Making Tax Digital: The First Quarterly Update Deadline Has Landed — Here's Where Things Stand

We've just passed a genuinely significant milestone in the world of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. 7 August 2026 was the deadline for the very first MTD quarterly update, and if you're a sole trader or landlord with qualifying income over £50,000, it applied to you.

Did you get yours in?

If you did — brilliant. You're now one of the first people in the country to have gone through a full MTD quarterly update, and honestly, the hardest part is usually just getting started. The next one will feel a lot more familiar. If you haven't yet, there's still time to get sorted before the next round comes round, and we're very happy to help you catch up with no fuss at all.

Here's what I actually think: Making Tax Digital has been talked about for the best part of a decade, and after a few delays, it's understandable that a lot of people took a "believe it when I see it" approach. Well, it's here now, and it's actually a pretty sensible shift once you're set up for it. Instead of one big scramble every January, you're keeping digital records and sending HMRC a short summary every three months — 7 November, 7 February, and 7 May are the next three dates to have in your calendar this tax year.

So what's a good next step?

If you're already in scope (income over £50,000): now's a great time to bed in a simple digital record-keeping routine ahead of the next quarter. Spreadsheets are still fine to use, as long as they link digitally through to your MTD-compatible software.

If you're not in scope just yet: it's worth getting ahead of the curve anyway. The qualifying income threshold is due to drop to £30,000, and then £20,000, over the next couple of years, bringing many more sole traders and landlords into MTD for Income Tax.

If you're not sure where you stand: that's exactly the kind of thing we love helping with. A quick conversation now means everything's in order well before your next quarterly update is due.

At Leathley & Co, we work with sole traders, landlords and small businesses across Whaley Bridge, Poynton, High Peak and Cheshire to make Making Tax Digital feel like a small, manageable habit rather than a headache. If you'd like a hand getting your digital records and MTD software set up properly, we're only ever a phone call away!