Complex Ownership Structures

Most landlords own properties either solely or jointly with one or two co-owners. If your situation is more complex, this guide explains what applies to Making Tax Digital and how to handle it in Provestor.

Properties with multiple co-owners

If you own a property with two or more other people — for example, three siblings each owning 33.3%, or four business partners each owning 25% — the process in Provestor is the same as for any jointly owned property.

What you do:

1. Enter your ownership percentage when you add the property (for example, 33.3% or 25%)
2. Record the full amount of income and expenses
3. Provestor automatically calculates your share when submitting to HMRC

The tax treatment and record keeping requirements don't change based on the number of co-owners. Each co-owner reports their own share independently through Making Tax Digital.

For complete guidance on how joint ownership works, see:

• Jointly Owned Properties Tax Treatment — HMRC rules for co-owned properties
• How to record joint ownership income splits — Setting up and recording in Provestor
• How to add your properties — Entering ownership percentages during setup

Properties owned by limited companies

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax only applies to personal income. If you own rental properties through a limited company, those properties are not in scope for Making Tax Digital and should not be recorded in Provestor.

Limited companies have separate tax obligations (Corporation Tax) and different reporting requirements. You don't submit quarterly updates or a final declaration for company-owned properties.

What this means:

• Don't add company-owned properties to Provestor
• Don't record rental income or expenses from company properties
• Handle your company's tax compliance separately

Mixed portfolios

If you own some properties personally and others through a limited company, only add the personally owned properties to Provestor. The company-owned properties sit outside Making Tax Digital entirely.

Example:

• Property A: Owned by you personally (100%) → Add to Provestor
• Property B: Owned jointly with spouse (50% each) → Add to Provestor with 50% ownership
• Property C: Owned by ABC Lettings Ltd → Do not add to Provestor

Expenses that span personal and company properties

If you pay for something that benefits both your personal properties and your company-owned properties — for example, insurance covering multiple properties, or accountancy fees for both — you need to split the cost.

How to handle this:

1. Work out what portion relates to your personal property business
2. Record only the personal portion in Provestor

This is the same approach you'd use for any expense with mixed business and personal use. See Personal Use and Mixed Expenses for detailed guidance on apportioning costs.

Example: You pay £600 for an insurance policy covering three properties:

• Property A (personal): £200,000 value
• Property B (personal): £200,000 value
• Property C (company): £400,000 value

Total insured value: £800,000 Personal portion: £400,000 / £800,000 = 50% Allowable amount: £600 × 50% = £300

Record the transaction as:

• Amount: £600
• Personal use: £300 (the company portion)
• Provestor submits: £300 to HMRC

When to seek advice

If you have complex ownership structures — for example, properties held in trust, partnership agreements, or mixed personal and company portfolios — it's worth speaking to an accountant to ensure you're reporting correctly.

Provestor's tax consultation service can help clarify what applies to Making Tax Digital in your specific situation. Book through the app or online.