🏠 Property investor specialists · MTD ITSA & Section 24

Landlord accountants for London property investors. MTD ITSA, Section 24, the lot.

Single buy-to-let in Hackney? HMO operator with 6 rooms across two boroughs? Holiday-let owner facing the post-FHL changes? Multi-property portfolio approaching the £50K MTD threshold? We work with the full landlord spectrum — and we know the rules that have made UK landlording one of the most heavily-taxed asset classes in Europe.

★★★★★ 4.8/5 from 100+ reviews · MTD ITSA & Section 24 specialists · King's Cross N7
£50K+
MTD ITSA Trigger (rental income)
£600/yr
MTD ITSA Quarterly Service
£350
CGT 60-Day Report (per disposal)
Mon–Sat
10am to 7pm
Why landlords need a specialist accountant

UK landlord tax has been redesigned to make landlording harder. Specialists know the playbook.

MTD ITSA from April 2026. Section 24 mortgage interest restriction. FHL abolition from April 2025. CGT 60-day reporting. Capital allowances trap on furniture. Four problems below show up in nearly every landlord onboarding from a generalist firm.

Symptom #1

"I'm a landlord doing £55K rent and I just heard about MTD?"

From April 2026 every landlord (and self-employed sole trader) with gross rental income above £50,000 per year must file quarterly digital submissions to HMRC under MTD for Income Tax. The £50K threshold is GROSS rental income — before expenses, mortgage interest or void periods. Many landlords with a couple of London BTLs are caught without realising. £150/quarter (£600/year) for our quarterly service.

Symptom #2

"My tax bill went up massively after Section 24 and nobody explained why."

Section 24 (introduced 2017-2020) restricts UK landlords from deducting mortgage interest as an expense. Instead you get a basic-rate (20%) tax credit. For higher-rate landlords, this means the effective tax on mortgage interest is much higher than before. A higher-rate landlord with £20K of mortgage interest pays an extra £4,000/year compared to the old system. Limited company landlords are NOT subject to Section 24 — interest is fully deductible.

Symptom #3

"I sold a buy-to-let and now HMRC are chasing me for late CGT."

Since April 2020, UK residential property disposals creating a Capital Gains Tax charge must be reported AND the tax paid within 60 days of completion via HMRC's online residential property service. This is in addition to (not instead of) your annual Self Assessment. Penalties for late filing start at £100 then escalate. Most generalist firms still treat property CGT as an annual SA matter and miss the 60-day window. We file the report within days of completion for £350 per disposal.

Symptom #4

"My holiday let used to get full tax relief — what changed?"

The Furnished Holiday Lets (FHL) regime — which gave short-let properties full mortgage interest deduction, capital allowances on furniture, business asset disposal relief on sale and pension contribution earnings — was abolished from April 2025. Holiday-let landlords now fall under standard property income rules. Section 24 applies, capital allowances on furniture replaced by 'replacement of domestic items' relief only, and BADR no longer available. Many existing FHL operators face material tax increases without realising.

The biggest change to landlord tax in a decade

MTD for Income Tax. Mandatory from April 2026 if your rent is above £50K.

The Government's Making Tax Digital regime extends to landlords from April 2026. If your gross rental income is above £50,000, annual Self Assessment is no longer enough — you must file quarterly. Here's what that means.

Why this matters now

Quarterly digital filing replaces annual SA — ignore it and HMRC will impose penalties.

From 6 April 2026, UK landlords (and self-employed sole traders) with gross income above £50,000 per year are caught by MTD for Income Tax. The threshold is gross rental income — before mortgage interest, agent fees, repairs or void periods. A landlord with two London BTLs averaging £2,500/month each is over the threshold without realising.

The new requirement: maintain digital records in MTD-compatible software (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent or specialist landlord tools), submit quarterly summary updates to HMRC within one month of each quarter end, and complete a final declaration at year end. Five filings per year instead of one.

Our MTD for Income Tax Quarterly Service is £150/quarter (£600/year) and covers all four quarterly submissions, the year-end finalisation, MTD-compatible software setup and ongoing compliance. We also model whether incorporating to a limited company structure makes sense — Ltd Co landlords file Corporation Tax, NOT Income Tax, so MTD ITSA does not apply to them.

£50K
Gross annual rental income threshold (NOT net profit) that triggers mandatory MTD ITSA quarterly filing from April 2026.
⚙ Landlord Tax Position Estimator

Find your landlord service mix and fee. Five questions, one minute.

Answer five quick questions about your portfolio, income and structure. We'll show you the right service mix, an estimated fee, and flag any MTD ITSA, Section 24 or incorporation opportunities relevant to your situation.

