MTD Quarterly Deadline Calendar
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax · verified 14 September 2026 · letcomply.co.uk · not tax advice
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Standard update periods — the default
| Q | Period covered | Deadline | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 April to 5 July | 7 August | Same tax year |
| 2 | 6 April to 5 October | 7 November | Cumulative — covers 6 months |
| 3 | 6 April to 5 January | 7 February | Cumulative — covers 9 months |
| 4 | 6 April to 5 April | 7 May | Falls in the following tax year |
| — | Tax return (final declaration) | 31 January | Following the end of the tax year |
Source: Income Tax (Digital Obligations) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/336) reg. 12; HMRC guidance on sending quarterly updates and submitting your tax return.
Calendar-quarter election — same deadlines, different periods
| Q | Period covered | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 April to 30 June | 7 August |
| 2 | 1 April to 30 September | 7 November |
| 3 | 1 April to 31 December | 7 February |
| 4 | 1 April to 31 March | 7 May |
Source: SI 2026/336 reg. 13. The election must be made in your software for each income source before the first quarterly update of the year.
Am I in scope?
| Qualifying income over | Measured in tax year | MTD applies from |
|---|---|---|
| £50,000 | 2024-25 | 6 April 2026 |
| £30,000 | 2025-26 | 6 April 2027 |
| £20,000 | 2026-27 | 6 April 2028 |
- Qualifying income is turnover, not profit — the amount before expenses, unless your return only requires the after-expenses figure, in which case that figure is used instead (SI 2026/336 reg. 26; HMRC qualifying income guidance)
- Property and self-employment are added together (SI 2026/336 reg. 25)
- Include your proportional share of jointly-owned property — if you are only notified of your share after expenses have been deducted, HMRC assesses that net figure, not a grossed-up estimate
- Exclude employment (PAYE), partnership profit shares, dividends, State Pension and private pensions
- Amounts are the qualifying amounts set by SI 2026/336 reg. 27
If a deadline slips
- No penalties for missing a quarterly update deadline in the 2026-27 tax year (HMRC penalties guidance) — the obligation to keep records and file still stands
- One penalty point per missed deadline; the threshold is 4 points
- At 4 points: £200, then £200 for each further missed deadline
- Below 4 points, each point is removed automatically 24 months after the missed deadline
- At 4 points, clearing them needs 12 months of on-time filing plus all outstanding updates and returns for the previous 24 months
- Late payment is separate and has its own scale (2026-27 rates): up to 15 days — no penalty; 16–30 days — 3% of the tax owed at day 15, or no penalty at all if it's your first year; 31+ days — 3% at day 15 plus 3% at day 30, plus 10% per year on the outstanding amount charged daily from day 31, capped at up to 2 years
Six things that cause a missed update
- Assuming a closed property owes nothing — a nil update is still required
- Netting platform commission off gross bookings when testing the threshold
- Testing this year's income instead of the measuring year two years back
- The 7 February date landing in the off-season with no operational prompt
- Missing the calendar-quarter election window before the first update
- Assuming a jointly-held let splits both owners under the threshold
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