucially, the edition reflects your feedback. Testers asked for clearer communication, so HMRC introduced the newsletter. If you want to confirm an update has arrived, you can check your digital tax account while guidance is improved. A dedicated support team is in place for beta users, and HMRC notes it does not provide its own free software but is working with developers so simple cases have free options alongside low‑cost tools.
Edition two, published earlier on 30 September 2025, adds a practical reminder: the second quarterly update deadline was 7 November 2025, with submissions available from early October. HMRC also explains that penalty points are not applied to late quarterly updates during testing, though late end‑of‑year submissions can still attract points, and invites feedback via a short survey.
For wider context, HMRC’s March 2025 technical note confirms a phased roll‑out that begins for some taxpayers from April 2026, with plans to extend eligibility to those with income above £20,000 from April 2028, alongside exemptions or deferrals for specific groups.
If you teach or study public policy, accounting or digital services, treat Ready, Steady, File as a living case study. Map the dates to build a simple timeline, practise a mock quarterly update in class software, and debate the trade‑offs of real‑time reporting. What it means: this newsletter turns a complex reform into practical steps you can rehearse now, so filing day becomes routine rather than stressful.