28/09/2026
📢 3 UK tax updates every accounting practice should have on the radar
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is now in its first live tax year, and HMRC is already planning the next change. Here's what matters 👇
📅 7 November 2026: MTD for Income Tax Q2 update due
- Covers 6 July to 5 October 2026
- Quarterly updates are cumulative, so each one covers the tax year to date
- Next deadlines: Q3 on 7 February 2027 and Q4 on 7 May 2027
- The Final Declaration for 2026/27 is due 31 January 2028
⚠️ Penalty points start from the 2027/28 tax year
- 2026/27 has no penalty points for late quarterly updates
- But late Final Declarations and late payments are NOT covered by this easement
- From 2027/28, 4 penalty points trigger a £200 penalty
- The threshold falls to above £30,000 from April 2027, then above £20,000 from April 2028
🛡️ HMRC VAT Assist (planned for around April 2027)
- A voluntary pre-filing check: MTD software sends draft VAT return figures to HMRC
- HMRC compares them with information it already holds and sends a "digital nudge" if a rule spots a possible error
- It is rule-based, not AI, and it won't block filing
- An industry consultation is planned for early October 2026
💡 What this means for practices:
✔ Get clients' records categorised and reconciled before each quarter closes
✔ Diarise 7 Nov, 7 Feb and 7 May now
✔ Start talking to clients in the £30k to £50k band, because they come into scope in April 2027
✔ Tighten VAT return reviews before VAT Assist arrives
Clean digital records are no longer just good practice. They are the foundation of compliance.
At LekhaWekha (AskUs Consultants LLP), we support UK accounting practices with outsourced bookkeeping, VAT return preparation and compliance support, so your team can focus on advisory work and client growth.
📩 Want to free up capacity before the next deadline? Message us or visit lekhawekha.com
ℹ️ Information as of 28 September 2026. Please check HMRC guidance before acting.
