If you're a landlord caught by Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2026, your old once-a-year rhythm has gone. From now on you send HMRC short digital updates four times a year, then one final declaration to wrap it up.
The good news is that the dates are fixed and predictable. Once you've seen the calendar laid out, it's far less daunting than it first sounds. The quarterly updates aren't four mini tax returns, they're running summaries, and the figures you send are tidied up later.
This guide gives you the exact 2026/27 deadlines, shows where the final declaration sits, and explains the first-year easement that means a slip in your first year won't trigger a fine. It's written for landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, who are the first group brought into the system.
What are the MTD Income Tax deadlines for landlords in 2026/27?
For the 2026/27 tax year your four quarterly updates are due by 7 August 2026, 7 November 2026, 7 February 2027 and 7 May 2027, and your final declaration is due by 31 January 2028.
That's the whole calendar in one sentence. The rest of this guide explains how each date works, what actually goes in each submission, and what happens if you miss one.
Who has to follow MTD for Income Tax from April 2026?
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is being phased in by income level. You're in the first wave, mandated from 6 April 2026, if your qualifying income was over £50,000, based on your 2024/25 Self Assessment return.
The £30,000 tier follows from 6 April 2027, and the £20,000 tier from 6 April 2028. So even if you're not caught yet, most landlords will be over the next couple of years.
"Qualifying income" is the part that trips people up. It's your gross income, the turnover before expenses, from self-employment and property added together. For a landlord, that's your total rents before you take off mortgage interest, agent fees, repairs or anything else.
Crucially, it aggregates. If you have £25,000 of rental income and £27,000 from a side trade, that's £52,000 of qualifying income, so you're in, even though neither source on its own clears £50,000. Employment income, pension income, dividends and savings interest do not count towards the threshold, though they're still reported at the final declaration stage.
One more point that matters for property owners: all your UK property is treated as a single property business, while UK and overseas property are separate businesses. If you let both, you'll keep digital records and report for each separately.
If your lettings are your main income source, our accounting for landlords page sets out how we help with the whole picture, not just the deadlines.
What are the four quarterly update deadlines?
Under MTD you send HMRC a quarterly update for each business. Each update is a digital summary of your income and expenses for a standard quarterly period that runs from 6 April.
Here are the standard periods and deadlines for 2026/27, taken from HMRC's guidance:
| Quarter | Period covered | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 6 April 2026 to 5 July 2026 | 7 August 2026 |
| Q2 | 6 April 2026 to 5 October 2026 | 7 November 2026 |
| Q3 | 6 April 2026 to 5 January 2027 | 7 February 2027 |
| Q4 | 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027 | 7 May 2027 |
Notice the period in each row always starts on 6 April. That's because the updates are cumulative, which we'll come to next.
There's also a calendar-quarter option. If it suits your records better, you can elect in your software to use periods running to the end of each calendar month (1 April to 31 March) instead. You have to choose this before you send your first update for the year, and you can't switch part-way through. For most landlords the standard periods are the simplest choice.
Are quarterly updates four mini tax returns?
No, and this is the single biggest misunderstanding about MTD. A quarterly update is not a four-times-a-year tax return.
Each update is a cumulative, year-to-date summary. HMRC's guidance puts it plainly: each update "will cover from the start of the tax year to the end of the update period, not just the previous three months."
So your Q2 update restates the whole year so far, from 6 April, not just July to October. If you spot an error in an earlier quarter, you don't resubmit anything, you just correct the figures in your software and the next cumulative update carries the right numbers through.
They're also kept simple on purpose. A quarterly update is a running total of income and expenses by category. You don't claim reliefs, allowances or adjustments at this stage, and you don't calculate a tax bill. All of that happens once, at the final declaration.
When is the 2026/27 final declaration due?
Your final declaration for 2026/27 is due by 31 January 2028. That's the same familiar 31 January date that Self Assessment has always used, falling on the 31 January after the tax year ends.
The final declaration is where the year is finalised. It replaces the Self Assessment tax return for the income covered by MTD. This is the point where you:
- confirm your business income and expenses for the year,
- add any other taxable income, such as employment, pensions, dividends or savings,
- claim your reliefs and allowances, and
- finalise the figures so HMRC can generate your tax bill.
Your tax payment dates don't change either. The balancing payment for 2026/27 is still due by 31 January 2028, with payments on account on 31 January and 31 July where they apply, exactly as under Self Assessment today.
If you'd like a qualified accountant to handle the final declaration and make sure every relief is claimed, that's part of our Self Assessment service.
The full 2026/27 landlord calendar at a glance
Here's everything in one place. Pin it somewhere you'll see it.
| Date | What's due |
|---|---|
| 6 April 2026 | 2026/27 tax year begins, MTD record-keeping starts |
| 7 August 2026 | Q1 quarterly update (6 Apr to 5 Jul) |
| 7 November 2026 | Q2 quarterly update (6 Apr to 5 Oct, cumulative) |
| 7 February 2027 | Q3 quarterly update (6 Apr to 5 Jan, cumulative) |
| 5 April 2027 | 2026/27 tax year ends |
| 7 May 2027 | Q4 quarterly update (6 Apr to 5 Apr, cumulative) |
| 31 January 2028 | Final declaration filed and balancing payment due |
A useful way to remember the quarterly dates: they all land on the 7th, one month and two days after each quarter closes.
