MTD for Income Tax checker
Do you have to join, from when, and what to send HMRC each quarter
Open MTD for Income Tax checkerUK tax-year tools
Your UK tax year, made plain
Free tools and plain answers for your UK tax year: for sole traders, landlords and working families. Every rule cited to GOV.UK.
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Each tool answers one question about your UK tax year. Tap a tile to open it.
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Making Tax Digital
1 toolThe UK tax year, date by date
What sole traders and landlords must do, and when, from 2026 to 2028. Sourced to GOV.UK.
The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. That first day gives this site its name. If you are a sole trader or a landlord, the dates below are the ones that matter from 2026 to 2028. Each rule links to its source on GOV.UK or legislation.gov.uk. Checked on 25 September 2026.
Every year: Self Assessment
These dates apply whether or not you use Making Tax Digital:
- 5 October: tell HMRC by this date if you need to file a tax return for the first time. The return is for the tax year that ended on the previous 5 April.
- 31 October: deadline for a paper tax return.
- 31 January: deadline for an online tax return, and for paying the tax you still owe for that year.
- Payments on account. If your last Self Assessment bill was more than £1,000, you usually pay part of next year's tax in advance. It is two payments, each half of last year's bill, due on 31 January and 31 July. This does not apply if at least 80% of your tax was already taken at source, for example through PAYE.
Sources: Self Assessment deadlines, payments on account, register for Self Assessment.
From April 2026: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Sole traders and landlords now keep digital records and send HMRC a short update every quarter. It depends on their qualifying income: gross self-employment income plus gross property income, before expenses. HMRC takes it from the tax return for a set year. The income must be more than the threshold:
| Qualifying income in | More than | You start on |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 to 2025 | £50,000 | 6 April 2026 |
| 2025 to 2026 | £30,000 | 6 April 2027 |
| 2026 to 2027 | £20,000 | 6 April 2028 |
Once you are in, quarterly updates are due by 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May. You then file your tax return through the same software by 31 January. For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, HMRC says it will not give penalty points for late quarterly updates. That is guidance, not law, and a late tax return still gets points.
Check your own start date with the MTD for Income Tax checker. It also covers exemptions, deferrals and what counts as qualifying income.
Sources: who needs to use it and when, quarterly updates, penalties, The Income Tax (Digital Obligations) Regulations 2026.
The 2026 to 2027 tax year at a glance
- 6 April 2026: the tax year starts. Making Tax Digital begins for qualifying income over £50,000 in 2024 to 2025.
- 31 July 2026: second payment on account for 2025 to 2026.
- 7 August 2026: first quarterly update, if you are in Making Tax Digital.
- 5 October 2026: deadline to register for Self Assessment for 2025 to 2026, if you are new.
- 31 October 2026: paper tax return for 2025 to 2026.
- 7 November 2026: second quarterly update.
- 31 January 2027: several things fall due on this date:
- the online tax return for 2025 to 2026;
- the tax still owed for 2025 to 2026;
- the first payment on account for 2026 to 2027.
- 7 February 2027: third quarterly update.
- 5 April 2027: the tax year ends.
- 6 April 2027: Making Tax Digital begins for qualifying income over £30,000 in 2025 to 2026.
- 7 May 2027: fourth quarterly update for 2026 to 2027.
- 31 January 2028: tax return for 2026 to 2027, filed through Making Tax Digital software if you are in.
What this site is
Sixth April is an independent guide. It is not HMRC and is not affiliated with HMRC or GOV.UK. It gives general information, not tax advice. The tools run in your browser and store nothing you type. If your situation is unusual, check with HMRC or a tax adviser.