Making Tax Digital deadline comes this month.
Tax officials will contact self-employed workers who missed their quarterly MTD deadline as new online warning banners appear
- Sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 from their self-employment and property must send their first Making Tax Digital for Income Tax quarterly update by 7 August 2026.
- The quarterly update covers income and expenses for the first three months of the tax year.
- The update takes minutes through recognised software and is not a tax return.
More than 864,000 sole traders and landlords within scope of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax have just days left before the deadline to submit their first quarterly update.
HM Revenue and Customs is stepping up checks on self-employed workers across the UK. If you miss your MTD tax submission on 7 August, check your inbox. Tax officers will issue formal reminder letters starting this October.
According to official GOV.UK MTD software developer newsletters, these notices target sole traders who fell behind. Digital messages will also pop up inside online tax accounts.
The check follows new rules forcing sole traders earning over £50,000 to keep digital records. But pressure is building for smaller earners too.
Anyone earning over £30,000 who logs into GOV.UK Self Assessment guidance will now see bright warning banners. These notices tell you that compulsory digital filing reaches your income band in April 2027.
HMRC wants all freelancers ready long before those mandatory dates arrive.
What you need to do this summer
- Check your earnings: Tally your turnover for the past tax year to see which threshold applies to you
- Choose approved software: If you earn over £50,000, pick HMRC-compatible software immediately. HMRC has a software finding tool you can access here.
- Catch up on missed updates: If you missed the August filing, submit your income figures now to avoid penalties
- Keep digital notes: Record your daily income and business costs electronically rather than on paper
Taking these steps today saves you from big headaches when HMRC letters arrive in October.
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