MTD quarterly updates explained
A quarterly update is a summary of income and expenses sent from compatible software. Q1 is due on 7 August and Q4 on 7 May. Q2 and Q3 are shown as the standard pattern until GOV.UK confirms them here.
Key takeaways
- Q1, 6 April to 5 July, due 7 August.
- Q4, 6 January to 5 April, due 7 May.
- Q2 and Q3 are marked standard pattern, check GOV.UK.
- The final declaration is by 31 January.
What a quarterly update is
GOV.UK describes quarterly updates of business and property income and expenses, sent through compatible software. The update is not the final tax bill. The final declaration, which is the tax return, is due by 31 January after the end of the tax year.
The four periods
This site states Q1 as 6 April to 5 July, due 7 August, and Q4 as 6 January to 5 April, due 7 May. Q2, 6 July to 5 October, due 7 November, and Q3, 6 October to 5 January, due 7 February, are the standard pattern. Check GOV.UK before you rely on Q2 or Q3.
The calendar uses the same file. If a date changes, it changes there first.
Penalties and a missed deadline
This site does not publish penalty amounts or a missed-deadline procedure until the wording is taken from a GOV.UK page and dated in the data file. Use Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for the current official description.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- GOV.UK: Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- GOV.UK: Get ready for MTD, an agent toolkit
- GOV.UK: Reduction of the mandation threshold from £30,000 to £20,000 from April 2028
- GOV.UK: Find software that's compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- GOV.UK: Repossessing your privately rented property after 1 May 2026
- GOV.UK: Renting out your property, guidance for landlords and letting agents
Reviewed by
Christopher Norton
UK Property Tax & Making Tax Digital Specialist
FCCA and Chartered Tax Adviser. Director of Norton and Sons Associates Property Tax Firm. Property tax and MTD compliance since 2005.