# Update a compliance task

> The tasks.update operation: PATCH /api/v1/tasks/{id} in the REST API and the tasks_update tool in the MCP server.

Changes an unfinished task: assign it to a member (or unassign with `null`), set or remove its due date,
change its priority, tick checklist items (send the whole `checklist`), or move it between `open` and
`in_progress`, or to `cancelled` when it isn't needed. Finished tasks (`done`, `failed`, `cancelled`) and
tasks waiting for an approval don't change (`task_status_invalid`); finish a task with `tasks.complete` or
`tasks.submit`.

While someone holds the task's lease (`tasks.claim`), only they can change it (`task_claimed`). When the
holder moves it back to `open`, cancels it or assigns it to someone else, the lease ends.

The assignee must be a member who may work on the entity's tasks in this mode (owners, admins, tax
managers and finance at the organization or this entity). An overdue prerequisite task raises
`PREREQ_OVERDUE`; moving its due date reports it again only when the new date passes.

## At a glance

- **REST:** `PATCH /api/v1/tasks/{id}`
- **MCP tool:** `tasks_update`
- **Operation ID:** `tasks.update`
- **Scope:** Organization, or one of its legal entities or brands
- **Permission:** `tasks:write`
- **Risk tier:** `write`
- **Dry run:** Supported (send `Ownrecord-Dry-Run: true`)
- **Idempotency:** `Idempotency-Key` optional
- **Modes:** Test and live
- **Authentication:** API key with the `tasks:write` scope
- **Since:** M7

## Request

### Path parameters

| Field | Type        | Description |
| ----- | ----------- | ----------- |
| `id`  | `task_…` ID |             |

### Body

A JSON object (`Content-Type: application/json`):

| Field              | Type                                      | Required | Description |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| `assignee`         | object or null                            | No       |             |
| `dueAt`            | date-time or null                         | No       |             |
| `priority`         | one of `low`, `normal`, `high`, `urgent`  | No       |             |
| `status`           | one of `open`, `in_progress`, `cancelled` | No       |             |
| `checklist`        | array of object                           | No       |             |
| `checklist[].text` | string                                    | Yes      |             |
| `checklist[].done` | boolean                                   | Yes      |             |
| `expectedVersion`  | integer (at least 1)                      | No       |             |

## Response

`200 OK` with a JSON object:

| Field                | Type                                                                                                                             | Description |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| `id`                 | `task_…` ID                                                                                                                      |             |
| `object`             | `"task"`                                                                                                                         |             |
| `type`               | one of 12 values, e.g. `registration.prerequisites`, `registration.prepare`, `registration.submit` (all in the OpenAPI document) |             |
| `entityId`           | `ent_…` ID                                                                                                                       |             |
| `livemode`           | boolean                                                                                                                          |             |
| `regimeId`           | string or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `registrationId`     | `regn_…` ID or null                                                                                                              |             |
| `filingPeriodId`     | `fp_…` ID or null                                                                                                                |             |
| `prerequisiteCode`   | string or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `title`              | string                                                                                                                           |             |
| `description`        | string or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `priority`           | one of `low`, `normal`, `high`, `urgent`                                                                                         |             |
| `status`             | one of `open`, `claimed`, `in_progress`, `awaiting_approval`, `done`, `failed`, `cancelled`                                      |             |
| `reason`             | one of 11 values, e.g. `auto_blocked`, `existing_customer_sale`, `prerequisite_open` (all in the OpenAPI document) or null       |             |
| `dueAt`              | date-time or null                                                                                                                |             |
| `overdue`            | boolean                                                                                                                          |             |
| `assignee`           | object or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `claimedUntil`       | date-time or null                                                                                                                |             |
| `leaseActive`        | boolean                                                                                                                          |             |
| `completeWith`       | one of `tasks.complete`, `tasks.submit`                                                                                          |             |
| `needsAuthorization` | boolean                                                                                                                          |             |
| `inputs`             | array of object                                                                                                                  |             |
| `inputs[].kind`      | string                                                                                                                           |             |
| `inputs[].fileId`    | `file_…` ID or null                                                                                                              |             |
| `inputs[].data`      | object or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `outputs`            | object or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `authorizationId`    | `atz_…` ID or null                                                                                                               |             |
| `approvalRequestId`  | `apr_…` ID or null                                                                                                               |             |
| `failure`            | object or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `checklist`          | array of object                                                                                                                  |             |
| `checklist[].text`   | string                                                                                                                           |             |
| `checklist[].done`   | boolean                                                                                                                          |             |
| `createdAt`          | date-time                                                                                                                        |             |
| `updatedAt`          | date-time                                                                                                                        |             |
| `completedAt`        | date-time or null                                                                                                                |             |
| `completedBy`        | string or null                                                                                                                   |             |
| `version`            | integer (at least 1)                                                                                                             |             |

## Examples

### Assign the task and start it

```http
PATCH /api/v1/tasks/task_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xae
Authorization: Bearer or_test_…
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "assignee": {
    "type": "user",
    "id": "usr_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xh6"
  },
  "status": "in_progress",
  "expectedVersion": 1
}
```

