UK’s First Making Tax Digital Quarterly Deadline Nears

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is HM Revenue & Customs’ overhaul of reporting for self-employed people and property owners. From April 6, 2026, sole traders and landlords with more than £50,000 in qualifying annual income must keep digital records and send quarterly updates through HMRC-compatible software. The mandate is designed to modernize tax administration and will expand to those earning more than £30,000 from April 2027 and more than £20,000 from April 2028.

HMRC said on July 23 that more than 864,000 people within the regime have until August 7, 2026, to file their first quarterly update. For most taxpayers, the submission covers income and expenses from April 6 through July 5 and is separate from the annual tax return. No penalty points will apply to late quarterly updates in the 2026-27 tax year, but taxpayers must still file their annual return and pay tax due by January 31, 2027.