Your overseas rentals, filed with HMRC under Making Tax Digital.
Keep records for each property you let abroad, and file your quarterly updates, annual submission and final declaration from one place. Priced like any other income source, with no higher tier for property.
HMRC-recognised
Every registered property
No monthly subscription
How foreign property works under MTD
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has applied since 6 April 2026 if your qualifying income is over £50,000, and rent from property abroad counts towards that figure, before expenses. The threshold falls to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028.
Foreign property is its own income source, with its own quarterly updates, separate from any UK property you let. From the 2026-27 tax year HMRC tracks each overseas property separately, under a property ID it issues when the property is registered.
You register each property with HMRC from inside FileThat, once. After that, every record you keep and every update you file is tied to the right property.
What you can file
Quarterly updates
Rent, lease premiums, other income and nine expense categories for each registered property, as totals for the tax year so far. The figures come from your records or your spreadsheet.
Annual submission
Allowances, either the property income allowance or capital allowances, replacing domestic items and structures and buildings allowance, plus private use and balancing charge adjustments.
Adjustments to HMRC's summary
Once HMRC has calculated your year, you can adjust its summary of your foreign property business before you finalise.
Foreign tax and final declaration
Record the foreign tax you paid and the foreign tax credit relief you claim, then make your final declaration. You enter the relief; FileThat does not work it out.
Letting in the UK as well? See UK property under Making Tax Digital.
Getting set up
Connect and add your business
Connect FileThat to HMRC and add your foreign property business, with your National Insurance number and HMRC business ID.
Register each property
Give each property a name and its country. FileThat registers it with HMRC, and HMRC issues the property ID your updates use.
Keep your records
Add income and expenses against each property as they happen, upload them in bulk, or keep them in a spreadsheet and upload that.
File each quarter
FileThat adds up the year so far for every property and you check the figures before anything goes to HMRC.
Good to know
Amounts are in pounds
HMRC wants foreign income and costs in sterling. Convert your rent and expenses before you record or upload them: FileThat does not convert currencies.
Expenses are itemised
Repairs, agent fees, insurance, finance costs, mortgage interest, legal and professional fees, rates, motor and fuel and other costs each have their own category. FileThat files them itemised, not as one total.
Holiday lets are ordinary lettings now
The furnished holiday lettings rules ended in April 2025, including for properties in the European Economic Area. A holiday let abroad is filed like any other foreign property.
UK and foreign property are separate
If you let property in the UK too, that is a separate business with its own quarterly updates. All your foreign properties share one update, and one credit, each quarter.
Deadlines for this year are in the 2026–27 tax deadlines calendar.
Straight answers
Do I need Making Tax Digital software for rental income from abroad?
If your qualifying income is over the threshold, yes. Rent from property abroad counts towards it, before expenses, alongside self-employment and UK property income. The threshold is £50,000 from April 2026, £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028.
Can FileThat handle more than one overseas property?
Yes. You register each property with HMRC from inside FileThat, and keep records against each one. A quarterly update covers all of them together, and uses one credit, whatever the number of properties.
Does FileThat convert foreign currency?
No. Every amount is entered in pounds, because that is how HMRC takes it. Convert rent and costs to sterling before you record them, and use the same method each time. HMRC publishes exchange rates you can use.
What about furnished holiday lets abroad?
The furnished holiday lettings rules were abolished from 6 April 2025, including for properties in the European Economic Area. From then, a holiday let abroad is reported as an ordinary foreign property, and FileThat files it that way.
Can I file my foreign property updates from a spreadsheet?
Yes, from the 2026-27 tax year. The template has a column of figures for each property HMRC holds for you. Keep your totals for the tax year so far in it, or link it to your own spreadsheet with formulas, and upload it.
What does it cost?
The same as any other income source: from £3.99 per new quarterly update, set by your income, with no higher tier for property. Your annual submission, final declaration and amendments are free, and there is no monthly subscription.
Every overseas property, in one place
4 free credits, no card needed. Pay per quarterly update after that, with no monthly subscription and no higher tier for property.
Get started free