Making Tax Digital: prepare for the 7 November 2026 deadline

HMRC’s 15 October update has highlighted the next Making Tax Digital for Income Tax deadline: 7 November 2026. For affected sole traders and landlords, now is the time to check the records and software behind the submission.

Who needs to check?

MTD for Income Tax became mandatory from April 2026 for qualifying self-employment and property income over £50,000, assessed using the 2024–25 tax return. Qualifying income means relevant income before expenses, rather than profit. Check HMRC’s guidance against your circumstances, including any exemption.

This concerns personal Income Tax reporting for affected individuals. Running a limited company does not, by itself, put its Corporation Tax reporting into this scheme.

What is due in November?

The second quarterly update is due by 7 November. Updates contain cumulative income and expense summaries. For standard quarters, this update covers 6 April to 5 October 2026; calendar quarters use 1 April to 30 September. Quarterly updates are not four separate annual tax returns.

A practical preparation checklist

• Confirm responsibility. Agree whether you or your accountant will submit. Put an earlier review date in both diaries.
• Check the software connection. Make sure your MTD-compatible software is authorised, connected to HMRC and using the correct reporting periods.
• Finish the records. Gather outstanding invoices and receipts. Review bank imports for duplicates, missing transactions and transfers wrongly treated as sales.
• Resolve unusual items. Flag refunds, private spending and unclear expense categories for review rather than guessing.
• Keep the confirmation. After submission, record the acceptance and keep a clear note of unresolved questions.

Make the next update easier

A short weekly bookkeeping appointment is easier to manage than a deadline-week search through emails. Keep receipts in one place, record what a purchase was for while you remember it, and maintain a list of transactions your accountant needs to explain.

If more than one person handles the records, decide who checks imported bank transactions and who adds invoices manually. Otherwise, the same sale can appear twice even when everyone is trying to help.

What if you have not started?

Contact your accountant or HMRC promptly to establish what is outstanding. Do not assume buying software alone completes registration or submits anything. Ask for a specific list: registration status, software authorisation, missing records and updates still to send.

Our small business finance guide can help you organise the wider money side of your business. Use HMRC-compatible software for the required filing.

Your next step: book a records review this week and agree a submission date before 7 November.

Information checked on 16 October 2026. This is general business information; check current official guidance for your circumstances.