Key takeaways

  • Under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, the final declaration is the year-end tax return. HMRC's guidance now simply calls it the tax return.
  • The MTD tax return is due by 31 January after the tax year and must be submitted, and amended, through compatible MTD software.
  • The End of Period Statement was removed, as confirmed in HMRC's Small Business Review outcome of 22 November 2023.
  • Before you submit, make all adjustments to self-employment and property figures, then add other income such as savings interest, dividends and partnership profit shares.
  • People who join MTD on 6 April 2027 file their first MTD tax return, for 2027/28, by 31 January 2029. Their 2026/27 return is filed the normal way by 31 January 2028.
  • Only the client's main agent can submit the MTD tax return. A supporting agent cannot.
  • A late MTD tax return earns one penalty point. At four points HMRC charges a £200 penalty.

The MTD final declaration does not replace the tax return: it is the tax return, sent from MTD software instead of HMRC’s online Self Assessment service. HMRC’s current guidance, last updated on 16 October 2026, no longer uses the phrase “final declaration” and just says “submit your tax return”. It is due by 31 January after the end of the tax year, as before.

What is the MTD final declaration?

The final declaration is the single year-end submission that finalises your tax position across all income sources. HMRC’s Small Business Review outcome, published on 22 November 2023, describes it as “equivalent to the current Income Tax Return”.

The term still appears in software and older guidance, but it means the same thing.

What happened to the End of Period Statement?

The End of Period Statement (EOPS) was scrapped before MTD for Income Tax began. In the same review outcome, the government agreed “to remove this requirement”, saying it would simplify the service.

That leaves three types of submission:

SubmissionHow oftenDeadline
Quarterly updateFour times a year7 August, 7 November, 7 February, 7 May
AdjustmentsOnce, at year endBefore the tax return
Tax return (final declaration)Once a year31 January after the tax year

See our MTD quarterly deadlines calendar for every update date to 2028.

What goes into the MTD tax return?

The return covers all your income for the year, not just the business figures in your quarterly updates. HMRC’s submit your tax return guidance splits it into what HMRC adds and what you add.

HMRC adds some information for you:

  • PAYE employment income and pensions
  • certain state benefits
  • Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) deductions
  • residential property disposals
  • Marriage Allowance claims

You must add:

  • savings interest and dividends
  • partnership profit shares
  • payrolled benefits in kind not subject to Class 1A National Insurance
  • any other income or gains HMRC has not added
  • any losses

You do not need digital records for these other sources, but your software must be able to report them.

How do you submit it, step by step?

You submit the return from compatible software once the fourth quarterly update is in. Follow these steps.

  1. Send all four quarterly updates. The fourth, covering the full year to 5 April, is due by 7 May.
  2. Correct errors in your digital records. HMRC asks you to fix mistakes in the records themselves, not as adjustments.
  3. Make year-end adjustments. Remove disallowable expenses, cut personal use, claim allowances such as the trading income allowance or Rent a Room relief (up to £7,500), and record capital allowances.
  4. Add accounting adjustments if relevant. Prepayments and accruals apply only if you use traditional accounting, not the default cash basis.
  5. Add your other income and reliefs. Include everything HMRC has not pre-populated.
  6. Check the tax calculation. It also shows in your HMRC online account or agent services account.
  7. Declare and submit. You confirm the information is “correct and complete to the best of your knowledge”.

When is the first MTD tax return due?

Your first MTD tax return is for the first tax year you are in MTD. Your previous year’s return is still a normal Self Assessment return.

  • If you joined on 6 April 2026 (qualifying income over £50,000 in 2024/25): file 2025/26 the normal way by 31 January 2027. Your first MTD tax return, for 2026/27, is due by 31 January 2028.
  • If you join on 6 April 2027 (qualifying income over £30,000 in 2025/26): file 2026/27 the normal way by 31 January 2028. Your first MTD tax return, for 2027/28, is due by 31 January 2029.
  • If you join on 6 April 2028 (qualifying income over £20,000 in 2026/27): your first MTD tax return, for 2028/29, is due by 31 January 2030.

Our MTD for Income Tax timeline explains how qualifying income is measured.

Who can submit the MTD tax return?

You, or your main agent, can submit it. HMRC’s guidance says agents can submit a client’s return only if they are the client’s main agent. A supporting agent can help with quarterly updates but cannot file the return.

Can you amend an MTD tax return?

Yes, within 12 months of the 31 January deadline. HMRC says you must use compatible software to make the change. HMRC also says you cannot claim a repayment through MTD itself; its help and support page explains how.

What are the penalties for a late MTD tax return?

A late tax return earns one penalty point. At four points HMRC charges £200, and another £200 for each later missed deadline, according to HMRC’s MTD penalties guidance.

Late payment is penalised separately. For 2027/28, HMRC charges 4% of tax unpaid at day 15, a further 4% at day 30, then a yearly rate of 10%. In your first year of the new penalties you get 30 days before any charge. Budget 2026 removed quarterly update points for April 2027 joiners in their first year, but late returns still count: see our Budget 2026 MTD post.

MTD does not change payment dates. Balancing payments and payments on account are still due on 31 January and 31 July. Our payments on account calculator estimates them.

What to do now

  • April 2027 joiners: file 2025/26 by 31 January 2027, since HMRC uses it to confirm your qualifying income.
  • Check your software files the return. Some products only send quarterly updates. You can use more than one product, but only one for each submission.
  • Agents: confirm you are authorised as the client’s main agent before January.

Frequently asked questions

Is the final declaration the same as a Self Assessment tax return?

Yes. HMRC describes it as equivalent to the Income Tax Return. Under MTD you send it from compatible software instead of HMRC’s online form.

When is the MTD final declaration due?

By 31 January after the end of the tax year. For the 2027/28 tax year that is 31 January 2029.

Do I still need to send an End of Period Statement?

No. The government agreed to remove the End of Period Statement in November 2023, before MTD for Income Tax started.

Can my bookkeeper submit my MTD tax return?

Only if they are authorised as your main agent. A supporting agent cannot submit the return.

Does the MTD tax return include my salary and dividends?

It includes all your income. HMRC adds PAYE employment income, but you must add dividends, savings interest and partnership profit shares yourself.

Sources

Rates, thresholds and rules in this guide were checked against HMRC and GOV.UK guidance on 6 November 2026. Tax rules change, so check the current position on GOV.UK or with a qualified adviser before acting. This guide is general information, not personal advice.