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What is Quarterly update?
A quarterly update is the summary of your income and expenses that you send to HMRC every three months under Making Tax Digital. It is a running total for the tax year so far, not a tax return, and no tax is calculated as final at that point.
Why it matters to landlords
Each property business (UK property, and self-employment if you have it) needs its own quarterly update. With standard quarters the deadlines are 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May.
Because figures are cumulative, a mistake in one quarter can be corrected in the next update. Adjustments such as allowances and reliefs are made later, when you complete your final declaration.
Example
For the quarter 6 April to 5 July, Tom records £9,000 rent and £1,400 of repairs and agent fees. His software sends those totals to HMRC by 7 August. In November he sends the totals from 6 April to 5 October.
MTD quarterly update deadlines for 2026 to 27 →