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.
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.
half an hour, tonight, and none of it costs anything
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.
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.
Making Tax Digital replaces the old late-filing penalties with a points system, for both quarterly updates and your tax return. A single slip does not cost you money.
There are no penalties for missing a quarterly update deadline for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. Penalty points still apply to a late tax return in that year. From 2027 to 2028, late quarterly updates carry points.
Each point is removed automatically 24 months after the missed deadline.
Points do not expire on their own. To clear them all you must do both: send your quarterly updates and tax returns on time for 12 months, and send any outstanding updates and returns from the previous 24 months. You can see the removal date in your HMRC online services account.
While you are volunteering for MTD, penalties do not apply to late quarterly updates at all. Penalty points do still apply to late tax returns, and for volunteers the threshold is 2 points before the £200 penalty.
HMRC sends a letter for a late payment penalty, a late submission penalty point, or a £200 late submission penalty. If you disagree you can appeal, and the letter tells you how.
Late payment penalties are different →
£200, charged when you reach 4 penalty points, and £200 again for each further missed deadline.
Below the 4-point threshold, each point is removed automatically 24 months after the missed deadline. At or above the threshold you must file on time for 12 months and clear any outstanding submissions from the previous 24 months.
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.
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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