I have missed a quarterly update — what happens now?

Checked against GOV.UK on 14 August 2026 · Applies from 6 April 2026 onwards.

“many of those have no understanding of what is meant by: 'first, you'll need to access HMRC online services'”

We hear this most. an accountant, about the people nobody is helping, AccountingWEB Any Answers, 28 August 2026 — someone in the same position as you.

Short answer

Send it. For 2026 to 2027 there are no penalty points for a late update — but you cannot file your tax return until the updates are in.

The date you missed is gone. These are the ones still ahead of you. Your next quarterly update is due 7 November 2026, and because updates are cumulative it covers 6 April to 5 October 2026 — so it also catches up 7 August 2026 if you missed it. Your tax return for 2026 to 2027 is due 31 January 2028, and that one is still in the points system. And from September 2026 HMRC has been signing people up itself, in stages, if they had not signed up.

You are not alone, and this is the measured version of that sentence. HMRC put 864,000 sole traders and landlords in scope for this tax year (HMRC, 5 February 2026), and reported on 12 August 2026 that 436,000 had sent a first quarterly update and 570,000 had signed up. We have not subtracted one from the other to make a "how many are behind" headline — they were published six months apart and count different things — but you can see the size of the room you are standing in.

What to do tonight

half an hour, tonight, and none of it costs anything

Stop worrying about the fine. There are no penalty points for a late quarterly update in the 2026 to 2027 tax year — that is HMRC's published position, not an interpretation.
Sign in to your HMRC online account and look at the quarterly updates listed there. If HMRC signed you up itself, your overdue and upcoming updates are on that screen, which is faster than working them out.
Diary 7 November 2026. Updates are cumulative, so that one submission covers 6 April to 5 October 2026 and catches up the one you missed in the same go.

None of those three steps costs money. Anyone charging you to do them is selling you something HMRC gives away.

Where these come from, on GOV.UK: quarterly updates and their deadlines · the tax return · who has to use MTD, and when · working out qualifying income · the recognised-software finder · what to do if HMRC signed you up.

The free route, before anyone sells you a subscription

HMRC publishes the official list of software recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, and its own guidance says plainly that “free products are available for those with simple tax affairs”. We drove that finder ourselves on 1 September 2026 and it returns recognised products costing £0 — for sole traders and for landlords, including bridging tools that submit straight from a spreadsheet you already keep. We take no commission from any of them, we rank none of them, and this site carries no affiliate links.

HMRC's official software finder (gov.uk) · how bridging software works · the free two-number check · your own four dates

Signing up for Making Tax Digital is free at GOV.UK. So is the checker on this page, and so is every answer on this site.

A missed update in the first MTD year is recoverable and, in penalty terms, free. What it is not is optional.

What to do

Send the update through your compatible software now. Because updates are cumulative from the start of the tax year, a late one brings you back up to date in a single submission.
Check your digital records are accurate first — especially anything imported from a bank feed, which may need the category added or a missing transaction created.
Carry on with the next deadline as normal.

What it costs

For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, HMRC will not apply penalty points for late quarterly updates. HMRC's own August 2026 statement said customers who had not yet sent their first update could do so with no penalty for late updates this year. From the 2027 to 2028 tax year a missed update deadline gives you one penalty point, and £200 is charged at four points.

The part that is not waived

You will need to send your quarterly updates before you are able to submit your tax return. The concession removes the penalty, not the obligation.

If you have not signed up at all

HMRC said in August 2026 that from September 2026 it would begin signing up, in stages, customers who need to use MTD for 2026 to 2027 but have not done so. Signing up yourself first means you choose the software and check the details.

Questions people ask

What happens if I miss an MTD quarterly update deadline?

For the 2026 to 2027 tax year there are no penalty points, but you must still send the update — you cannot submit your tax return until your quarterly updates are sent.

Andrew at Axion Labs

If you've missed a deadline, start here: nothing has gone wrong that can't be fixed this week. Late quarterly updates carry no penalty points this tax year, and because the updates are cumulative, one submission catches up the one you missed. The bit I'd rather you didn't skip is the tax return date — that one isn't waived, and it's the part getting lost in the retelling.

Sources

General information about UK tax rules, not tax advice. Your own circumstances and HMRC's official guidance govern your position. If you are unsure, speak to an accountant or contact HMRC. Tax rules change — if this page is more than a few months old, check the GOV.UK pages linked above. Found an error? Email hello@getaxionlabs.com and we will correct it.

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