Question 1 of 5
What kind of landlord are you?
Single BTL property
Multi-property BTL portfolio
HMO operator
Holiday let / short-let
Question 2 of 5
Total annual gross rental income?
Under £30K
£30K – £50K
£50K – £100K
£100K+
Question 3 of 5
Number of properties in portfolio?
1 property
2 – 3 properties
4 – 8 properties
9+ properties
Question 4 of 5
How are properties held?
Personal name (sole)
Personal name (jointly with spouse)
Limited company (SPV)
Mix of personal + Ltd Co
Question 5 of 5
Mortgage exposure across portfolio?
No mortgages (unencumbered)
Some mortgages, low LTV
Significant mortgages (50-75% LTV)
Highly leveraged (75%+ LTV)
Your result

Your landlord position

Based on your answers, here's the right setup.

Estimated annual fee £—
💬 Send my result to your team
Landlord pricing snapshot

The fees a landlord actually pays. Standard, transparent.

Below is the typical service mix and standard fee. Quotes are issued in writing within 24 hours of the call — request one to see what discounts and seasonal offers are available in the current period.

Landlord service fees

All prices exclude VAT (residential rental is VAT exempt). From the master service-fee schedule.

ServiceDescriptionFee
Self Assessment + Rental Pages
For landlords below £50K gross rental income
Property pages, Section 24 calculation, expense optimisation from £695/year
Capital Gains Tax — 60-Day Report
Mandatory within 60 days of residential property disposal
Gain calculation, reliefs (PRR, letting relief), HMRC online filing £350per disposal
BTL Limited Company Formation
SPV setup for new property acquisitions — escapes Section 24
Companies House filing, BTL-friendly share structure, registers from £400one-off
Portfolio Bookkeeping
Multi-property landlords — per-property P&L
Per-property income and expense tracking, monthly reporting from £125/month
HMO Licensing Accounts
Certified accounts for HMO licence applications
Certified on chartered headed paper, 48hr turnaround £195one-off
Tax Planning Workshop (Landlord)
Section 24 mitigation, incorporation review, IHT planning
Bespoke strategy via secure portal, 2-week amendment window £1,200fixed
Need the full fee list? See our complete service-fee schedule covering every service line.
Real landlord outcomes

What our landlord clients actually got back. Real numbers.

Three recent examples from a single-property BTL, an HMO operator approaching MTD ITSA, and a portfolio investor who incorporated. Names changed, numbers real.

Single BTL — Section 24

£3,800/yr Section 24 hit modelled and partially mitigated

A higher-rate landlord with a single Hackney BTL doing £18K rent and £14K mortgage interest had been told by her old accountant that her tax bill "shouldn't change much" under Section 24. We modelled the actual position — Section 24 was costing her £3,800/year extra in tax. We restructured: increased her pension contributions to drop her into basic-rate territory for the year (Section 24 hits hardest at higher rates), reviewed the mortgage product for a lower-LTV remortgage, and set up the books to capture every legitimate expense properly. Year-one mitigation: £2,100 of the £3,800 hit recovered.

Year-1 mitigation
+£2,100/yr
HMO operator — MTD ITSA

£62K rental income — MTD ITSA registration and incorporation review

An HMO operator with two London properties (8 rooms total) was producing £62K of gross rental income — well above the MTD ITSA threshold. He had no idea MTD applied to him. We registered him for MTD ITSA, set up FreeAgent for landlord tracking with per-property income, and ran the quarterly filings from April 2026 onwards (£600/year). We also modelled incorporation — at his leverage and rental level, BTL Ltd Co structure would save approximately £6,400/year ongoing once the SDLT and CGT incorporation costs were absorbed over a 4-year hold period.

Forward annual saving (post-incorp)
+£6,400/yr
Portfolio incorporation

£14K/yr saved by incorporating new acquisitions into BTL SPV

A landlord with 4 personally-held properties was acquiring 2 more. We advised against transferring the existing 4 (the SDLT and CGT cost would have been £85K combined) but recommended structuring the 2 NEW acquisitions through a BTL SPV. Section 24 doesn't apply to Ltd Cos, so the new properties had full mortgage interest deduction. Combined with optimal director salary plus dividends, the SPV structure saved £14K/year vs holding personally. Tier 1 BTL Ltd Co accounts at £1,200/year.

Annual tax saving
+£14,000/yr

Landlord-specific quote, in writing within 24 hours.

Tell us your portfolio size, rental income, structure and mortgage exposure. We'll send a written fixed-fee quote covering exactly the services you need — and any current discounts or offers in the period.

Landlord accounting questions answered

Frequently asked questions.

If your question isn't here, message us on WhatsApp or book a free 15-minute call.