What happens if you miss a deadline?
MTD for Income Tax uses a points-based system for late submissions. You get one penalty point each time you miss a submission deadline. Reach four points and you get a £200 penalty, then a further £200 each time you miss a deadline after that. You collect only one point per deadline even if you run more than one business.
Late payment is handled separately and isn't points-based. It's charged as a percentage of the tax outstanding, with interest, and the longer the tax is unpaid the more it builds up.
Here's the part that takes the pressure off year one. There are no penalties for missing a quarterly update deadline in the 2026/27 tax year. HMRC has confirmed this first-year easement. You still have to send the updates, they're not optional, but a late or missed quarterly update in 2026/27 won't cost you a penalty point.
Two cautions on that easement. First, it applies to the quarterly-update penalty points only. It does not extend to the final declaration, so the 31 January 2028 deadline still carries its usual penalty if you're late. Second, it's a first-year measure for 2026/27, so don't build a habit on it.
For the precise rules and current figures, always check HMRC's penalties guidance, linked in the Sources below.
Illustrative example: Priya's first MTD year
Illustrative example. Priya is a landlord with three UK flats. Her 2024/25 return showed £58,000 of gross rents, so she's over the £50,000 threshold and mandated into MTD from 6 April 2026. All three flats sit in one UK property business, so she reports them together.
Her 2026/27 year runs like this:
- Through the year: she records rent received and expenses (letting agent fees, repairs, insurance, mortgage interest) digitally as she goes, using MTD-compatible software.
- 7 August 2026: she sends her Q1 update covering 6 April to 5 July. It's a simple summary of income and expenses, no tax calculated.
- 7 November 2026 and 7 February 2027: she sends her Q2 and Q3 updates. Each one restates the year to date, so when she finds she'd miscategorised a £400 repair in Q1, she just fixes it in her software and the corrected figure flows through automatically.
- 7 May 2027: she sends her Q4 update, covering the full 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
- 31 January 2028: she files her final declaration. Here she confirms the year's figures, adds her £9,000 of part-time employment income (which never counted towards the MTD threshold but is still taxable), claims her reliefs, and finalises the bill. Her balancing payment for 2026/27 is also due this day.
Because it's the first year, even if Priya had been a fortnight late with her August update, she'd have picked up no penalty point thanks to the easement. The 31 January 2028 final declaration, though, she treats as a hard deadline, because the easement doesn't cover it.
Note these figures are illustrative, to show the timing. Your own tax depends on your actual income, expenses and reliefs.
How should landlords get ready?
Three practical steps make the switch painless.
First, keep digital records from 6 April 2026. MTD requires your records to be kept digitally, with digital links between programs. You can't copy and paste figures by hand from one place to another. If you keep your books in a spreadsheet, that's fine, but you'll need bridging software to connect it to HMRC.
Second, choose compatible software early. HMRC maintains the official list of MTD-compatible software, and it's worth picking yours and getting comfortable with it before the first update is due. We don't push a single brand, the right choice depends on how you keep records now.
Third, get the categories right from day one. Because updates are cumulative and the final declaration draws on them, clean categorisation through the year saves a scramble in January. Our bookkeeping service can take this off your plate entirely.
If you're digitally excluded, for example because of age, disability or where you live, you may be able to apply to HMRC for an exemption. That's an application process, not an automatic right, so check the guidance early.
Frequently asked questions
Do quarterly updates replace my Self Assessment return?
Not the quarterly updates themselves. The quarterly updates are running summaries during the year. It's the final declaration, due 31 January after the tax year ends, that replaces the Self Assessment return for your MTD income and finalises your tax.
What are the exact MTD deadlines for 2026/27?
The four standard quarterly updates are due 7 August 2026, 7 November 2026, 7 February 2027 and 7 May 2027. The final declaration for 2026/27 is due 31 January 2028.
Does my rental income count towards the £50,000 threshold before or after expenses?
Before expenses. Qualifying income is your gross income, the turnover, from property and self-employment added together, not your profit after costs. Employment, pension, dividend and savings income don't count towards the threshold.
Will I really avoid a fine if I'm late in the first year?
For quarterly updates in 2026/27, yes. HMRC has confirmed there are no penalties for missing a quarterly update deadline in the 2026/27 tax year. The updates are still mandatory, and the easement does not cover the 31 January 2028 final declaration.
I let property in the UK and abroad. Is that one business or two?
Two. All your UK property is a single UK property business, and your overseas lettings form a separate property business. You keep digital records and report for each one separately under MTD.
What if I can't go digital?
You may be able to apply to HMRC for an exemption if you're digitally excluded, for instance due to age, disability, location or religious grounds. It's an application HMRC must approve, so don't assume it, check the guidance and apply in good time.
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Talk to a landlord accountant before your first deadline
The first MTD year is much smoother when your records are set up properly from 6 April. Want a hand getting ready, or someone to run the quarterly updates and final declaration for you? Book a free call with a Zmartly accountant and we'll map your 2026/27 calendar with you.
