Missed your first MTD quarterly update? How to catch up

If your first quarterly update was due on 7 August 2026 and it never went to HMRC, you are not stuck. This guide covers what to check, what to send and in what order, whether you are self-employed, a landlord or both.

What a missed update means in 2026 to 2027

For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, HMRC is not giving penalty points for late quarterly updates to people required to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2026. Missing 7 August earned no point. A late update for the 7 November deadline will not earn one either. Quarterly updates carry no tax payment, so no interest or late-payment penalty comes from sending one late.

The update still has to be sent. GOV.UK says: “You will need to send your quarterly updates before you are able to submit your tax return.” Your 2026 to 2027 tax return is due by 31 January 2028, and every quarterly update for the year must reach HMRC before it. Sending a later update does not take the place of an earlier one you missed.

Late tax returns and late payments are penalised from the start, so keep those dates firmly in view. HMRC’s penalties guidance has the detail.

Check your update periods before you send anything

There are two ways to divide the year. Standard update periods run from 6 April to 5 July, 5 October, 5 January and 5 April. Calendar update periods run from 1 April to 30 June, 30 September, 31 December and 31 March. The deadlines are the same for both.

This matters now because GOV.UK states: “You cannot change the update periods you’re using for a tax year after you have sent a quarterly update.” If you have not sent anything yet this tax year, you can still choose. The choice is made in your software, separately for each income source.

GOV.UK suggests considering calendar periods if your accounting period covers 1 April to 31 March. If you draw up accounts to a different date, an accountant can advise which option suits you. See sending quarterly updates for HMRC’s own explanation.

How to catch up, step by step

1. Bring your digital records up to date, at least to the end of the period you missed (5 July for standard, 30 June for calendar).
2. Confirm the update periods for each income source in your software.
3. Send the missed update. It covers everything from the start of the tax year to the end of that first period.
4. Keep recording income and expenses through to the end of the second period.
5. Send the second update by 7 November. Because updates are cumulative, the first period’s figures sit inside its larger totals.
6. Diary the next deadlines, 7 February and 7 May. Our MTD deadlines guide lists them all.

Reading this after 7 November with two updates outstanding? The approach is the same. Send each missed update, starting with the earliest, each with year-to-date figures to the end of its own period. Then rejoin the normal timetable.

Worked example: Sarah, a self-employed decorator

Sarah has used MTD since April 2026 on standard update periods. She missed 7 August and realises in mid October, with 7 November approaching.

She sends the first update straight away with £14,200 of income and £3,100 of expenses. No point is added to her record.

Before 7 November she sends the second update with £29,800 and £6,450. Those are her totals for six months. She does not send £15,600 and £3,350, which would be 6 July to 5 October on its own. As GOV.UK puts it, each update covers “from the start of the tax year to the end of the update period, not just the previous three months.”

Joint owners and more than one income source

Each income source needs its own quarterly updates. If you are self-employed and also let a property, both sources have updates due, and catching up on one does not cover the other.

Jointly owned property income is split by ownership share, and each owner reports their own share. Each person also has their own penalty points record. Take James, who owns a flat with his brother: in a year when points apply, if his brother filed on time and James did not, only James would get a point.

What changes from 2027 to 2028

The grace period is for this tax year only. From 2027 to 2028, each late quarterly update earns one penalty point. A point carries no charge by itself, but reaching four points brings a £200 penalty. Points below that threshold expire after 24 months.

That is a good reason to settle into a routine now, while a slip costs nothing. If you work with an adviser, our guide to using MTD software with an accountant covers how to split the work.

Getting set up to catch up

Quarterwise keeps digital records and files both the quarterly updates and the year-end tax return for self-employment, UK property and overseas property. Moving to it part-way through the year is fine: import your records so far, and your next update covers the year to date. The Free plan covers one self-employment business or one property, with full filing to HMRC and deadline reminders.

This guide is general information, not tax advice.

Common questions

Last updated 5 October 2026. Quarterwise is software, not a tax adviser — if you’re unsure how the rules apply to you, check with HMRC or a qualified accountant.