Response (`200`):

```json
{
  "id": "task_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xae",
  "object": "task",
  "type": "registration.submit",
  "entityId": "ent_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xh4",
  "livemode": true,
  "regimeId": "EU_OSS_NON_UNION",
  "registrationId": "regn_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xag",
  "filingPeriodId": null,
  "prerequisiteCode": null,
  "title": "Submit the EU One-Stop Shop, non-Union scheme registration",
  "description": "The grace deadline for EU One-Stop Shop, non-Union scheme wasn't met, so new consumer sales were blocked automatically. The legal deadline is 2026-11-10. Existing customers' renewals, top-ups and refunds continue and are taxed pending registration. Submit the registration, then record it here.",
  "priority": "urgent",
  "status": "in_progress",
  "reason": "auto_blocked",
  "dueAt": "2026-11-10T22:59:59.000Z",
  "overdue": false,
  "assignee": {
    "type": "user",
    "id": "usr_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xh6"
  },
  "claimedUntil": null,
  "leaseActive": false,
  "completeWith": "tasks.submit",
  "needsAuthorization": true,
  "inputs": [
    {
      "kind": "registration",
      "fileId": null,
      "data": {
        "registrationId": "regn_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xag",
        "regimeId": "EU_OSS_NON_UNION",
        "jurisdictionIds": ["EU"],
        "state": "blocked_b2c",
        "stateReason": "grace_deadline_missed",
        "triggeredAt": "2026-10-14T09:00:00.000Z",
        "deadlineAt": "2026-11-10T22:59:59.000Z"
      }
    },
    {
      "kind": "registration_packet",
      "fileId": null,
      "data": {
        "registrationId": "regn_01m4ttwd3veh9apbewxheq5xag",
        "regimeId": "EU_OSS_NON_UNION"
      }
    },
    {
      "kind": "playbook",
      "fileId": null,
      "data": {
        "regimeId": "EU_OSS_NON_UNION",
        "playbookKind": "registration"
      }
    }
  ],
  "outputs": null,
  "authorizationId": null,
  "approvalRequestId": null,
  "failure": null,
  "checklist": [
    {
      "text": "Check the prerequisites and read the playbook",
      "done": true
    },
    {
      "text": "Submit the registration application to the authority",
      "done": false
    },
    {
      "text": "Submit this task with the receipt and the authorization",
      "done": false
    },
    {
      "text": "Confirm the registration when the number arrives",
      "done": false
    }
  ],
  "createdAt": "2026-11-07T00:07:00.000Z",
  "updatedAt": "2026-11-08T09:15:00.000Z",
  "completedAt": null,
  "completedBy": null,
  "version": 2
}
```

## Errors

| Code                                                                                           | HTTP status | When                                                             | What to do                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [`validation_failed`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#validation_failed)         | 400         | Nothing to change, or a value is invalid.                        | Fix the fields listed in `details.issues` and send the request again.                                                                                                                       |
| [`resource_not_found`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#resource_not_found)       | 404         | No task with this ID in this organization, entity and mode.      | Check the ID and that your credentials are scoped to the right organization, entity, brand and mode.                                                                                        |
| [`task_status_invalid`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#task_status_invalid)     | 409         | The task is finished, or it waits for an approval.               | Reload the task: finished tasks (`done`, `failed`, `cancelled`) don't change, and a task waiting for an approval changes only through that approval. `details.status` is the task's status. |
| [`task_claimed`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#task_claimed)                   | 409         | Someone else holds the task's lease.                             | Work on another task (`tasks.list` with `claimable: true`), or try again after `details.claimedUntil`: an expired lease frees the task. `details.assignee` is who holds it.                 |
| [`task_assignee_invalid`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#task_assignee_invalid) | 400         | The person isn't a member who may work on this entity's tasks.   | Assign a member of the organization who may work on tasks for this legal entity in this mode (an owner, an admin, a tax manager or finance, at the organization or this entity).            |
| [`version_conflict`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#version_conflict)           | 409         | The task changed since `expectedVersion`, or at the same moment. | Fetch the object again and retry the change.                                                                                                                                                |
| [`permission_denied`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#permission_denied)         | 403         | You can't work on compliance tasks here.                         | Ask an organization owner or admin for a role or scope that allows this action.                                                                                                             |

It can also return these [common errors](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference.md#common-errors): [`api_version_unsupported`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#api_version_unsupported), [`invalid_json`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#invalid_json), [`unsupported_media_type`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#unsupported_media_type), [`authentication_required`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#authentication_required), [`api_key_invalid`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#api_key_invalid), [`idempotency_key_reused`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#idempotency_key_reused), [`idempotency_in_progress`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#idempotency_in_progress), [`approval_required`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#approval_required), [`approval_rejected`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#approval_rejected), [`approval_expired`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#approval_expired), [`stale_approval`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#stale_approval), [`approval_policy_denied`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#approval_policy_denied), [`rate_limited`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#rate_limited), [`internal_error`](https://ownrecord.io/docs/reference/errors.md#internal_error).
