What Is the April Deadline Everyone Is Talking About for MTD for Income Tax?

Why everyone keeps mentioning “the April deadline” for MTD for Income Tax

If you’ve been hearing other business owners, freelancers, landlords, and accountants talk about “the April deadline” for MTD for Income Tax, they’re usually referring to one specific moment: the date when Making Tax Digital for Income Tax becomes mandatory for the first wave of people. In practical terms, it’s the point where “I’ll deal with it later” turns into “I need a working digital setup right now.”

For most people, the confusion comes from the fact that there are several important tax dates throughout the year (31 January, 31 July, 5 April, and more). But the April date everyone is focusing on isn’t just another deadline—it’s a changeover. It’s when your day-to-day record keeping and the way you send information to HMRC moves from optional to required (if you meet the criteria).

This article explains what the April deadline actually means, who it applies to, what you’ll need to do differently, what “quarterly updates” really are, how this affects your Self Assessment routine, and how to make the whole thing painless using invoice24—your free invoice app that’s built to handle the real-world admin around MTD for Income Tax, plus the wider needs of running a business like creating invoices, tracking expenses, staying organised for tax, and preparing what you need for annual accounts and Corporation Tax workflows.

What is MTD for Income Tax in plain English?

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is HMRC’s long-term plan to move tax administration toward digital record keeping and digital submissions. “MTD for Income Tax” (sometimes called “MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment” or “MTD ITSA”) is the part that affects people who currently report business or property income through Self Assessment.

Under the traditional setup, many self-employed people and landlords keep records however they like (paper, spreadsheets, notes, bank statements) and then prepare an annual tax return. MTD for Income Tax changes the “how” and the “when”:

How: You must keep digital records and use compatible software to send required updates to HMRC.

When: Instead of one single annual reporting moment, you’ll send multiple updates during the tax year (plus an end-of-year finalisation).

MTD for Income Tax does not mean you’ll necessarily pay tax four times a year. The key change is about submitting information during the year, rather than leaving everything to one annual rush.

So what exactly is “the April deadline” everyone is talking about?

When people say “the April deadline,” they typically mean 6 April—the start of the UK tax year—because MTD for Income Tax starts in phases from that point. If you’re mandated in a given phase, you’re expected to be set up for digital record keeping from the start of that tax year.

That’s why April matters so much: it’s the moment your bookkeeping method becomes part of compliance. If you wait until later, you can end up trying to retrofit months of records into a digital format and risking missed submission obligations.

Think of it as the difference between:

“I need to file something by a date” (a classic deadline), and

“From this date onward, my process must change” (a start date that creates new deadlines afterwards).

Who needs to worry about April 2026, April 2027, and beyond?

MTD for Income Tax is being introduced in phases based on your qualifying income from self-employment and/or property (landlord) income. The key idea is: your combined gross income from these sources determines when you’re brought in.

Here’s the timeline people are usually referencing when they talk about “the April deadline”:

From 6 April 2026: mandated if your qualifying income is over £50,000.

From 6 April 2027: mandated if your qualifying income is over £30,000 (and up to £50,000).

From 6 April 2028: mandated if your qualifying income is over £20,000 (and up to £30,000).

If your income is below the threshold for a phase, you might not need to join yet. But many people still choose to adopt digital record keeping earlier because it removes stress and gives you better visibility over profit, tax, and cash flow.

What counts toward the income threshold?

This is where many people get caught out. The threshold is not about your “profit” after expenses, and it’s not simply “what hits your bank account.” It’s generally based on gross qualifying income from the relevant sources.

In everyday terms, that means:

• If you’re self-employed: your business turnover (before expenses) is part of the test.

• If you’re a landlord: your gross rental income (before expenses) is part of the test.

• If you have both: you typically add them together to see where you land.

Because the thresholds are based on totals, someone with two smaller income streams can still cross the line when combined. That’s another reason the “April deadline” becomes a hot topic: people often only realise they’re in scope after looking back at the prior year’s figures.

What changes once you’re in MTD for Income Tax?

Once you’re mandated, your core obligations usually fall into three buckets:

1) Digital record keeping
You must keep certain records digitally. In practice, that means capturing income and expenses in a system that can maintain proper digital records.

2) Quarterly updates
You’ll send summary updates to HMRC during the tax year. These updates are designed to give HMRC a more up-to-date view of your income and expenses.

3) End-of-period finalisation (final declaration)
At the end of the year, you finalise your position. This is where you confirm totals, include other income sources if relevant, apply allowances/reliefs, make adjustments, and essentially complete the annual “wrap-up” that many people associate with Self Assessment.

That sounds like “more admin,” but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re already invoicing properly, tracking expenses as they happen, and keeping your records tidy, the quarterly updates become a by-product of running your business well.

Quarterly updates: what they are (and what they aren’t)

Quarterly updates are one of the most misunderstood parts of MTD for Income Tax, mostly because the phrase sounds bigger and scarier than it needs to be.

