'Almost half' of people miss new August 2026 HMRC legally required deadline

The new system isn't optional10:11, 22 Aug 2026Almost half the people have missed a new HMRC tax deadline.‌It relates to those eligible for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax having missed the first filing deadline, according an analysis from accountancy and business advisory group Azets. Figures from HMRC showed 436,000 taxpayers filed their first MTD for Income Tax quarterly update on time on August 7 – 50.5% of those who should have.‌It is a legal requirement and not optional, although HMRC has said that there will not be any penalties for missing deadlines in the first year. But with more than 864,000 people in scope of the initiative, an estimated 428,000 self-employed, sole traders and landlords had missed the first quarterly deadline.‌Fraser Campbell, UK head of accountancy and