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The rules are changing for self‑employed dentists. From April 2026, Making Tax Digital extends beyond VAT into Income Tax Self Assessment, pulling most associates and many sole‑trader practice owners into quarterly digital reporting. We brought specialist dental accountant David Hossein to cut through the noise: who is affected, what to file, the exact first deadlines, and how to set up the right software without creating a new full‑time job for yourself.

We start with the basics that trip people up. The threshold is based on income, not profit, and rental income in your own name can push you over the line. Dividends do not count. You will submit digital updates every quarter using MTD‑compatible software, then a final statement to tie everything together. Payments of tax do not change at first, but planning for eventual quarterly payments is wise. David lays out the first reporting period (6 April to 5 July 2026) and the submission date (7 August 2026) so you can work backwards and avoid penalties.

Then we get practical. We compare FreeAgent, Xero, and QuickBooks, and explain why many dentists will be fine on FreeAgent, especially when it is free via certain bank accounts. Clean bank feeds, correct import dates, and reconciling to statements are non‑negotiable. We show how to use built‑in tax forecasting to ring‑fence cash, reduce January shocks, and time pensions or equipment purchases with confidence. We also explore the structural choices: companies and partnerships sit outside this phase of MTD for now, but incorporation only makes sense when it aligns with tax, pension, and cashflow goals. For some on the cusp, MTD may be the nudge to reassess.

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