As a landlord earning £55K rental income, do I need MTD for Income Tax?+
Yes. From April 2026 every landlord (and self-employed sole trader) with gross rental income above £50,000 per year must file quarterly digital submissions to HMRC under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. This is in addition to your annual Self Assessment finalisation. The quarterly service is £150/quarter (£600/year) including the four quarterly submissions plus year-end finalisation. The £50K threshold is gross rental income before expenses — many landlords are surprised they're caught. We handle the registration, MTD-compatible software setup and quarterly filings.
What is Section 24 and how much is it costing me?+
Section 24 (introduced 2017-2020) restricts UK landlords from deducting mortgage interest as an expense against rental profits. Instead landlords get a basic-rate tax credit (20%) on the interest. For higher-rate (40%) and additional-rate (45%) landlords this means the effective tax rate on mortgage interest is much higher than before. A higher-rate landlord with £20K of mortgage interest pays an extra £4,000/year in tax compared to the old system. Limited company landlords are NOT subject to Section 24 — mortgage interest is fully deductible against company profits. We model the impact and the incorporation alternative on a free 15-minute call.
Should I hold buy-to-let property personally or in a limited company?+
For new acquisitions by higher-rate landlords with mortgaged properties, limited company structure usually wins on tax — Section 24 doesn't apply, mortgage interest is fully deductible, and corporation tax (19%/25%) on profits is often lower than personal income tax (40%/45%). For existing personally-owned portfolios, transferring to a Ltd Co triggers Capital Gains Tax on disposal AND Stamp Duty Land Tax on the company purchase — usually 6-figure costs. Incorporation Relief can defer the CGT but SDLT remains. The decision depends on your existing equity, mortgage interest, marginal rate and timeframe. We model your specific position in the £1,200 Tax Planning Workshop.
How much does a landlord accountant cost in London?+
A single-property landlord with rental income below £50K typically pays £495-£695/year for Self Assessment with rental property pages (Tier 2 SA). Above £50K, MTD for Income Tax applies at £150/quarter (£600/year). Limited company landlords pay £1,200/year for accounts plus £125/month for portfolio bookkeeping if multi-property. HMO licensing accounts are £195 one-off. Capital Gains Tax 60-day reporting is £350 per disposal. Inheritance Tax planning workshop is £1,200 fixed. All prices exclude VAT (most landlords are not VAT registered as residential rental is exempt).
What about Capital Gains Tax and the 60-day reporting deadline?+
Since April 2020, UK residential property disposals creating a Capital Gains Tax charge must be reported and the tax paid within 60 days of completion via HMRC's online residential property service. This is in addition to (not instead of) your annual Self Assessment. The CGT rate for residential property is 18% (basic rate) and 24% (higher rate) for 2025/26 and onwards. Available reliefs include Private Residence Relief (if you've ever lived there), Letting Relief (in limited circumstances), and the £3,000 annual exempt amount. Our fee for handling a residential CGT 60-day report is £350 per disposal.
What changed for Furnished Holiday Lets (FHL) from April 2025?+
The FHL regime (which gave special tax treatment to short-let properties — full mortgage interest deduction, capital allowances on furniture, business asset disposal relief on sale, pension contribution earnings) was abolished from April 2025. Holiday-let landlords now fall under the standard property income rules — Section 24 mortgage interest restriction applies, capital allowances on furniture replaced by 'replacement of domestic items' relief only, and CGT business asset disposal relief no longer available. Existing FHL operators face material tax increases. We model the post-abolition position and review whether incorporation or restructuring is appropriate.
How do you handle HMO licensing and multi-tenant rental?+
HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) operators have additional considerations: licensing fees deductible, HMO improvements (fire safety, kitchen splits, additional bathrooms) which may attract capital allowances under specific rules, council and licensing authority dealings, and per-room income tracking. Many London boroughs require certified accounts for HMO licence applications and renewals — we produce these for £195 one-off. The underlying rental accounting is broadly the same as standard BTL but with more granular per-room or per-tenant income tracking. Portfolio bookkeeping at £125/month covers HMO tracking as standard.
Do you handle inheritance tax planning for landlord portfolios?+
Yes. UK residential rental property does not qualify for Business Property Relief (BPR) for inheritance tax — it forms part of the chargeable estate at full market value at death. For landlords with portfolios above the £325K nil-rate band (£500K combined with the residence nil-rate band for spouses), IHT exposure can be significant. Mitigation strategies include lifetime gifting (subject to 7-year rule), trust structures, family investment companies, life assurance written into trust, and in some cases restructuring to qualify for relief. The £1,200 Tax Planning Workshop covers your specific exposure and the most appropriate mitigation strategies.

Landlord accountants in King's Cross, London.

Our office sits at 39-41 North Road, London N7 9DP — five minutes from Caledonian Road tube and ten from King's Cross St Pancras. We work with landlords with properties across Islington, Camden, Hackney, Westminster, Tower Hamlets, the City of London and the wider London BTL market, plus our secondary presence in Wickford / Basildon, Essex.

Most engagements are delivered remotely via video call, secure portal and our client area. For investors who prefer to meet, the King's Cross office is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm.

Office39-41 North Road
London N7 9DP
HoursMon–Sat
10am to 7pm
Phone07450 258 975
Emailkris.nick@loyals.uk
TubeCaledonian Road · 5 min walk

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