First MTD quarterly deadline arrives

Those who joined MTD IT from April 2026 and use standard quarterly reporting must submit their first quarterly update by 7 August. The submission covers the first quarter of the 2026/27 tax year and is made through compatible software.

HMRC’s latest software developer newsletter confirms that taxpayers who miss the deadline will receive a reminder letter, although these will not start to arrive until October 2026. Those who have opted for digital communications may also receive up to two reminder messages through HMRC’s online services.

Importantly, taxpayers in the first mandatory wave of MTD IT will not receive penalty points for late quarterly updates during 2026/27. However, the obligation to submit remains, so anyone missing the 7 August deadline should bring their quarterly reporting up to date rather than waiting for HMRC’s letter.

The newsletter also highlights some teething problems with the new system. HMRC has identified cases where quarterly obligations have remained open because software submissions did not cover the entire quarterly period. A small number of taxpayers have also been unable to submit because their quarterly obligations were not created correctly when they signed up.

If you are required to use MTD IT and have not yet submitted your first quarterly update, the deadline is now here. Missing it may not result in a penalty point this year, but the outstanding submission will not simply disappear and HMRC intends to follow up with those who fail to file.