Checklist

Getting ready for your first quarterly update

Direct answer

Before your first quarterly update is due: confirm you're keeping digital records of every transaction (not periodic totals), confirm your software is genuinely MTD-compatible, know your exact reporting period and deadline, and do a final review of your records for anything obviously missing before you submit.

Before the quarter even starts

Confirm you're actually in scope for MTD for Income Tax this year — see our qualifying income guide
Choose and set up MTD-compatible software before your first reporting period starts
Know your exact reporting periods and deadlines from HMRC's current guidance

During the quarter

Record each item of income and each expense as it happens, not in a batch at the end
Keep receipts or evidence attached to records where your software supports it
Separate self-employment records from property records if you have both

Before you submit

Review the period's totals for anything that looks obviously wrong or missing
Confirm you're submitting for the correct period, not an adjacent one
Submit before the deadline, not on it — leave room for a software issue

Frequently asked

What if I realise I made a mistake after submitting?

MTD-compatible software generally allows corrections to a previously submitted period — check your specific software's process, and HMRC's guidance on amending submissions.

Do I need to submit even if I had no income that quarter?

In general, yes — a nil update may still be required if you're within MTD and had no qualifying activity in a given period. Confirm against current HMRC guidance.

How long does a quarterly update actually take once records are up to date?

If your digital records have been kept properly through the quarter, submitting the update itself is meant to be a short, largely automated step — most of the real work is the ongoing record-keeping, not the submission.

Read HMRC's official guidance ↗

Reviewed: 9 September 2026 · Source: HMRC guidance (linked above) and Quarter Day's own product plans, kept separate — general information, not tax advice.

See the record → review → send flow.

The process this checklist is preparing you for.

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A calmer first quarterly update.

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