Property Accountant in Slough: MTD, Section 24 and Landlord Tax in 2026

Slough sits on the western edge of London with fast rail links into Paddington via the Elizabeth line, direct access to the M4 and M25, and Heathrow on its doorstep. That makes it a steady rental market for commuter tenants, airport workers and shared houses. It also means many local landlords sit in higher tax bands, where recent changes hit hardest.

A property accountant in Slough works with both the local rental picture and the tax rules that now apply to buy-to-let. The three biggest shifts for 2026 are Making Tax Digital becoming live, the Section 24 interest restriction in full force, and the abolition of the furnished holiday let regime. This guide explains each one and where Slough landlords can plan ahead.

Making Tax Digital is now live for Slough landlords

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is no longer a future deadline. It is mandatory from 6 April 2026 for landlords and sole traders whose gross qualifying income is above £50,000. The threshold then falls to £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and £20,000 from 6 April 2028, so most active Slough landlords will be brought in during one of these phases.

The test that catches people out is that qualifying income is measured on gross rents plus any self-employment turnover, before deducting expenses or mortgage interest. A landlord with two or three Slough tenancies can be above £50,000 on gross rent alone even where the net profit is modest. If you also have self-employment income, the two are added together for the test.

Once inside MTD you must keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC through compatible software, followed by a final declaration after the tax year. This replaces the single annual Self Assessment return. Our full guide to Making Tax Digital for landlords covers the timeline and software requirements in detail. The practical work for Slough landlords is choosing software, getting opening records clean, and setting up a quarterly routine before the relevant start date.

Section 24: the interest restriction in full force

The Section 24 mortgage interest restriction is fully in force and affects geared Slough landlords directly. You can no longer deduct finance costs from rental profit. Instead, mortgage interest and other finance costs are relieved through a basic-rate (20%) tax credit.

For a higher-rate or additional-rate landlord the effect is twofold. First, tax is calculated on rental income before interest is taken off, which raises the effective rate on a mortgaged portfolio. Second, the larger taxable figure can push total income into a higher band or reduce allowances. A Slough landlord with a well-let but heavily mortgaged property can therefore pay more tax than the cash profit suggests. Our complete guide to Section 24 and tax relief walks through the calculation step by step.

Planning responses include reviewing ownership shares between spouses on different tax bands, timing larger deductible repairs, and assessing whether a company structure makes sense for new purchases. None of these is a default answer, and each turns on your own figures.

Furnished holiday lets and short-term lets around Heathrow

Slough's proximity to Heathrow has long supported short-stay and serviced accommodation aimed at travellers and contractors. The tax treatment changed on 6 April 2025, when the furnished holiday let (FHL) regime was abolished.

Short-let income is now taxed under the ordinary property income rules. The advantages that came with FHL status, including full finance-cost relief, capital allowances on furniture and fittings, and certain Capital Gains Tax reliefs, no longer apply. Landlords near Heathrow or in central Slough who structured around the old FHL rules should review their position for the current year and check how the change affects both income tax and any future disposal.

HMO and shared-house landlords in Slough

Slough has significant demand for shared housing from airport and commuter workers, so houses in multiple occupation are common. Two layers of rules matter here.

First, licensing. Any HMO occupied by five or more people forming two or more households requires a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England under the Housing Act 2004. On top of this, Slough Borough Council has operated additional licensing (covering smaller HMOs) and selective licensing (covering other private rentals in designated wards, historically including central Slough and Chalvey), and has consulted on reintroducing and widening these schemes. Because designations change, always confirm the current position with the council before letting a shared house.

Second, tax. HMOs need room-by-room record-keeping, careful allocation of shared running costs, and correct treatment of licence fees, which are generally deductible as a revenue expense of the rental business. Penalties and fines for operating without a required licence are not deductible. For the detail, see our guide on what a property accountant does for shared-house portfolios.

Incorporation: when a limited company helps

Many Slough landlords ask whether moving properties into a limited company is the answer to Section 24. Companies deduct mortgage interest in full and pay Corporation Tax rather than the personal property-income rates, which can be attractive for higher-rate landlords reinvesting profit.

The trade-offs are real. Transferring an existing property to a company is a disposal for Capital Gains Tax, normally triggers Stamp Duty Land Tax including the higher rates for additional dwellings, and adds company running costs plus dividend tax when profits are extracted. For some landlords the structure pays off over time; for others it does not. The right call depends on income level, gearing, holding period and whether the portfolio is growing. Our guide to buy-to-let limited companies explains the full picture so the decision can be modelled on your own numbers.

Capital Gains Tax when selling a Slough property

When a Slough landlord sells a residential investment property, the gain is taxed at 18% within any remaining basic-rate band and 24% above it. The annual exempt amount is £3,000. A UK residential property disposal must be reported and the tax paid within 60 days of completion through a CGT on UK property return, separate from the annual tax cycle.

Planning levers include spreading a sale across two tax years, using both spouses' allowances and bands where ownership allows, and ensuring all qualifying costs and reliefs are claimed. These work best when considered before exchange rather than after completion. Our complete guide to Capital Gains Tax on property sets out the reliefs and the 60-day reporting process.

What changes in 2027

Finance Act 2026 has enacted separate rates for property income from 6 April 2027: 22% basic, 42% higher and 47% additional. This is settled legislation, not a proposal. For Slough landlords it means any decision that straddles April 2027, such as the timing of a disposal, an incorporation, or a year of large deductible spending, should be assessed against the new rate structure rather than today's bands.

Working with a specialist for Slough property tax

General-practice accountants often handle property as a sideline. A specialist focuses on the rules above day to day: the MTD transition, Section 24 modelling, HMO record-keeping, incorporation analysis and CGT timing. For Slough landlords, that local market context (commuter and airport demand, shared-house licensing, and the higher-rate profile of many owners) shapes the planning.

Property Tax Partners connects landlords with specialist property accountants who handle exactly these situations. If you are weighing up MTD readiness, a Section 24 review or a possible incorporation, a short conversation can map out the priorities for your portfolio.