MTD Quarterly Updates: What You Actually Have to Submit
A quarterly update isn't a full tax return. Here's exactly what goes into each submission, how long it takes, and what happens after you hit send.
15 April 2026 · 5 min read
It's not a full tax return
The biggest misconception about Making Tax Digital is that you have to do a full tax return four times a year. You don't. A quarterly update is much simpler than that.
Think of it as a summary. A snapshot. "Here's what came in and what went out over the last three months." That's the gist of it.
What a quarterly update contains
Your software compiles a summary of:
Income totals for the quarter. How much money came into your business (or how much rent you received), broken down by category if applicable.
Expense totals for the quarter. What you spent, grouped into categories like travel, equipment, office costs, professional fees, insurance, and so on.
You're not submitting individual invoices or receipts. You're not calculating your tax. Just the headline numbers for the period.
If your records are kept up to date in your software, this is literally a "review and submit" job. The software does the adding up. You check it looks right. You press the button.
When are they due?
| Quarter | Period | Submit by |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 6 Apr to 5 Jul | 7 August |
| Q2 | 6 Jul to 5 Oct | 7 November |
| Q3 | 6 Oct to 5 Jan | 7 February |
| Q4 | 6 Jan to 5 Apr | 7 May |
You get about a month after each quarter ends to file. That's your buffer to make sure your records are complete before submitting.
How long does it take?
If your records are up to date: 5 to 15 minutes. Open your software, review the summary, check nothing's missing or miscategorised, submit.
If your records are a mess: much longer. You'll need to go through bank statements, figure out what each transaction was, categorise everything, and then submit. This is why HMRC pushes the "keep records as you go" message so hard.
The time investment isn't in the submission itself. It's in the record-keeping between submissions.
What about the final declaration?
After your four quarterly updates, you file a final declaration by 31 January the following year. This is the bigger piece of work. It's where you:
- Confirm your total income and expenses for the year
- Make any adjustments (capital allowances, personal allowances, etc.)
- Add any other income that's not part of your quarterly updates
- HMRC calculates your tax bill
The final declaration replaces the annual Self Assessment return. Same deadline (31 January), similar level of detail, just submitted through MTD software instead of the HMRC website.
Can I amend a quarterly update?
Yes. If you submit a quarterly update and then realise you missed something or categorised something wrong, you can go back and amend it. HMRC expects some adjustments, especially in the first year.
It's not like a tax return where amending is a formal process. You simply update your records in your software and resubmit the quarterly update.
Do I pay tax after each quarter?
No. Quarterly updates are informational only. They don't trigger any payments. Your tax bill is still calculated and paid on the usual annual schedule (31 January and 31 July).
HMRC will use your quarterly data to give you an estimated tax position as the year goes on, which is actually helpful. You can see roughly what you'll owe before January arrives. But you're not paying quarterly.
Keep your records current and the rest is easy
A quarterly update is a summary of numbers your software already has. If you've been logging transactions as they happen, submitting takes minutes. If you haven't, it takes hours. That's the real lesson of quarterly filing: it's not the submission that's hard, it's the record-keeping between submissions.
For the exact dates you need in your calendar, see our 2026/27 deadlines guide. And if you're wondering what happens when you miss one, read how MTD penalties work.