Skip to main content

Written question asked by Nadia Whittome (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by James Murray (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Treasury.


Taxation: Electronic Government

Question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a providing a free, government-run service for submitting tax returns as part of Making Tax Digital.

Answer

The government has worked closely with the software industry to ensure the availability of a broad range of MTD-compatible products to suit different needs and budgets.

This includes free products supporting those with the simplest affairs, low-cost bridging software for those who prefer to continue using spreadsheets and more sophisticated products that integrate with other business software.

Currently, there are more than 20 free products (excluding free trials) covering a range of different scenarios including bookkeeping, quarterly updates and end-of-year submissions

HMRC is not providing its own MTD solution because commercial software providers are better positioned to be able to provide a broad range of products to meet the diverse needs of businesses and landlords.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
22045
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Electronic government Taxation Self-assessment
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk