The 7 November MTD update: what to file, step by step

If you joined Making Tax Digital for Income Tax this April, your second quarterly update is due by 7 November 2026. It covers the period up to 5 October, and for most landlords it takes less time than reading the bank statements it is based on.

This guide walks through exactly what goes into this update, with real figures, and what to do this week if you haven't started.

Who this deadline applies to

The 7 November deadline applies to you if your qualifying income was over £50,000 and you are now in MTD. Qualifying income means gross rent plus any self-employment turnover, before expenses. If you own a property jointly, only your share counts towards the threshold. GOV.UK explains who must use MTD and when, and our guide to MTD income thresholds puts it in plain English.

If your qualifying income is £50,000 or below, you aren't required to file this update. You carry on with your normal Self Assessment return for now.

Some people are automatically exempt for the time being, for example if your 2024/25 return included the residence pages (SA109). In that case you keep filing ordinary Self Assessment and no MTD deadline applies to you. GOV.UK lists the MTD exemptions.

What the update actually contains

A quarterly update is a summary of your income and expenses. It carries no tax bill and asks for no payment. HMRC uses it to give you a running picture of the year, as set out in the main MTD guidance.

The key thing to understand this time round is that updates are cumulative. You don't send figures for July to October on their own. You send your totals for the whole tax year so far, from 6 April to 5 October.

That sounds like extra work, but it is actually forgiving. If you forgot a receipt in the first quarter, you simply include it now and the running total corrects itself.

If you chose calendar quarters instead of the standard ones, your period dates are slightly different. Our guide to standard or calendar quarters covers this.

A worked example: Amelia's two flats

Amelia lets two flats in Bristol at a combined rent of £4,400 a month, which comes to £52,800 a year. That puts her over the £50,000 threshold, so she joined MTD in April.

Her first update (6 April to 5 July), filed in August:

• Rent received: £13,200
• Expenses: £2,150 (letting agent fees, insurance, a minor plumbing repair)

What happened between 6 July and 5 October:

• Rent received: £13,200
• Expenses: £3,400, including a £1,800 boiler repair, £1,020 in agent fees and £580 for gas safety checks and redecoration between tenants

What she files by 7 November (6 April to 5 October):

• Rent received: £26,400
• Expenses: £5,550

While gathering her figures, Amelia finds a £95 landlord insurance renewal from May that she missed first time. She adds it in, so her year-to-date expenses become £5,645. No amendment to the first update is needed. The new running total does the job.

What to do this week

You don't need a whole weekend. Work through this in a couple of short sittings.

1. Download your bank statements for 6 July to 5 October for any account rent lands in or bills leave from.
2. Match every rent payment to a tenant and month. Note any arrears or late payments so the figures reflect what you actually received.
3. Gather your receipts and invoices for repairs, agent fees, insurance, safety certificates and anything else you paid out.
4. Look back at the first quarter for anything you missed. Cumulative updates mean you can add it now.
5. Enter or import everything into your software, check the year-to-date totals look sensible, and submit.

If you also earn self-employment income, the same applies: your update covers your business's year-to-date turnover and expenses alongside your property figures. Our guide to MTD deadlines shows how the rest of the year lays out, and the free MTD deadline calculator will give you your own dates.

What if you're late, or were late last time?

HMRC has confirmed that during 2026 to 2027, the first year, no penalty points are given for late quarterly updates for anyone who joined in April 2026. That includes the 7 August deadline and this one. GOV.UK sets this out on its MTD penalties page.

That is breathing room, so it's still better to file. Getting into the habit now makes next year easier, because from 2027 to 2028 each late update earns 1 point, and a £200 penalty is charged only once you reach 4 points.

The tax return is different. Your return for 2026 to 2027 is due by 31 January 2028, and a late return or late payment of tax is penalised from the start, even in this first year.

If you missed the August update altogether, don't panic. Because figures are cumulative, this November update can include everything from 6 April. Our guide on missed quarterly updates explains the steps.

Do you need an accountant for this?

Plenty of landlords with one or two properties file their own updates. If your figures are straightforward, the job is mostly tidy record-keeping. If your situation is complex, an accountant can still help, and good software lets you share access with them.

Quarterwise is designed for exactly this kind of quarterly routine. The Free plan covers one property with full filing to HMRC and deadline reminders, and Pro adds unlimited properties and per-property profit and loss if you have more than one. Whatever you use, the important thing is that your year-to-date totals reach HMRC by 7 November.

This is general information, not tax advice. Please check with HMRC or a qualified accountant about your own circumstances.