MTD VAT Accounting
We prepare and file your quarterly VAT returns. You stop logging in to HMRC, and you stop worrying about the deadline.
ICAEW chartered accountants. Fixed quarterly fees. Office in Ilford, working with businesses across the UK.
ICAEW Chartered Accountants, membership Z10zyrJ. We take on businesses that are up to date and businesses that are behind.
Who this is for
You need to file VAT returns digitally if your business is VAT registered. That applies whether you registered because you crossed the threshold or because you chose to register early.
This is not optional and there is no small business exemption. Every VAT registered business has to keep digital records and file through recognised software.
HMRC's old free online VAT form has closed. If you used to type your figures straight into the HMRC website, that route is gone.
So if any of these describe you, this page is for you:
- You are VAT registered and still filing manually or from a spreadsheet you are unsure about
- You file your own returns and dread it every quarter
- You have a bookkeeper who enters the data but nobody who checks it
- You have had a VAT return rejected, or you have missed a deadline
- You are about to register for VAT and want it set up correctly from day one
What usually goes wrong
These are the problems we fix most often. They are rarely about the tax itself.
Figures that have never been checked
Software submits whatever you put in it. It does not know that you claimed VAT on something you cannot claim VAT on. Nobody finds out until HMRC does.
Copying and pasting between spreadsheets
MTD requires a digital link between your records and your submission. Copying a total from one sheet into another breaks that link, even though the number is correct.
Claiming VAT on the wrong things
Entertaining, some vehicle costs and mixed personal use are the usual culprits. These are easy to get wrong and expensive to be caught on.
The wrong VAT scheme
Flat Rate, Cash Accounting and Annual Accounting each suit different businesses. Many businesses are on a scheme that was right when they registered and wrong now.
Deadlines that creep up
Four returns a year, each with its own deadline. Late submissions now build up penalty points, and the points carry over.
What is included
Exactly what we do, every quarter. No vague promises.
We prepare your VAT return
We take your records, sort them, and produce the return. You do not have to format anything first.
We check it before it goes
A qualified accountant reviews the figures before submission. This is the part bookkeeping software cannot do.
We file it with HMRC
We submit through recognised software, on time, every quarter. You approve, we file.
We keep your digital records compliant
We make sure the digital link between your records and your return is unbroken, so the audit trail holds up. See our digital bookkeeping service.
We review your VAT scheme
We check whether Flat Rate, Cash Accounting or Standard is right for you, and tell you if switching would save money.
We handle software setup and migration
We choose the software, connect your bank, and move you across if you are switching from a spreadsheet or another provider.
We deal with HMRC for you
If HMRC queries a return, we respond. You are not left to explain it yourself. See our HMRC investigations support.
We tell you what you owe, early
You get your VAT figure well before payment is due, so you can plan cash flow instead of reacting.
How it works
Five steps, from your first call to your first filed return.
Quick call
We go through your business, your VAT scheme and how your records are kept now. Free, no obligation.
Fixed quote
We give you a fixed quarterly fee. You know the price before you commit.
Setup
We get agent authorisation with HMRC, set up or connect your software, and link your bank.
Moving your records
If you are switching, we bring your history across and check the last returns filed were correct.
The quarterly cycle
Each quarter we collect, prepare, check and submit. You get the figure early and a reminder before payment is due.
Pricing
Full Service
- Quarterly bookkeeping
- VAT and income tax updates
- Year-end finalisation
- Tax planning
What affects your price
Your fee depends on how many transactions run through the business each quarter, which VAT scheme you use, whether you trade internationally, and how your records arrive with us. We confirm the exact figure after the first call, before you commit to anything.
Our fees are fixed and agreed up front. No hourly billing and no surprise invoices. See our fees for all of our MTD accounting plans.
Why this matters for VAT registered businesses
Three things make VAT different from other tax work.
It happens four times a year
Income tax is an annual event. VAT is a quarterly rhythm. A problem in your records does not sit quietly for twelve months. It surfaces within weeks, and then again, and again.
The digital link rule catches careful people
Businesses that keep tidy spreadsheets are often the ones that fail this. Their figures are right. Their method breaks the rule, because the total was typed across rather than linked.
Penalties are points based now
Late submissions build up points rather than triggering a fine straight away. That sounds gentler, and it makes people relaxed about a single late return. The points accumulate quietly until a penalty lands.
If you want to understand the rules themselves rather than hand the work over, our VAT guide covers them in full.
Why businesses choose us
Only real, checkable reasons.
We are ICAEW chartered
We are a firm of Chartered Accountants, regulated by the ICAEW, membership Z10zyrJ. You can verify that on the ICAEW register.
A qualified person checks your return
Not an automated validation. An accountant who knows what cannot be claimed.
Making Tax Digital is our specialism
This practice is built around Making Tax Digital. It is not a service we added on.
Fixed quarterly fees
You know the cost up front.
We take on businesses that are behind
If you have missed returns or had one rejected, that is a normal starting point for us, not a reason to turn you away.
A real office
Our office is in Ilford, IG1 1BA. You are welcome to visit.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use software for VAT, or can you just file it for me?
HMRC requires digital records and submission through recognised software. We choose it, set it up and run it for you, so you never have to learn it yourself.
I am VAT registered but very small. Am I exempt?
No. Every VAT registered business has to follow the digital rules, regardless of turnover. The only exemptions are narrow, such as digital exclusion or certain religious grounds.
What if I have already missed a VAT return?
That is a normal starting point. We check what has been filed, correct what needs correcting, bring you up to date and take over from the next quarter.
Can I still use my spreadsheet?
Yes, if it is linked properly to the submission. The risk is copying and pasting between sheets, which breaks the digital link even when the numbers are right. We check this before anything goes to HMRC.
Which VAT scheme should I be on?
It depends on your margins, your cash flow and whether your customers are VAT registered. We review this as part of setup and tell you if switching would save money.
Do you handle my income tax as well?
Yes. Many clients use us for both VAT and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, under one fee. Ask on the first call.
How do I switch from my current accountant?
We write to them, collect your records and handle the handover. You do not have to have an awkward conversation.
Get a fixed quarterly quote
Tell us about your business and we will give you a fixed quarterly price, plus an honest view of whether your current VAT setup is compliant. The call is free and there is no obligation.
ICAEW Chartered Accountants, membership Z10zyrJ. Office in Ilford, IG1 1BA.
