HMRC Refreshes MTD for Income Tax Webinars: What This Means for Your Crypto Tax UK Filing
On 24 July 2026, HMRC quietly but meaningfully updated its official help and support page for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. A sign-up video was retired, a new software-selection video went live, and several recorded and live webinar links were refreshed across sections aimed at sole traders, landlords, and agents. If you hold crypto and you also earn self-employment income or receive property income, this update is directly relevant to how you'll need to report and calculate your crypto taxes going forward.
What HMRC Actually Changed on 24 July 2026
The GOV.UK guidance page listed a detailed change log. The headline changes are worth unpacking because they signal where HMRC is focusing taxpayer education right now.
New software-selection video replaces sign-up video
The previous "How to sign up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax" video has been removed. In its place, HMRC added a video specifically about choosing recognised software for MTD for Income Tax. This shift in emphasis is deliberate: once you know you need to sign up, the more pressing practical question is which compatible software to use and what you need to consider when picking one. For anyone trying to file crypto taxes within MTD, software compatibility with crypto data feeds is a real concern, not a theoretical one.
Agent client sign-up section restructured
The section previously titled "How to add client authorisations to your agent services account" has been renamed and expanded to "How to sign up your clients to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax". The accompanying video was updated to match. This matters if your accountant or tax agent is managing your MTD enrolment on your behalf, as the process they follow has been clarified.
Multiple recorded webinar links refreshed
HMRC updated the recorded webinar links for three key sessions: "How to get ready for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax if you're a sole trader or landlord", "Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for businesses", and "Get ready for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax if you're an agent". The live webinar link for the session covering sole traders and landlords without an accountant or bookkeeper was also updated. These are not cosmetic changes; they point to revised content that reflects the current rollout timeline and compliance requirements.
Why This Matters for Crypto Tax UK Filers
MTD for Income Tax is not optional once you cross the qualifying income threshold. HMRC has confirmed that individuals with income from property or self-employment will be legally required to use MTD from the relevant mandation date for their income band. Crucially, crypto income can contribute to that qualifying income total in ways many holders haven't fully considered.
When crypto income counts toward your MTD threshold
Capital gains from disposing of crypto assets (selling, swapping, gifting, or spending) are assessed under Capital Gains Tax and do not directly count toward the MTD qualifying income threshold, which is based on gross income from self-employment and property. However, several crypto activities do generate income rather than gains:
- Mining rewards received in the course of a trade are treated as trading income by HMRC.
- Staking rewards may be treated as miscellaneous income or trading income depending on the nature and scale of the activity.
- Crypto received for services, such as being paid in Bitcoin or another token for freelance work, is employment or trading income at the sterling value on the date of receipt.
- DeFi lending returns that HMRC characterises as interest or income also fall into the income category.
If any of these income streams, combined with other self-employment or property income, push your gross qualifying income above the MTD threshold, you'll be in scope. Missing that fact and failing to enrol on time is the kind of compliance gap that leads to penalties.
How is crypto taxed in the UK under MTD rules
MTD for Income Tax changes how you report, not what you owe. Under the new regime, instead of a single Self Assessment return each January, you submit quarterly updates of income and expenses through HMRC-recognised software, then finalise your return annually. For crypto holders, this means your income-type crypto receipts need to be captured and submitted on a quarterly basis, not accumulated in a spreadsheet and reported once a year. The practical implication: you need a crypto tax calculator or reporting tool that can export data in a format your MTD-compatible software can read, or one that is itself MTD-compatible.
Capital gains from crypto disposals are still reported via the annual finalisation step (the end-of-period statement and final declaration), not through the quarterly updates. But keeping your disposal records accurate and current throughout the year is what makes that annual step manageable. See our guide on HMRC MTD for Income Tax: what UK crypto holders must do now for a full breakdown of the sign-up and reporting process.
The Webinar Programme: What's Available Now
HMRC's updated page organises its educational content into distinct tracks depending on your situation. Here's a summary of what's currently on offer based on the 24 July 2026 update.
For sole traders and landlords
There are two video introductions: one general overview for sole traders and landlords, and the newly added software-selection video. Live and recorded webinars cover getting ready for MTD generally, and there is a dedicated session for those without an accountant or bookkeeper. A separate webinar track addresses landlords who own property jointly.
For agents and accountants
Agents have their own video track covering the agent services account, how to sign up clients, and the general MTD preparation process. The recorded webinar on the agent services account has been refreshed, as has the general agent preparation session. HMRC's focus here is on helping agents manage client enrolments at scale before mandation deadlines arrive.
