Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
When is my next MTD update due?
Every year, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has four quarterly deadlines. Here they are for 2026/27, with a live countdown — and you can drop all of them into your calendar in one click.
The four quarterly deadlines, 2026/27
| Quarter covered | Update due by |
|---|
Your final declaration for 2026/27 — the bit that replaces your old Self Assessment return — is due 31 January 2028. Updates are cumulative, so a later quarter can correct an earlier one; you don't have to be perfect on day one.
Downloads a standard calendar file with a reminder a week before each date. Works with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar. Nothing is sent anywhere.
What you actually send each quarter
- Cumulative totals of your business income and expenses, by category
- Submitted from software that connects to HMRC — a spreadsheet plus bridging software counts
- One update per source: self-employment and property are reported separately
- You can send any time from the end of the quarter up to the deadline
No fines for a late quarterly update in 2026/27
HMRC has confirmed a soft-landing: no penalty points for late quarterly updates during the 2026/27 tax year. From 2027/28 the points system starts — each missed quarterly update or return is one point, and four points triggers a £200 penalty. So this first year is the one to build the habit in, while mistakes are free.
Not sure MTD even applies to you yet?
Common questions
When is the first MTD quarterly update due?
The first quarterly update for 2026/27 covers 6 April to 5 July 2026 and is due by 7 August 2026. After that they fall on 7 November 2026, 7 February 2027 and 7 May 2027.
What are all four MTD quarterly deadlines for 2026/27?
7 August 2026 (covers 6 Apr – 5 Jul), 7 November 2026 (6 Jul – 5 Oct), 7 February 2027 (6 Oct – 5 Jan) and 7 May 2027 (6 Jan – 5 Apr). Updates are cumulative, so a later one can correct an earlier one.
Do I get fined for a late quarterly update?
Not in 2026/27. HMRC has confirmed a soft-landing with no penalty points for late quarterly updates during the first year. From 2027/28 a points system starts: each missed quarterly update or return is one point, and four points triggers a £200 penalty.
When is the MTD final declaration due?
Your final declaration for 2026/27 — the part that replaces your old Self Assessment return — is due 31 January 2028, the same familiar deadline as before.
Who actually has to send MTD quarterly updates?
Sole traders and landlords whose qualifying income is over £50,000 join from 6 April 2026, over £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and over £20,000 from 6 April 2028. Qualifying income is your gross self-employment and property income added together, before expenses, taken from your previous tax return.
The deadlines are the easy part
Knowing the dates takes a minute. Keeping digital records all year — so each update is five minutes, not a lost weekend — is the actual work. That's what our toolkit does.
- Self Assessment Tax Estimator 2026/27 — know what you owe before January, not after.
- Rental Property ROI & Yield Calculator — including Section 24 and a rate stress test.
- Freelance Day-Rate & Profit Calculator — works backwards from the take-home you want.
- Invoice Tracker & Log — auto paid/outstanding/overdue, with a chase list.
Excel and Google Sheets. Working formulas, not just formatting. Built and checked by us, with AI assistance, and every calculation verified.
See the toolkit — from £9 →Four working spreadsheets. £9 each, or all four for £19, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.