The Stinging Truth: 69% of Businesses See 'No Benefits' from MTD for Income Tax

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax will cost a lot and take time to implement. A recent ABAB survey found that 69% of accountants and businesses see ‘no benefits’

The Administrative Burdens Advisory Board (ABAB) survey found that 69% of accountants and businesses believed MTD had 'no benefits'. They said it would be costly and take a lot of time, especially when filling out quarterly updates. 65% of accountants and businesses are expecting costs to rise because of the need to keep digital records under MTD.

• 72% of accountants and businesses are aware of MTD.
• However, 28% are still 'not aware' or 'do not know' about the changes coming in April 2026.
• There is growing pressure on accountants due to MTD implementation.
• Unfortunately, the quality of HMRC service has declined over the past year.

The survey found that 66% of accountants said their experience of dealing with HMRC had got ‘worse’ over the last 12 months.

The survey said that due to poor support from HMRC, more people are using Generative AI for tax questions. Clear guidance from HMRC was often too difficult to locate or access. The survey found that people who used AI did not check information with other sources. This means they might not have the correct information.

Here at Harris & Co, we have created an MTD Resource Hub to help guide you through FAQ's on MTD