Every MTD deadline in one place
Four quarterly updates per tax year, plus one final declaration (tax return). The table below shows every upcoming deadline for the next three tax years. The next upcoming deadline is highlighted — refresh the page for a fresh countdown.
How the periods work
HMRC gives you a choice of two update-period conventions. The deadline dates are the same either way — the difference is only which day the period ends on.
Standard update periods (aligned to the tax year 6 April to 5 April)
| Period covered | Deadline |
|---|---|
| 6 April to 5 July | 7 August |
| 6 April to 5 October | 7 November |
| 6 April to 5 January | 7 February |
| 6 April to 5 April | 7 May (following tax year) |
Calendar update periods (aligned to calendar months 1 April to 31 March)
| Period covered | Deadline |
|---|---|
| 1 April to 30 June | 7 August |
| 1 April to 30 September | 7 November |
| 1 April to 31 December | 7 February |
| 1 April to 31 March | 7 May (following tax year) |
You choose the period type in your MTD software before your first quarterly update. You cannot switch mid-tax-year after your first update is sent.
Cumulative — not last three months only
Every quarterly update covers from the start of the tax year to the end of the update period, not just the last three months. This means you can correct earlier records in a later update without resending previous ones.
You can also send an update up to 10 days before the end of an update period if you know no further transactions will happen. Useful if you're going on holiday.
The final declaration (tax return)
After your fourth quarterly update, you submit the final declaration by 31 January following the end of the tax year. This is the equivalent of the current Self Assessment tax return — where you add other income (savings interest, dividends, employment), claim reliefs (pension, Gift Aid, Marriage Allowance) and confirm the totals.
The tax payment deadline is also 31 January — same as current Self Assessment. Late-payment penalties apply after 15 days (30 days in your first MTD year) — see MTD penalties explained.
Related
- MTD Income Tax Checker — check if you're in scope
- Bridging spreadsheet template
- Free bridging software
- MTD penalties explained
- Contractor tax deadlines calendar — VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax, Companies House
Sources
- HMRC — Send quarterly updates
- HMRC — Penalties for MTD for Income Tax
- Last reviewed 2026-08-23