MTD Quarterly Deadlines for Landlords

How MTD changes your reporting schedule

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD ITSA) replaces the single annual Self Assessment tax return with four quarterly updates submitted throughout the tax year. From April 2026, landlords with qualifying income above £50,000 must comply, with the threshold dropping to £30,000 from April 2027.

Each quarterly update reports your rental income and allowable expenses to HMRC using MTD-compatible software. After your fourth quarterly update, you submit an annual summary and then a final declaration to complete your tax obligations for the year.

2026/27 tax year deadlines

The standard quarterly periods follow the tax year, running from 6 April to 5 April. Each update is due by the 7th of the month following the quarter end.

2027/28 tax year deadlines

The same quarterly structure applies to the 2027/28 tax year. From this year, landlords with qualifying income above £30,000 are also brought into MTD.

Calendar quarter alternative

If standard tax year quarters feel awkward, you can elect to use calendar quarters instead. This aligns your reporting periods with calendar months, which many landlords find simpler to manage. You make this election through your MTD-compatible software, and it applies to all your quarterly updates for that tax year.

Note that the submission deadlines are the same as for standard quarters — only the reporting periods change.

Note that if you use calendar quarters, there will be a short gap between 1–5 April that falls outside your quarterly periods. HMRC accounts for this in the annual summary stage.

What to submit each quarter

Each quarterly update contains summarised totals of your rental income and property expenses for the period — you do not need to send individual transaction records. Typical figures include total rent received, mortgage interest, repairs, insurance, agent fees, and other allowable costs.

Submissions are cumulative from 6 April (or 1 April for calendar quarters). This means each quarterly update replaces the figures in your previous update with year-to-date totals, rather than reporting only the latest three months in isolation. If you need to correct an error from an earlier quarter, you simply include the corrected figures in your next update.

Annual summary

After your Q4 update, you need to submit an annual summary before your final declaration. This is where you report items that apply to the full tax year rather than individual quarters:

• Capital allowances (e.g. Annual Investment Allowance)
• Replacement of Domestic Items relief for furnished properties
• Any year-end adjustments to income or expenses
• Private use adjustments if the property is partly personal

The annual summary is not the same as the final declaration. It feeds into your final tax calculation but does not finalise your tax position for the year.

Final declaration

The final declaration is due by 31 January following the end of the tax year (e.g. 31 January 2028 for the 2026/27 tax year). This is the equivalent of submitting your Self Assessment tax return. When you submit your final declaration, you confirm that the information in your quarterly updates and annual summary is correct and complete.

You must have completed all four quarterly updates and your annual summary before you can submit the final declaration. Once submitted, HMRC calculates your tax liability for the year.

Payment dates

MTD does not change when you pay your tax. The existing payment schedule continues:

• 31 January — balancing payment for the previous tax year, plus your first payment on account for the current tax year
• 31 July — second payment on account for the current tax year

Payments on account are each equal to half of your previous year’s tax bill. If your circumstances change significantly, you can apply to reduce your payments on account.

Penalties for late submissions

HMRC has introduced a points-based penalty system for MTD quarterly updates, replacing the old fixed-penalty approach:

• You receive 1 penalty point for each quarterly update submitted after its deadline
• Once you accumulate 4 points, a £200 penalty is charged
• Each subsequent late submission after reaching 4 points triggers another £200 penalty
• Points expire after 24 months of continuous on-time compliance

Soft landing for 2026/27: HMRC has confirmed that no penalty points will be issued for late quarterly updates during the first year of MTD (the 2026/27 tax year). This gives landlords time to adjust to the new reporting rhythm without financial risk. However, the final declaration deadline of 31 January 2028 is not covered by the soft landing.

Late payment penalties are handled under a separate regime. Interest is charged on overdue tax from the payment due date. A penalty of 3% of the outstanding amount is charged at day 15, a further 3% at day 30, and then a daily rate of 10% per annum accrues from day 31 onwards.

Stay on top of your deadlines

With four quarterly deadlines, an annual summary, and a final declaration each year, there are more dates to track than the old Self Assessment regime. Landlo keeps a running countdown to your next deadline and sends you reminders before each submission is due, so you never miss an update or accumulate penalty points.