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If your qualifying income exceeded £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year, HMRC has already determined your mandation date. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is not a future obligation, it is live from 6 April 2026, and your first quarterly deadline arrives on 7 August 2026. That is less than four months into the new tax year.
The shift is bigger than most people expect. Gone is the single annual Self Assessment return. In its place: four quarterly updates to HMRC every year, a Final Declaration by 31 January, and a points-based penalty system that starts accumulating from 2027/28. Miss enough deadlines and the fines follow automatically. Pay your tax late and a separate tiered penalty applies on top with no soft landing protection.
This article puts every key date and deadline in one place so you know exactly what is due, when it is due, and what happens if you miss it.
Are You Mandated? Check Your Threshold First
Before the deadlines mean anything, you need to confirm whether they apply to you. HMRC determines your mandation date from the qualifying income reported on your most recent Self Assessment return before your phase begins.
For the April 2026 phase, that means HMRC looks at your 2024/25 Self Assessment return. If your qualifying income for that year exceeded £50,000, you are mandated from 6 April 2026.
Qualifying income is gross turnover from self-employment and UK or foreign property combined — before any expenses, allowances, or deductions. Employment income, pension, dividends, interest, and capital gains do not count.
Not receiving a letter from HMRC does not mean you are exempt. The duty to check and comply rests with you.
Your Four Quarterly Update Deadlines
HMRC requires four quarterly updates per tax year, each summarising your income and expenses for that period. These are not tax returns and do not trigger a payment — they simply keep HMRC informed throughout the year.
Unless you actively choose otherwise, HMRC assigns you to the standard tax year quarters by default, with deadlines tied to fixed dates.
Standard tax year quarters (default)
Quarter | Period | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
Q1 | 6 April to 5 July | 7 August |
Q2 | 6 July to 5 October | 7 November |
Q3 | 6 October to 5 January | 7 February |
Q4 | 6 January to 5 April | 7 May |
These apply automatically if you make no active choice. Each update is a summary of income and expenses for that period — not a tax return, and not a payment trigger.
Calendar quarters (optional election)
Quarter | Period | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
Q1 | 1 April to 30 June | 7 August |
Q2 | 1 July to 30 September | 7 November |
Q3 | 1 October to 31 December | 7 February |
Q4 | 1 January to 31 March | 7 May |
The deadlines are identical. The only difference is the dates each quarter covers. You must elect calendar quarters through your software before submitting your first update — it cannot be changed mid-year.
Multiple Income Source
If you have both self-employment and property income, each source requires its own separate quarterly update. All UK property, across multiple properties, is combined into one property update stream.
The Final Declaration: 31 January 2028
After completing four quarterly updates for the 2026/27 tax year, you must submit a Final Declaration by 31 January 2028. This replaces the Self Assessment annual tax return and is submitted through your MTD software only — HMRC's online filing route is closed to MTD users from April 2026.
The Final Declaration is where you confirm all income across the year, correct any provisional quarterly figures, claim allowances and reliefs, and include non-qualifying income such as employment, dividends, or capital gains.
Do not confuse these two dates
31 January 2027 is also a deadline — but for your final traditional Self Assessment return for the 2025/26 tax year. That is the last time you file under the old system. The MTD Final Declaration takes over from 31 January 2028.
When You Pay: MTD Does Not Change This
MTD changes your reporting schedule, not your payment dates. Tax is still due on:
31 January: balancing payment for the previous tax year, plus first payment on account for the current year
31 July: second payment on account for the current year
Quarterly updates do not trigger any payment. Your tax bill is settled at 31 January and 31 July, exactly as before. Payments on account are also excluded from the new late payment penalty regime.
Penalties: What Happens When You Miss a Deadline
The soft landing — 2026/27 quarterly updates only
HMRC will not issue penalty points for late quarterly updates during the 2026/27 tax year. This is a genuine concession for Phase 1 taxpayers in their first year. However, you must still submit your quarterly updates — they are required before you can make your Final Declaration.
The soft landing does not cover:
Late Final Declaration — full penalties apply from day one
Late payment of tax — the tiered payment penalty regime applies immediately
Phase 2 or Phase 3 taxpayers — they receive no soft landing when they join
Points-based penalties for late submissions (from 2027/28 for quarterly updates)
Each missed quarterly update or Final Declaration deadline earns one penalty point. Both submission types sit within the same points-based regime. Both submission types sit within the same points-based regime. Reach four points and HMRC issues a £200 financial penalty, plus a further £200 for every subsequent late submission until your points are reset.
You can only receive one point per deadline, even if you have multiple businesses submitting late on the same date.
Points below the 4-point threshold are removed automatically 24 months after the missed deadline. Once you reach 4 points, points do not expire automatically. To reset, you must submit all quarterly updates and your tax return on time for 12 consecutive months, and also clear all outstanding submissions from the previous 24 months.
Late payment penalties
Late payment penalties apply to balancing payments and amounts arising from amendments or assessments. They do not apply to payments on account.
In your first year under MTD (2026/27), you have 30 days from the payment due date to pay in full or contact HMRC to set up a payment plan before penalties begin. From 2027/28 onwards, this reduces to 15 days.
2026/27 Tax Year | 2027/28 Onwards | |
|---|---|---|
Up to 15 days late | No penalty | No penalty |
16 to 30 days late | 3% of tax owed at day 15, or no penalty if paid or plan agreed within 30 days | 4% of tax owed at day 15, or no penalty if paid or plan agreed within 15 days |
31 days or more late | 3% at day 15, plus 3% at day 30, plus 10% per annum charged daily from day 31 | 4% at day 15, plus 3% at day 30, plus 10% per annum charged daily from day 31 |
Late payment interest also accrues from the first day your payment is late until it is paid in full. If you are struggling to pay, contact HMRC as early as possible to discuss a payment plan, penalties are paused from the date you make contact if a plan is agreed.
Every Key Date at a Glance: 2026 to 2029
Date | Event |
|---|---|
6 April 2026 | Phase 1 mandation begins (over £50,000) |
7 August 2026 | Q1 update due |
7 November 2026 | Q2 update due |
31 January 2027 | Final Self Assessment for 2025/26 |
7 February 2027 | Q3 update due |
7 May 2027 | Q4 update due |
6 April 2027 | Phase 2 mandation begins (over £30,000) |
7 August 2027 | Q1 update due (2027/28) |
7 November 2027 | Q2 update due |
31 January 2028 | Final Declaration for 2026/27 due |
7 February 2028 | Q3 update due |
7 May 2028 | Q4 update due |
6 April 2028 | Phase 3 mandation begins (£20,000 or more) |
7 August 2028 | Q1 update due (2028/29) |
31 January 2029 | Final Declaration for 2027/28 due |
Conclusion
The MTD deadline calendar is unforgiving if ignored — four quarterly updates, one Final Declaration, and a points-based penalty system running permanently from 2027/28. The 2026/27 soft landing covers one thing only: penalty points for late quarterly updates. Your Final Declaration on 31 January 2028 and any late tax payment carry full consequences from day one.
If your qualifying income was above £50,000 in 2024/25, the clock is already running. Get your software set up, your records in order, and these dates in your calendar — because 7 August 2026 will not wait.
Frequently Asked Questions
