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Making Tax Digital: next update due 7 November, and the £30,000 group starts in April 2027

Sole traders and landlords already in Making Tax Digital for Income Tax must send their second quarterly update by 7 November. People with qualifying income over £30,000 join from 6 April 2027.

Padasil Newsroom2 min read

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is now part of life for the first group of sole traders and landlords, and the next group is coming.

Who is in it now

Since 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords whose qualifying income was over £50,000 in the 2024 to 2025 tax year have had to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC through compatible software.

The next deadline

If you use the standard quarters, the update for 6 April to 5 October 2026 is due by 7 November 2026. If you chose calendar quarters, the update for 1 April to 30 September has the same deadline.

The four standard deadlines in each tax year are 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May.

HMRC has said it will not give penalty points for late quarterly updates during the 2026 to 2027 tax year. From the next year, each late update earns a point, and reaching four points brings a £200 penalty. Your tax return still has to be on time.

Who joins next

The threshold comes down in two steps:

  • from 6 April 2027, if your qualifying income in 2025 to 2026 was over £30,000;
  • from 6 April 2028, if your qualifying income in 2026 to 2027 was over £20,000.

HMRC checks your Self Assessment return each year and writes to people who need to join. GOV.UK points out that it is still your responsibility to check, even if no letter arrives.

Qualifying income means your total income from self-employment and property, before expenses. Other income, such as a salary, does not count towards it.

What to do if you will be in the April 2027 group

  1. Work out your qualifying income for 2025 to 2026 from your tax return.
  2. If it is over £30,000, choose compatible software now and start keeping digital records before April.
  3. You can sign up voluntarily earlier to practise — voluntary users are not given penalty points for late quarterly updates.

Some people can apply for an exemption, for example if they are digitally excluded. Exempt people still file a normal Self Assessment return.

Sources

  1. Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — HMRC (GOV.UK) (Open Government Licence v3.0)
  2. Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: send quarterly updates — HMRC (GOV.UK) (Open Government Licence v3.0)

Written by the Padasil Newsroom in our own words from the sources above, checked against them on 24 October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

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