UK tax calculators for the self-employed
Four free calculators for sole traders, freelancers, contractors and landlords, covering Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and the sole trader versus limited company decision. Every threshold is taken from gov.uk and carries the date it was last checked.
Calculators
| Ref | Calculator | What it answers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK-1 | Making Tax Digital Checker | Whether Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is mandatory for you, and the date it starts. | gov.uk |
| UK-2 | MTD Quarterly Deadline Generator | Your four quarterly update deadlines and your final declaration date. | gov.uk |
| UK-3 | MTD Penalty Points Calculator | Points accrued for late updates, and the point at which a charge is triggered. | gov.uk |
| UK-4 | Sole Trader vs Limited Company Calculator | Total tax and National Insurance under each structure, side by side. | gov.uk |
When Making Tax Digital starts
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is being introduced in stages, by qualifying income. Qualifying income is gross self-employment turnover plus gross property income, combined, before expenses. Each stage is assessed against a specific earlier tax year's Self Assessment return, not the year mandation begins.
| Qualifying income over | Assessed on your return for | You must use MTD from |
|---|---|---|
| £50,000 | 2024/25 | |
| £30,000 | 2025/26 | |
| £20,000 | 2026/27 |
Partnerships and limited companies are out of scope for Income Tax MTD. To check your own position against these thresholds, use the Making Tax Digital Checker.
Guides
Longer explanations of the rules behind each calculator.
How these figures are checked
Every threshold, rate and date is taken directly from gov.uk, never from a summary or a third-party guide, and each calculator is tested against HMRC's own worked examples before it ships. The full process, and the verification date for each figure, is on the methodology and sources page. This site calculates and cites; it does not give tax advice.
Filing in the United States instead? See the US calculators.