United Kingdom • • • 🌿 Progressive

Un autónomo británico trabaja en su portátil con gráficos junto a un calendario de noviembre, una calculadora y documentos, con casas adosadas visibles por la ventana
Ilustración alusiva a la preparación de la actualización trimestral de Making Tax Digital para el impuesto sobre la renta. · Imagen generada por EPM

British sole traders face second quarterly tax update by 7 November

Sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 must send their second Making Tax Digital quarterly update by 7 November 2026.

--- The context --- Sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 reach their second quarterly update under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, mandatory since 6 April 2026. The system moves income and expense records onto digital tools with periodic submissions spread across the year. --- The facts --- The deadline is Saturday 7 November 2026 and HMRC has addressed five common misconceptions that surfaced after the first quarterly update in August. The first clarification is the central one: a quarterly update is not a tax return, but a short summary of self-employment and property income and expenses, sent through compatible software, with no tax calculation and no payment due when it is submitted. Each taxpayer's overall position will only be calculated with the tax return for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. Second clarification: those who completed their first update in August do not need to contact HMRC to confirm receipt, because they can check their submission history through their online account or through the software used, without calling or using webchat. Third clarification: no single specialist product is required, since HMRC recognises a variety of software options, some of them free, alongside more advanced accounting packages and spreadsheets linked through bridging software. Fourth: anyone who spots an error in an earlier period should not resend that update, but correct the digital record as soon as possible; the correction will be reflected in the next quarterly update. Fifth clarification: although the deadline falls on a Saturday, the update can be sent before or on 7 November 2026, and HMRC encourages sending it as early as possible. Full phone support runs during the week, the Self Assessment helpline will operate on Saturday 7 November from 9am to 3pm and regular webchat services from 8am to 4pm, while the dedicated line for agents will not be available that Saturday. --- The positions --- Craig Ogilvie, HMRC's Director of Making Tax Digital, was reported by the institution as saying that thousands of sole traders and landlords had already sent their first quarterly update successfully and that the aim is for the second to be just as straightforward, encouraging everyone to send it early. --- What remains unknown --- The full detail of the exemptions, including those for people who are digitally excluded, remains to be spelled out, as does how many taxpayers have completed this second update. The duty will extend to earnings above £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and to earnings above £20,000 from 6 April 2028. --- Unanswered questions --- How many of those required to file will send this second update before Saturday 7 November 2026? What difficulties will spreadsheet users with bridging software face? Will Saturday phone support and webchat be enough for those who leave the task until the final day? How will exemptions for digitally excluded people work? --- EPM analysis --- The clarifications reduce uncertainty on three fronts: nothing is payable on submission, receipt needs no confirming phone call and errors are fixed without resubmitting. Free options and spreadsheets with bridging software lower the entry barrier, although keeping digital records in order throughout the year remains a task for each taxpayer. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, this second update is the test of whether the new digital calendar becomes a manageable routine or a repeated burden for sole traders and landlords across the country. Separating the quarterly summary from the annual return, correcting errors without resubmission and offering support even on the Saturday deadline all reduce friction, but lasting confidence will depend on the system working smoothly and without disruption when the duty reaches the £30,000 and £20,000 earnings bands in the following years.
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