MTD for Income Tax: deadlines and key dates
Every deadline that matters once you're in scope, from your first quarterly update to your first MTD tax return.
Two recurring obligations, two sets of deadlines
Once you're in scope for MTD for Income Tax, you have two things to file each year: quarterly updates and your annual tax return.
Quarterly updates are sent four times a year, each one covering from the start of the tax year to the end of the update period. They contain cumulative summary totals of your income and expenses. No tax is payable because you send a quarterly update. After each update, you may see an estimated tax figure in your software or HMRC online account, but this is not a final bill. Your normal Self Assessment payment dates, including payments on account where they apply, do not change.
Your annual return under MTD is your MTD tax return. It is filed once a year through your software, after the required quarterly updates are in. This is where your final tax position is confirmed.
The two sets of deadlines are completely separate. Missing a quarterly update deadline is a different matter from missing your tax return deadline, and the penalties are different too.
Quarterly update deadlines for 2026/27
By default, your quarterly update periods follow the tax year. These are called standard quarters. Each update covers from the start of the tax year to the end of that period. The periods and their deadlines for 2026/27 are:
| Update | Period covered | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 April to 5 July 2026 | 7 August 2026 |
| 2 | 6 April to 5 October 2026 | 7 November 2026 |
| 3 | 6 April to 5 January 2027 | 7 February 2027 |
| 4 | 6 April to 5 April 2027 | 7 May 2027 |
You can submit any time after the update period has ended, up to the deadline. You can also submit up to 10 days before the end of the update period if you do not expect any further transactions in that period.
Calendar quarters. If you'd prefer your periods to follow calendar months rather than tax year dates, you can elect to use calendar quarters (ending 30 June, 30 September, 31 December and 31 March). The deadlines stay the same. You select calendar update periods for each income source before sending the first quarterly update for that source. Once an update has been sent, you cannot change the update-period basis for that tax year.
More than one income source? If you have both self-employment income and rental income, each source has its own four quarterly updates. A sole trader with one rental property has eight quarterly deadlines per year, not four. See what quarterly updates actually involve for the full detail.
The MTD tax return deadline
Your first MTD tax return covers the 2026/27 tax year and is due by 31 January 2028.
This deadline is the same date as the old Self Assessment return, but the process is different. You file through your MTD software, not the HMRC online portal. All four quarterly updates for the year must be submitted before you can complete it.
The MTD tax return is where you add any income not covered by your quarterly updates, such as employment income, dividends, savings interest, or pension income. Your software calculates your tax liability and you confirm it.
If you're in your first year of MTD. For the 2026/27 tax year, you also have one last traditional Self Assessment return to file: your 2025/26 return, due 31 January 2027. That covers the year before MTD started. From 2026/27 onwards, you file quarterly updates plus the MTD tax return using compatible software, rather than through the old HMRC online Self Assessment filing route. See your first year of MTD for more on how the two overlap.
Payment dates: nothing has changed
MTD does not change when your tax is due. The payment deadlines are the same as under Self Assessment.
| Payment | Due date |
|---|---|
| Balancing payment for 2026/27 tax year | 31 January 2028 |
| First payment on account for 2027/28 | 31 January 2028 |
| Second payment on account for 2027/28 | 31 July 2028 |
Filing your quarterly updates more regularly does not mean you pay tax more regularly. Your bill is still settled in January and July.
What happens if you miss a deadline
The penalties for missing quarterly updates and the tax return are different, so it's worth understanding both.
Missing a quarterly update
HMRC uses a points-based system. You receive one penalty point for each quarterly update you file late. When you reach four points, a £200 penalty is charged. Each further late submission after that triggers another £200.
Points expire after 24 months if you stay below the threshold. Once you have reached the penalty threshold, the points are cleared only if you submit on time for 12 months and send any outstanding quarterly updates and tax returns for the previous 24 months.
Soft landing in your first year. HMRC does not issue penalty points for late quarterly updates in your first year of MTD. If you joined in April 2026, that is 2026/27 (confirmed at Autumn Budget 2025). If you join in April 2027, it is 2027/28.* It applies to quarterly updates only. It does not apply to your tax return, and the April 2026 group does not get a second year. Do not rely on it as a long-term safety net.
Missing the tax return deadline
The soft landing does not cover the MTD tax return. If you miss the MTD tax return deadline, you receive a late submission penalty point. A £200 penalty is charged when you reach the 4-point threshold.
Late payment penalties
If you pay your tax late, percentage-based penalties apply. In the first year of the new penalty regime (2026/27), you have 30 days from the due date to pay in full or contact HMRC to set up a payment plan before penalties start. From 2027/28 onwards, the initial grace period shortens. The rates and timing vary by tax year, so check the current late payment penalty rates on GOV.UK before relying on any specific figures.
Record-keeping penalties. A separate record-keeping penalty of up to £3,000 can apply where MTD digital record-keeping requirements are not met, including required digital links. It is separate from late-submission penalty points and would generally arise through HMRC compliance activity.
Common questions
No. Quarterly updates contain cumulative summary figures only. No tax is payable because you send them. You may see an estimated tax figure after each update, but it is not a final bill. Your payment dates are unchanged: 31 January and 31 July where payments on account apply.
The legal obligation sits with you as the taxpayer, regardless of who does the filing. In practice, if your accountant is managing your MTD submissions, they will be tracking the deadlines on your behalf. The important thing is to make sure your records are up to date and passed to them in time for each quarterly deadline.
Yes, but only up to 10 days before the end of the update period, and only if you're confident there'll be no further transactions in that period. You can't submit earlier than that 10-day window.
For the 2026/27 tax year, HMRC is not issuing penalty points for late quarterly updates for the first cohort. So missing the 7 August 2026 deadline will not result in a penalty point this year. You still need to submit the update, though, as all four must be in before you can complete your tax return. For the April 2026 group, the soft landing does not carry over to 2027/28.
MTD doesn't change how payments on account are calculated. They're still based on your previous year's tax bill. The amounts may change year to year as your income changes, but that's the same as it has always been under Self Assessment.
The quarterly deadline dates stay the same, but the number of updates you have to send increases. Each MTD business source has its own set of four quarterly updates. A sole trade and a UK property business have separate updates, but multiple UK rental properties are treated as one UK property business. A sole trader who also has rental income therefore has eight updates to send each year. The tax return deadline remains 31 January and covers everything in one submission.
*Announced in the Budget on 28 October 2026. A Budget announcement becomes law in one of two ways. Most tax changes go into the annual Finance Bill, which becomes law when it receives Royal Assent, usually early the following year. Others are made by regulations laid before Parliament. Until then, the details can change.
This page is general guidance, not advice for your own circumstances. It was correct as at the date shown at the top, and tax rules and rates change over time. Please take advice on your own position before acting on anything here.
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