Checked against GOV.UK on 14 August 2026 · Applies from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
“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.
HMRC has confirmed a first-year concession, but it is narrower than the way it is usually repeated. It covers one thing only: penalty points for late quarterly updates in 2026 to 2027.
In your first year of the new penalties you get 30 days from the payment due date to either pay in full or contact HMRC to set up a payment plan, before penalties start. After your first year that drops to 15 days. You only get the 30-day period once — if you volunteered and are now required to use MTD, you continue on 15 days.
Late quarterly updates start carrying penalty points. Four points brings a £200 penalty.
No penalty points apply to late quarterly updates for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. Penalties still apply to late tax returns and late payments.
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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