How to choose an update period
If you do nothing, you default to standard tax-year quarters (periods ending 5 July, 5 October, 5 January, and 5 April).
Calendar quarters (ending 30 June, 30 September, 31 December, and 31 March) suit businesses whose year naturally runs April to March and who prefer clean month-ends. They are also easier if you already report VAT on calendar quarters.
- Use standard quarters if your business year already aligns with the tax year (April to April).
- Use calendar quarters if you run an April–March accounts year and want quarter-ends on calendar month-ends.
Deadline dates do not change — only how the quarter periods are defined. Make the election in your software before your first update of the year.
First MTD year (2026/27)
If you start Making Tax Digital from 6 April 2026, activity in the 1–5 April 2026 window before obligations begin may need to be handled separately in your year-end tax return. Check your software guidance for how it treats that short opening period.
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