Two HMRC deadlines UK freelancers face this fortnight: 31 July and 7 August 2026

Published 24 July 2026.

Two HMRC deadlines fall within a fortnight of each other this summer, and the second one is brand new. If you are self-employed in the UK, at least one of them almost certainly applies to you.

31 July 2026: second payment on account

If you file a Self Assessment return, your second payment on account for the 2025/26 tax year is due by midnight on 31 July 2026.

Each payment on account is normally half of your previous year's tax bill. A £6,000 bill last year means two payments of £3,000, one in January and one at the end of July. It is not an extra tax, it is an advance on what you will owe.

If you miss it, HMRC charges interest from the day after the deadline at 7.75%, the rate in force since 9 January 2026 and set at the Bank of England base rate plus 4%. A 5% late payment penalty is added to anything still unpaid after 30 days.

If you know this year will be leaner, you can ask HMRC to reduce the payment using form SA303, online or by post. Be careful with the estimate though: if you reduce it too far and your actual liability comes in higher, HMRC charges interest on the shortfall backdated to the date the original payment was due. Guessing low to ease cashflow can cost more than it saves.

If you genuinely cannot pay, contact HMRC before the deadline rather than after. A Time to Pay arrangement agreed in advance is a very different conversation from an unexplained missed payment.

7 August 2026: your first Making Tax Digital update

This is the one catching people out, because it has never happened before.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax went live on 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with gross income above £50,000. Those affected must keep digital records and send HMRC a summary of income and expenses every three months.

The first quarterly update covers 6 April to 5 July 2026 and is due by 7 August 2026. If you use calendar quarters instead, yours covers 1 April to 30 June and is due on the same date. HMRC has written to more than 864,000 sole traders and landlords about it.

After this, the standard quarters end on 5 July, 5 October, 5 January and 5 April, each due roughly a month and a week later.

The threshold is misread constantly

The £50,000 is gross income, not profit. It is your total invoiced turnover before a single allowable expense comes off. Plenty of freelancers with profits well under £50,000 are inside the rules and do not realise it. If you have both self-employment and property income, they are combined for the test.

Two things worth knowing

There is a soft landing. HMRC will not apply late submission penalty points for quarterly updates during the 2026-27 tax year. Missing 7 August is not a disaster, but the digital records still have to exist and the update still has to be filed.

Quarterly updates do not replace your tax return. They are summaries, not filings. Your Self Assessment for 2025/26 is still due by 31 January 2027, and a final declaration replaces the return from the following year.

It widens from here

The threshold drops to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028. If you are not caught this year, there is a good chance you will be within two.

What to do this week

1. Check whether your 2025/26 gross income crossed £50,000. Turnover, not profit.
2. If it did, confirm your software is MTD-compatible and that April to July is actually in it.
3. Work out what your 31 July payment on account is, and whether it is realistic against this year's income.
4. If it is not, file an SA303 before the deadline rather than simply paying less.

For the wider picture on setting money aside, allowable expenses and choosing accounting software, see our guide to managing your freelance finances and taxes. If you are still getting set up, the freelance startup checklist covers the paperwork side.

This is general information, not tax advice. Figures and deadlines are correct as at 24 July 2026. Check GOV.UK or speak to an accountant about your own position.

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