Google searches for Making Tax Digital hit record high

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Google searches for Making Tax Digital hit record high

Searches for Making Tax Digital have surged ahead of the April deadline, according to new research.

Under the controversial scheme, from April 2026, landlords earning more than £50,000 will be required to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using authorised MTD-compliant software.

Landlords earning between £30,000 and £50,000 will join the scheme in April 2027.

614% increase in search term

Analysis of Google Trends by Censuswide, commissioned by software platform Coconut, shows that interest in the term “Making Tax Digital” peaked on 10 February 2026, reaching an index score of 100, the highest level ever recorded in the UK, and a 614% increase compared with 10 December 2025.

In recent weeks, the government has ramped up its campaign for Making Tax Digital with the government publishing guidance to help landlords find the right software for MTD, including a list of approved software providers.

Alongside this, a new online search tool has been launched, which asks a series of questions tailored to sole traders and landlords, before generating a personalised list of compatible MTD software options.

However, as previously reported by Property118, despite the government claiming Making Tax Digital will help landlords, an accountant says this is not the case.

Simon Misiewicz previously told Property118: “There’s no real benefit beyond maybe streamlining some of the work you already do,” he says. “Does it help with tax returns and submissions? The truth is, I can’t see how.

“There’s no advantage for the individual in submitting quarterly returns, because HMRC doesn’t do anything with them until the end of the year. You don’t pay your taxes any earlier, and there is no real cash-flow benefit for the government”.

The government admitted in the Making Tax Digital impact assessment that landlords earning £50,000 could incur an average transitional cost of £285 and an average annual additional cost of £115.

The post Google searches for Making Tax Digital hit record high appeared first on Property118.

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