Choose standard or calendar quarters in MTD ITSA Setup before the first quarterly update of the tax year – HMRC won’t accept a change once an update has been sent.
Steps
- Check which quarter type the taxpayer uses. GOV.UK explains standard quarters (from 6 April) and calendar quarters (from 1 April).
- Go to Settings (the cog, top right) → MTD ITSA Setup.
- Choose standard or calendar in the Tax Quarter field, check the Tax Year, and select Save.
- Go to General Ledger → MTD ITSA and check the quarter end dates match your choice.
Known errors and how to fix them
Find the message you’re seeing:
- Your quarters show 6 April to 5 July when you chose calendar quarters
- Your quarter type won’t save, or you see RULE_BUSINESS_ID_STATE_CONFLICT
- “The selected Tax Year is earlier than the current default Tax Year”
- “Tax year is outside the supported range” (RULE_TAX_YEAR_NOT_SUPPORTED)
Your quarters show 6 April to 5 July when you chose calendar quarters
What you’ll see
- General Ledger → MTD ITSA shows standard quarter dates although Tax Quarter is set to calendar.
Why it happens
BrightBooks builds each quarterly update from the quarter dates HMRC holds for the income source. If HMRC still holds standard quarters, BrightBooks shows standard quarters.
How to fix it
- Go to Settings (the cog, top right) → MTD ITSA Setup and check Tax Quarter and Tax Year.
- If you haven’t sent an update this tax year, choose calendar, select Save and refresh General Ledger → MTD ITSA.
- If you’ve already sent an update this tax year, keep using the dates shown. Choose your quarter type before the first update of next tax year.
- If you’re unsure how to treat transactions dated 1 to 5 April, ask your accountant or HMRC.
Still not working? Contact us if: you haven’t sent an update this tax year and the dates still don’t change after you save and refresh – this is a known issue we’re investigating.
Your quarter type won’t save, or you see RULE_BUSINESS_ID_STATE_CONFLICT
What you’ll see
- The change from standard to calendar (or back) doesn’t save, or an error contains RULE_BUSINESS_ID_STATE_CONFLICT.
Why it happens
HMRC rejects a quarter-type change that conflicts with the current state of the business – most often because an update has already been sent for that tax year.
How to fix it
- Keep the current quarter type for the rest of this tax year.
- Before the first update of next tax year, go to MTD ITSA Setup, choose your quarter type and select Save.
Still not working? Contact us if: no update has been sent this tax year and the change still won’t save.
“The selected Tax Year is earlier than the current default Tax Year”
What you’ll see
- This warning when you change the Tax Year or Tax Quarter.
Why it happens
It’s an information message, not an error.
How to fix it
- Check the tax year is the one you’re reporting for, then continue.
“Tax year is outside the supported range” (RULE_TAX_YEAR_NOT_SUPPORTED)
What you’ll see
- A submission error saying the tax year is outside the supported range.
Why it happens
The tax year selected doesn’t match a year HMRC accepts for quarterly updates.
How to fix it
- Check the Tax Year in Settings (the cog, top right) → MTD ITSA Setup.
- Check the tax year you chose on the import screen, if you used the MTD template.
- Generate the update again.
Still not working? Contact us if: the tax year is correct and the error continues.
Still need help?
Contact our support team. Send us the business name, tax year, and screenshots of MTD ITSA Setup and General Ledger → MTD ITSA.
Find out more on GOV.UK