Software to do my VAT?

[lockhart flawse]

We have a small farm that is VAT registered and as part of "making tax digital" we are now going to have to submit our VAT claims online using
approved software. Can anyone suggest a free, simple to use software package we can download to do this please?

[AndrewCrown]

LF

I use Clearbooks and Xero... Yes they are subscription £20 something a month. If you value your time the annual subscription and ease at which one can do a VAT return means they are almost paying you... if you get my drift.

[lockhart flawse]

Thanks but there are only a few transactions and it takes me very little time so l am more interested that it's a free programme.

[ChrisPackit]

I assume you would have an accountant? Well, each quarter I do the VAT calculations for my business and then send over to my accountant who punches in the numbers where they need to go. He doesnt charge me for the service as I assume it takes him 5 minutes a quarter. Might be more simple than buying new software?

HTH

C

[Eric Mc]

That's what I do for a small number of clients. However, it is very much a "patch" type solution to digital submissions and does not really provide HMRC with what they were expecting from MTD. I reckon these patch software type methods of submitting will eventually be closed down.

HMRC really wants business to genuinely use digital software for their record keeping. That is the whole point of MTD.

[Regbuser]

Look at portico free mtd

[Ham_and_Jam]

Several reviews of free VAT MTD software here-

https://www.prowess.org.uk/mtd-filing-your-vat-ret...

I currently use Tax Optimiser and find it very simple to use, even though they only score 5/10 in the review.

Anna looks good and I may switch as Tax Optimiser are not honouring my discounted rates they promised as an early adopter

[egomeister]

https://www.comsci.co.uk/100PcVatFreeBridge.html

[Ham_and_Jam]

egomeister said:

https://www.comsci.co.uk/100PcVatFreeBridge.html

That’s in the review I posted above 5/10

[Road2Ruin]

I use a bridging program called 100% vatfree or something like that. It's listed on the hmrc website.

Easy to download, punch the numbers in their pre-set up spreadsheet. Click the file where the data is (the spreadsheet you just did) in the software. When you go to submit it you will be prompted to put in your hmrc gateway details, confirm you are happy and then away you go. Took me about 10 mins first time. From now on I would guess less than 5 mins.

[Ham_and_Jam]

Road2Ruin said:

I use a bridging program called 100% vatfree or something like that. It's listed on the hmrc website.

Easy to download, punch the numbers in their pre-set up spreadsheet. Click the file where the data is (the spreadsheet you just did) in the software. When you go to submit it you will be prompted to put in your hmrc gateway details, confirm you are happy and then away you go. Took me about 10 mins first time. From now on I would guess less than 5 mins.

You mean the one being discussed on both of the posts above

[Freakuk]

If you know what's coming in and out in a simple spreadsheet you just need bridging software, I use 123 sheets not free costs about £40 per year, £10 a quarter is how I look at it.

[Tommo87]

Another 123 sheets user here.

You effectively input the same information that went into the pre digital form, into their spreadsheet and then upload it, to HMRC.

Simples.


I did originally try quickbooks when digital first came out, but they sent my first return via the pre digital method, when they had a weekend system hut down, and refused to speak to speak to HMRC when HMRC asked them to confirm the mistake.

Edited by Tommo87 on Friday 25th February 15:25

[Road2Ruin]

Ham_and_Jam said:

Road2Ruin said:

I use a bridging program called 100% vatfree or something like that. It's listed on the hmrc website.

Easy to download, punch the numbers in their pre-set up spreadsheet. Click the file where the data is (the spreadsheet you just did) in the software. When you go to submit it you will be prompted to put in your hmrc gateway details, confirm you are happy and then away you go. Took me about 10 mins first time. From now on I would guess less than 5 mins.

You mean the one being discussed on both of the posts above

Lol, sorry didn't look at the link 😅

[plasticpig]

Road2Ruin said:

I use a bridging program called 100% vatfree or something like that. It's listed on the hmrc website.

Easy to download, punch the numbers in their pre-set up spreadsheet. Click the file where the data is (the spreadsheet you just did) in the software. When you go to submit it you will be prompted to put in your hmrc gateway details, confirm you are happy and then away you go. Took me about 10 mins first time. From now on I would guess less than 5 mins.

You are not complying with MTD if you have to type the numbers into a pre setup Excel sheet. You are not complying if you cut and paste the numbers in either.

[MattsCar]

plasticpig said:

Road2Ruin said:

I use a bridging program called 100% vatfree or something like that. It's listed on the hmrc website.

Easy to download, punch the numbers in their pre-set up spreadsheet. Click the file where the data is (the spreadsheet you just did) in the software. When you go to submit it you will be prompted to put in your hmrc gateway details, confirm you are happy and then away you go. Took me about 10 mins first time. From now on I would guess less than 5 mins.

You are not complying with MTD if you have to type the numbers into a pre setup Excel sheet. You are not complying if you cut and paste the numbers in either.

This is correct.

[Ean218]

MattsCar said:

plasticpig said:

Road2Ruin said:

I use a bridging program called 100% vatfree or something like that. It's listed on the hmrc website.

Easy to download, punch the numbers in their pre-set up spreadsheet. Click the file where the data is (the spreadsheet you just did) in the software. When you go to submit it you will be prompted to put in your hmrc gateway details, confirm you are happy and then away you go. Took me about 10 mins first time. From now on I would guess less than 5 mins.

You are not complying with MTD if you have to type the numbers into a pre setup Excel sheet. You are not complying if you cut and paste the numbers in either.

This is correct.

But HMRC have no way of knowing that.

[Eric Mc]

HMRC originlly sated that MTD would not allow the use of spreadsheets. They then relented because of the massive backlash. They still state, however, that any figures submitted from a spreadsheet MUST be "live" figures from an active spreadsheet and not just figures manually typed into cells.

At the moment, they have no means of spotting whether the figures they are getting have been merely copied and pasted or not.

In other words, the information they are getting is no different to what they got under the previous VAT Return "direct entry" method.

[lockhart flawse]

Hi. Still struggling with this....

I have always done the farm accounts with a pencil and paper. VAT - I calculated manually and entered the figures via the HMRC website. I send a big pile of paperwork to our accountant each year and they calculate the annual loss. It's always a loss unfortunately.

But so far as I can see from both Anna and 100percent, I now have to run an excel spreadsheet for my VAT figures. I have never used Excel in my life although I receive plenty of Excel reports.

So do I have to set up a VAT spreadsheet on Excel or OpenOffice (does it work?) and then upload the figures using one of the bridge software packages?

[JABB]

I use Freeagent. It is free with my bank account, NatWest.