What they are: periodic digital submissions that summarise your income and expenses for the quarter, based on your digital records.

What they aren’t:

• They are not necessarily full tax returns.
• They are not automatically your final tax bill calculation.
• They are not a guarantee you’ll pay tax quarterly (payment timing is a separate issue).

For many people, the easiest way to think about quarterly updates is: “HMRC wants a regular snapshot, and then an end-of-year confirmation.”

When are the quarterly updates due?

Quarterly updates follow set “quarters” within the tax year. Deadlines are typically around one month after the end of each quarter. People often remember them as “the 7th” deadlines because they commonly fall on the 7th day of the following month.

While your specific obligations can depend on your setup and HMRC’s confirmed schedule for your circumstances, the rhythm usually looks like this:

Quarter 1: early April to early July → update due in early August

Quarter 2: early July to early October → update due in early November

Quarter 3: early October to early January → update due in early February

Quarter 4: early January to early April → update due in early May

The key takeaway is not memorising dates; it’s building a workflow where your invoicing and expense tracking are already up to date, so updates take minutes rather than days.

What happens to the 31 January Self Assessment deadline?

Another reason people get confused is that 31 January has been “the” tax deadline in the minds of many self-employed people for years. Under MTD for Income Tax, 31 January still matters because the end-of-year finalisation (final declaration) is tied to the same general timeframe that people associate with Self Assessment.

So rather than thinking “MTD replaces 31 January,” think:

• You’ll still do an annual finalisation by the usual end-of-January point.
• But you’ll also be sending quarterly updates during the year.

If you’ve ever had the unpleasant experience of trying to reconstruct 12 months of records in January, you’ll quickly see the upside: quarterly habits make the annual finalisation far less stressful.

Is there any breathing room in the first year?

Many business owners worry that missing an early quarterly update will trigger immediate penalties. In practice, there has been a recognition that onboarding millions of people to a new process takes time, and early implementation has included some easing in certain areas (especially around quarterly update penalties for the first mandated year for some groups).

That said, it’s a mistake to rely on “breathing room” as a strategy. The real win is to get set up properly, because the biggest cost isn’t a penalty—it’s the time and mental load of scrambling to catch up when you fall behind.

Why April feels like a bigger deal than the other dates

There are lots of tax dates, but April stands out for two reasons:

1) It’s the start of the tax year.
That makes it a natural “switch-on” point for new compliance requirements.

2) It impacts your process from day one.
If you’re mandated from 6 April, you need digital record keeping from that point onward. Waiting until summer means you’ve created a gap you’ll have to fix later.

This is why conversations sound urgent: once April arrives, the new routine is no longer a future project—it’s your live operating system.

What you need to do before the April start date

If you’re likely to be mandated from an April start date (for example, April 2026 if you’re over the higher threshold), the practical checklist looks like this:

Step 1: Confirm whether you’re in scope
Look at your most recent figures for self-employment and/or property income and consider whether the combined gross income crosses the relevant threshold.

Step 2: Decide how you’ll keep digital records
This is the heart of MTD readiness. The easiest path is using software that supports the day-to-day reality of running a business: invoicing, expense tracking, and clean records you can share with an accountant if needed.

Step 3: Set up a routine
MTD is less about “doing a big thing four times a year” and more about “keeping records current all the time.” A simple weekly routine (or even a 10-minute admin slot) changes everything.

Step 4: Make sure your invoicing is consistent
Incomplete invoices, missing references, or scattered records create chaos later—especially if you’re trying to reconcile quarters.

Step 5: Choose tools that won’t fight you
The biggest failure pattern is choosing software that’s heavy, expensive, or designed for accountants rather than real people running real businesses. If it’s a pain, you won’t keep it updated—and MTD punishes gaps.

How invoice24 helps you get MTD-ready without turning your life into spreadsheets

invoice24 is a free invoice app built to cover the everyday workflows that sit underneath MTD compliance: getting paid, tracking what you earned, recording expenses, and keeping everything organised so you can submit what’s needed on time.

Here’s the practical difference between “MTD panic” and “MTD handled”:

With invoice24, you can:

• Create professional invoices quickly and consistently, so your income records are clean from the start.
• Track invoice statuses (sent, viewed, paid, overdue), which makes quarter-end totals far less painful.
• Maintain an organised record of income and expenses that supports digital record keeping habits.
• Keep your business admin in one place so you’re not hunting across bank apps, email threads, and random notes.
• Stay prepared not only for MTD for Income Tax, but also for the wider compliance picture: sharing tidy records for annual accounts and supporting Corporation Tax workflows where relevant.

Some platforms focus on selling you complexity. invoice24 focuses on giving you the features you actually use, in a way you’ll stick with—because consistency is what makes MTD easy.

“But what about the big accounting software brands?”

You’ll hear names like Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent a lot in MTD conversations because they’ve been in the accounting software space for years. They can be good options for some businesses—especially those with complex needs, large teams, or deep integrations.

