Your first quarterly update is due 7 August 2026
If Making Tax Digital started for you this April, the first deadline of your MTD life is 7 August 2026. It covers the quarter from 6 April to 5 July, which has already closed. So the job between now and then isn't record-keeping in real time, it's getting those three months straight and sending the totals. Here's the calm version of what that involves.
What a quarterly update actually is
In HMRC's words, "your quarterly updates will include totals for each income and expense category you've used". Your software adds up what came in and what went out, per category, and sends those totals. That's the whole event.
And the detail stays with you: "HMRC will not receive details of individual digital records, such as a receipt or invoice." Nobody at HMRC reads your receipts. They see category totals.
What it isn't
- It isn't a tax return. The return still happens once a year through your software, by 31 January. Quarterly updates feed it, they don't replace it.
- It isn't a bill. Nothing is due to be paid when you send an update, and MTD doesn't change when tax is paid. After sending, gov.uk says "you'll be able to get an estimate of your tax bill". An estimate is information, not a demand. More on the paying-four-times myth here.
- It isn't a test of perfection. Updates are cumulative and correctable, more on that below.
The deadlines from here
| Update period (they're cumulative) | Update due |
|---|---|
| 6 April to 5 July 2026 | 7 August 2026 |
| 6 April to 5 October 2026 | 7 November 2026 |
| 6 April to 5 January 2027 | 7 February 2027 |
| 6 April to 5 April 2027 | 7 May 2027 |
Each period starts from 6 April on purpose: updates are cumulative, so every one covers the year so far. There's also a calendar-quarters option (periods starting 1 April, same four deadlines), chosen in your software before the first update of the year. Most people won't need it.
Late in year one: the soft landing
The penalty system for updates works on points: "a penalty point will be applied for each missed quarterly update or tax return deadline. Once 4 points are accumulated, a £200 financial penalty is issued."
But for this first year there's a cushion, in HMRC's own words: "HMRC will not apply penalty points for late quarterly updates for the first tax year (2026 to 2027)." So a late first update costs you nothing in points this year. The duty still stands, and the tax return deadline keeps its own penalties, so treat the cushion as breathing room rather than a pass.
Mistakes are fixable by design
Because every update covers the year from 6 April, gov.uk is explicit: "this means you can correct your records without having to resend previous updates." Spot an error in August? Fix the record in your software and the November update carries the correction automatically. More on mistakes and fines here.
Getting ready in the time left
Two things need to be true by 7 August: you've signed up for MTD (it doesn't happen automatically), and the quarter's records exist digitally in compatible software. HMRC's rule is that the digital records must be in place before you send the update, or before the deadline if that comes first.
If the quarter currently lives in a shoebox, that's fine: three months of receipts is an evening with a decent app, not a weekend of typing. Snap each one, check the category, done.
Quick answers
Do I pay tax with a quarterly update?
No. An update sends category totals to HMRC and nothing is due with it. Tax is still paid on the same dates as before: 31 January, plus 31 July if payments on account apply to you.
What happens if I miss 7 August 2026?
For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, HMRC has said it will not apply penalty points for late quarterly updates. Catch up as soon as you can: updates are cumulative, so the next one covers the whole year so far anyway.
Do I send receipts or invoices to HMRC?
No. HMRC will not receive details of individual digital records, such as a receipt or invoice. It sees totals for each income and expense category.
What if my numbers turn out to be wrong?
Correct the record in your software and the next update, which covers the year from 6 April, carries the fix. There's nothing to resend.
30 days is plenty
Get the quarter's records straight the easy way: snap what's in the shoebox and SoleTax categorises each receipt against HMRC's own category list. 14 days free, no card needed.
Join the betaSources: gov.uk, use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: send quarterly updates (updated 2 June 2026) and create digital records (updated 2 June 2026); get ready for Making Tax Digital, an agent toolkit (updated 7 July 2026). Checked on 8 July 2026.