Your MTD Calendar: Key Dates Every Landlord Should Diarise

If there's one thing that turns Making Tax Digital from a worry into a non-event, it's knowing the dates. Once you can see them laid out, the whole thing stops feeling like a mystery and starts feeling like a few simple appointments in your diary.

So let's do exactly that. Here's when MTD for Income Tax begins, the deadlines you'll be working to once you're in, and a few easy habits to make sure none of them ever catch you out.

First, when do you actually join?

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (often called MTD ITSA) is being phased in gradually, based on your qualifying income — that's your gross rental and any self-employment income added together, before you take off expenses.

The start dates are:

Over £50,000 — you join from 6 April 2026
Over £30,000 — you join from 6 April 2027
Over £20,000 — you join from 6 April 2028

If your qualifying income is under £20,000, you're not required to join yet. You can carry on as you are for now.

It's worth finding your band early. If your rent puts you a little over £50,000, your first MTD year is closer than you might think — and a calm few months of preparation beats a last-minute scramble.

What you'll actually be doing once you're in

MTD swaps one big annual return for a steadier rhythm through the year. Once you've joined, there are three things to keep on top of:

Keep digital records of your rental income and expenses.
Send HMRC four quarterly updates during the tax year.
Submit one final declaration after the tax year ends.

That's it. No surprise extra paperwork, no mystery forms. Just records, four light check-ins, and a tidy-up at the end.

The four quarterly deadlines

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. Within that, the standard quarters and their update deadlines are nicely predictable:

Quarter ending 5 July → update due by 7 August
Quarter ending 5 October → update due by 7 November
Quarter ending 5 January → update due by 7 February
Quarter ending 5 April → update due by 7 May

Here's a reassuring detail: from the 2025–26 tax year onwards, quarterly updates are cumulative year-to-date totals. In plain English, each update shows your running totals for the year so far, not just that one quarter on its own.

Why does that help? Because if you spot a small mistake later, the next cumulative update naturally corrects the picture. You're not locking in errors every three months — you're simply giving HMRC an up-to-date running total each time.

The final declaration

After the tax year ends, you'll submit your final declaration — your chance to confirm everything is complete and accurate, add any final adjustments, and finalise your figures for the year.

The deadline is 31 January following the end of the tax year. If that date rings a bell, it's because it's the same one Self Assessment has always used. So while the year now has more gentle check-ins along the way, the big finishing line hasn't moved.

How to never miss a deadline

The dates above never wander far — the deadlines fall on the 7th of August, November, February and May, with the final declaration on 31 January. That predictability is your friend. A few simple habits make the whole thing effortless:

Put all five dates in your calendar now, with a reminder a week before each one.
Do a little and often. A few minutes adding rent and expenses as they happen beats a frantic afternoon before a deadline.
Keep receipts in one place. A dedicated folder or photos on your phone means nothing goes missing.
Don't wait for the deadline to file. As soon as a quarter ends, send the update while it's fresh.
Check your income band each year in case you cross a threshold and your start date changes.

You can absolutely do this yourself

Plenty of landlords assume MTD means hiring an accountant. For many people with one property or a small portfolio, it really doesn't have to. With your records kept as you go and the deadlines in your diary, the year more or less looks after itself.

This is exactly what Quarterwise is built for: light bookkeeping software that keeps your digital records and files your quarterly updates and final declaration straight to HMRC. It's there to handle the timing and the filing, so you can focus on your tenants and your property — not on remembering whether it's a 7th or a 31st.

Get the dates in, stay a little ahead, and MTD becomes just another quiet part of the year.

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