VAT-registered businesses: automatic sign-up underway
The 24 July update also carried a reminder that all VAT-registered businesses should now be signed up for MTD for VAT. HMRC is signing up any remaining businesses automatically unless an exemption applies. If you run a VAT-registered sole trader business and also hold crypto, you're likely already in the MTD ecosystem for VAT; the income tax element is the next step.
Practical Steps for Crypto Holders Right Now
The webinar refresh is a prompt to act, not just to learn. Here's what makes sense to do now.
Audit your qualifying income position
Work out your total gross income from self-employment and property for the current and preceding tax year. Include any crypto that HMRC would classify as trading or miscellaneous income. If you're approaching or above the MTD threshold, you need to be enrolled or planning your enrolment now. Don't wait for a letter from HMRC.
Check your software is MTD-compatible and crypto-aware
HMRC maintains a list of recognised MTD for Income Tax software on GOV.UK. The new software-selection video is specifically designed to help you navigate this choice. When evaluating tools, check whether the software can handle crypto disposals, income events, and the section 104 pooling rules that apply to UK crypto tax. A crypto tax report generated by a standalone tool needs to integrate cleanly with your MTD submissions.
Watch the relevant webinar before your mandation date
HMRC's free webinars are genuinely useful. The sessions for sole traders and landlords without professional advisers are particularly accessible. Watch the recorded versions now; register for a live session if you want to ask questions directly. HMRC presenters can answer procedural questions about sign-up and software that a Google search won't resolve. Keep an eye on the first Making Tax Digital quarterly update deadline to make sure you don't miss an early obligation.
Separate your income records from your gains records now
Under MTD, the distinction between crypto income (quarterly reporting) and crypto capital gains (annual finalisation) becomes operationally important. If your records currently lump everything together, now is the time to separate them. Label each transaction type clearly: disposal for gain, mining reward, staking income, payment for services, and so on. This separation is what allows you to produce accurate quarterly updates without also dragging in CGT positions that aren't due yet.
HMRC's Tracking of Crypto Gains: The Bigger Picture
The webinar update doesn't exist in isolation. HMRC has been steadily building its crypto compliance infrastructure. The tax authority has confirmed it will track cryptoasset gains in official UK tax statistics for the first time, reflecting a broader push to capture crypto activity within the formal tax reporting system. MTD is one layer of that infrastructure; the data HMRC collects through quarterly updates will give it far greater visibility into income streams that were previously only visible at the end of a tax year, if at all.
For UK crypto holders, the message is consistent: the informal era of catching up on crypto tax at the last minute is ending. MTD replaces that with a structured, software-driven process that requires record-keeping to be current throughout the year. The July 2026 webinar refresh is HMRC signalling that the education phase is still open, but the compliance phase is approaching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to include crypto gains in my MTD quarterly updates?
No. Capital gains from crypto disposals are reported in the annual finalisation step of MTD, not in the quarterly updates. Quarterly updates cover income and expenses from self-employment and property only. However, crypto that generates income (such as mining rewards or staking receipts treated as income) should be included in the relevant quarterly update.
How do I know if my crypto activity pushes me into MTD scope?
MTD for Income Tax applies to individuals whose gross income from self-employment and property exceeds the qualifying income threshold set by HMRC. Add up all your self-employment income, property rental income, and any crypto income HMRC classifies as trading or miscellaneous income. If that combined total meets or exceeds the threshold for your mandation cohort, you're in scope. Check the current thresholds on GOV.UK, as they are being phased in across income bands.
What software do I need to file crypto taxes under MTD?
You need HMRC-recognised MTD for Income Tax software. HMRC publishes a list on GOV.UK. When choosing, look for a tool that can handle crypto-specific records or that integrates with a crypto tax calculator capable of producing compliant UK reports covering section 104 pooling, the 30-day same-asset rule, and the separation of income events from disposal events.
I don't have an accountant. Can I sign up for MTD on my own?
Yes. HMRC has a dedicated webinar track for sole traders and landlords without an accountant or bookkeeper. This session covers how to sign up directly, what software to choose, and the steps to take before your mandation date. The recorded version is available on GOV.UK and the live webinar link was refreshed on 24 July 2026.
My accountant manages my Self Assessment. Will they handle MTD sign-up for me?
They can, but you need to check with them. The agent services account section on GOV.UK (updated 24 July 2026) explains how agents sign up clients and manage authorisations. Your agent will need specific authorisation to act for you under MTD; an existing Self Assessment authorisation may not automatically carry over. Confirm the position with your accountant well before your mandation date.
Source: HMRC / GOV.UK