Sole Trader Tax GuideUpdated 2026-10-13HMRC 2026/27

What the 7 November and 7 February MTD updates actually are

Making Tax Digital quarterly updates are category totals filed in recognised software. A receipt app does not file them.

✓ VerifiedFact-checked against HMRC Business Income Manual (BIM45000), EIM31240, and statutory sole-trader record rules.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax started on 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords whose qualifying income was over £50,000. The next deadlines in this tax year are 7 November 2026 (cumulative figures to 5 October) and 7 February 2027 (cumulative figures to 5 January). People under the threshold stay on the annual return.

A receipt app does not file them

Quarterly updates are totals by category, sent through software HMRC has recognised. Receipts Dock does not connect to HMRC and does not submit an update. If you are in Making Tax Digital, your bookkeeper or your filing software does that. What we can hand them is a clean pack of receipts and mileage for the same dates.

If your income is under the threshold, ignore the quarterly dates and use 31 January.

Statutory Record-Keeping Notice: Under Section 12B of the Taxes Management Act 1970, UK sole traders must keep and preserve all records needed to deliver a correct and complete return. Receipts Dock preserves your photos and CSV ledgers for 6 full years. This guide is for record-keeping purposes and is not formal tax advice.

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