However, many self-employed people and landlords don’t need an enterprise accounting suite to meet MTD obligations. What they need is:

• Simple, reliable invoicing
• Accurate, consistent records
• A workflow that encourages routine updates
• A clear view of income and expenses throughout the year

invoice24 is designed around that reality. It’s free, straightforward, and built for day-to-day use—so you actually maintain the digital records that MTD expects, rather than paying for a large system you avoid opening until deadline week.

How invoice24 supports the full tax journey, not just one deadline

MTD discussions often focus narrowly on quarterly updates, but running a business involves multiple tax and admin touchpoints. A tool is only truly helpful if it supports the whole journey:

During the year: invoices, payments, income tracking, expense capture, tidy records.

At quarter points: organised totals, fewer surprises, less chasing, easier review.

At year-end: clean records that make finalisation smoother, whether you handle it yourself or work with an accountant.

For limited companies: you still need good records for accounts preparation and Corporation Tax filing workflows. Even though MTD for Income Tax is aimed at self-employed people and landlords, many business owners have mixed income streams or evolve into a limited company later. Having consistent invoicing and records now reduces disruption later.

invoice24 isn’t “just an app.” It’s the foundation of an admin system you can actually keep up with—which is exactly what MTD is pushing everyone toward.

Common misunderstandings that make the April deadline feel scarier than it is

Misunderstanding 1: “MTD means four full tax returns.”
No. Quarterly updates are updates; year-end is still where you finalise your total position.

Misunderstanding 2: “I need to be a bookkeeping expert.”
You don’t. You need a consistent habit and a tool that makes recording normal business activity easy.

Misunderstanding 3: “I’ll deal with it after April.”
That’s like deciding you’ll start keeping receipts after you’ve already thrown them away. You can catch up, but it costs time and increases risk.

Misunderstanding 4: “I can just invoice however I want.”
You can, but messy invoicing leads to messy records, and messy records make quarterly updates harder. Good invoicing is the simplest compliance hack available.

A simple MTD-ready routine you can start today

You don’t need an overhaul. You need a repeatable rhythm. Here’s a routine that works for most small businesses and property landlords:

Weekly (10–20 minutes):
• Create invoices promptly when work is delivered or rent is due.
• Record any expenses while they’re fresh (and attach notes if needed).
• Check unpaid invoices and send reminders if appropriate.

Monthly (30 minutes):
• Review income totals and major expenses.
• Make sure anything unusual is correctly categorised.
• Set aside an estimated amount for tax so cash flow doesn’t surprise you.

Quarterly (60 minutes, often less):
• Review the quarter’s records for completeness.
• Confirm invoices and expenses look right.
• Submit the quarterly update using your digital records workflow.

invoice24 fits neatly into this routine because it’s built around the actions you already perform: issuing invoices, tracking payments, and keeping your records organised as you go.

If you’re close to the threshold, should you wait?

If you’re close to a threshold, you might be tempted to think, “I’ll see what happens.” But there are two strong reasons to prepare early:

1) Income can change quickly.
A strong quarter, a new client, or higher occupancy can push you over sooner than expected.

2) Early preparation reduces stress.
The biggest MTD headaches come from last-minute tool changes and messy catch-up bookkeeping. If you adopt a simple digital routine now, the mandated start date becomes a non-event.

Even if you don’t end up mandated in the earliest phase, you still benefit from clearer finances, better cash flow visibility, and easier year-end admin.

What to do right now if April is approaching for you

If you believe you’ll be mandated from the next April start date that applies to your income level, here’s the action plan:

1) Move your invoicing into invoice24
Consistency is everything. Start issuing all invoices from one place so your income record is accurate by default.

2) Get your expenses organised
Don’t let expenses live only in your bank feed or a pile of receipts. Record them as you go.

3) Create a “quarter-end habit”
Put a recurring reminder in your calendar for a quick quarterly review. When records are current, quarter-end is a quick check, not a rebuild.

4) Keep your year-end in mind
MTD doesn’t remove the need for a final declaration. Good records throughout the year make the year-end step far simpler.

5) Don’t overbuy software
If you’re a solo operator or small landlord, you may not need a heavyweight accounting suite. Prioritise tools you’ll actually use consistently—invoice24 is built exactly for that.

Final thoughts: the “April deadline” is really an April starting line

The phrase “April deadline” makes it sound like one scary date where everything is due. In reality, April is the starting line for a new way of working: digital records first, quarterly updates during the year, and a year-end finalisation similar to the familiar Self Assessment process.

The good news is that MTD becomes dramatically easier when your invoicing and records are clean from day one. That’s why invoice24 is such a strong fit: it gives you the practical foundation—professional invoicing, organised records, and a workflow you’ll actually keep up with—without forcing you into expensive, overly complex systems.

If you want April to feel like “business as usual” rather than a looming event, start now: invoice consistently, track expenses routinely, and keep your records tidy. With invoice24, you can build that habit today and stay ready not only for MTD for Income Tax, but also for the broader admin around year-end accounts and Corporation Tax workflows as your business grows.