BusyBee Hub

Making Tax Digital: the key dates

A quick reference for the quarterly updates and the Final Declaration under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.

This is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice for your own situation. See our Terms of Service for what BusyBee Hub does and doesn't do.

Built and tested against HMRC's test service. Connecting to HMRC and sending updates and returns opens once HMRC approves BusyBee Hub for live use.

Quarterly update deadlines

Quarter ending 5 July
Due 7 August
Quarter ending 5 October
Due 7 November
Quarter ending 5 January
Due 7 February
Quarter ending 5 April
Due 7 May

The Final Declaration

Due by 31 January following the end of the tax year, the same date as your balancing payment. Review annual adjustments, other income and HMRC's calculation, then file the declaration from BusyBee Hub.

What happens if you miss one

For the 2026 to 2027 tax year there are no penalty points for late quarterly updates, though a late tax return still earns one. From 2027 to 2028, each missed quarterly update or return deadline earns a point; at 4 points HMRC charges a £200 penalty, and another £200 for each further missed deadline. HMRC's new late-payment penalties also apply once you're in Making Tax Digital. BusyBee Hub's tax timeline flags a deadline before it's due, and Radar reminds you again once it's inside 30 days, sooner if it's inside 7, so a missed update is never a total surprise.

Need the how-to?

How HMRC splits your tax year into the four quarterly periods.

Read: Standard or calendar quarters

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