HMRC Reminds Sole Traders: Making Tax Digital Update Due 7 November

HMRC said on 2 November that sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 must send their second Making Tax Digital for Income Tax quarterly update by Saturday 7 November 2026, according to its own announcement. If that is you, the date is this week, and it falls on a weekend.

HMRC says the rule became mandatory for that group from 6 April 2026. If your first update went in during August, you already know the routine. If you earn above the line and have not started, speak to HMRC or an accountant now rather than on Friday.

HMRC is keen to stress what a quarterly update is not. In its words, it is not a tax return: it is a short summary of self-employment and property income and expenses, sent through compatible software. HMRC says there is no tax calculation involved and no payment due when you send it. Your overall tax position is only worked out when you submit your tax return for the 2026 to 2027 tax year.

It also answers a few worries. If your first update went through, HMRC says there is no need to contact it to check, because your submission history is visible in your online account or your software. If you spot a mistake in an earlier period, HMRC says to correct the record as soon as possible, and the correction shows up in your next update, so there is no need to resend the old one.

On software, HMRC says there are recognised options for different needs, including some free ones, and that spreadsheets can be used with bridging software. It points to a guide on GOV.UK for choosing one.

The Saturday deadline does not mean you must send it by Friday: HMRC says you can send it before or on 7 November, and encourages people to send as early as they can. It says phone support will run on Saturday 7 November from 9am to 3pm through the Self Assessment helpline, for anyone who needs help.

More people are coming. HMRC says the rule extends to those earning more than £30,000 from 6 April 2027, and more than £20,000 from 6 April 2028, which we covered in an earlier story. This is a tax matter, not a website one, and we are not accountants, so check your own position with HMRC or one. Our guides cover the other money and legal questions a small business website raises, and if you have a question about the website side, get in touch.