diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 14dfe14d..6e9212d0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ v8.0.3
 ======
 
 * fix #918 for good - remove external importlib-metadata to avoid source only loop
+* fix #926: ensure mypy on python3.8 works with the version file
 
 v8.0.2
 ======
diff --git a/src/setuptools_scm/_integration/dump_version.py b/src/setuptools_scm/_integration/dump_version.py
index 1dd280b9..36790fa8 100644
--- a/src/setuptools_scm/_integration/dump_version.py
+++ b/src/setuptools_scm/_integration/dump_version.py
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@
     ".py": """\
 # file generated by setuptools_scm
 # don't change, don't track in version control
-from __future__ import annotations
+TYPE_CHECKING = False
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from typing import Tuple
 
 __version__ = version = {version!r}  # type: str
-__version_tuple__ = version_tuple = {version_tuple!r}  # type: tuple[int | str, ...]
+__version_tuple__ = version_tuple = {version_tuple!r}  # type: Tuple[int | str, ...]
 """,
     ".txt": "{version}",
 }
diff --git a/testing/test_basic_api.py b/testing/test_basic_api.py
index 95afa0f3..3af099a3 100644
--- a/testing/test_basic_api.py
+++ b/testing/test_basic_api.py
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ def read(name: str) -> str:
     assert lines[-2:] == [
         "__version__ = version = '1.0.dev42'  # type: str",
         "__version_tuple__ = version_tuple = (1, 0, 'dev42')"
-        "  # type: tuple[int | str, ...]",
+        "  # type: Tuple[int | str, ...]",
     ]
 
     version = "1.0.1+g4ac9d2c"
diff --git a/testing/test_functions.py b/testing/test_functions.py
index f7a74812..afa45d3b 100644
--- a/testing/test_functions.py
+++ b/testing/test_functions.py
@@ -137,7 +137,11 @@ def test_dump_version_mypy(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     if mypy is None:
         pytest.skip("mypy not found")
     dump_a_version(tmp_path)
-    subprocess.run([mypy, "--strict", "VERSION.py"], cwd=tmp_path, check=True)
+    subprocess.run(
+        [mypy, "--python-version=3.8", "--strict", "VERSION.py"],
+        cwd=tmp_path,
+        check=True,
+    )
 
 
 def test_dump_version_flake8(tmp_path: Path) -> None: