All VAT-registered businesses with a turnover in excess of £85,000 will be required to comply with Making Tax Digital for VAT.

MTD for VAT comes into force for VAT periods commencing on or after 01 April 2019. For businesses submitting monthly VAT returns, their first return to be compliant with MTD will be their return for April 2019.  For businesses submitting quarterly returns the first VAT return to be compliant with MTD will be for the quarter ended 30 June 2019.

Yes, you too will be required to submit your annual VAT return using MTD compliant software. There are no expected changes to the way in which traders pay their VAT liabilities under the annual accounting scheme.

You will be required to submit your VAT returns through MTD compliant software. As the flat rate scheme VAT payable is calculated from the business sales, only the sales records will need to be kept digitally, and any capital goods in excess of £2,000 (inclusive of VAT).

Digital records are the main difference between the MTD for VAT and the current online filing of VAT returns. The new VAT regime require a seamless audit trail from the digital VAT account to HMRC’s systems, via a prescribed software gateway (API). Businesses within the scope of MTD will need to maintain digital records of every transaction that affects their VAT position, and preserve those digital records in support of their returns in the same way as for physical records under the online filing process.

No – a digital image of each invoice is not required.

It is up to the business how they wish to record their digital records. Records can be kept directly in an integrated accounts package, such as Xero/Quickbooks, or in a separate system such as an Excel spreadsheet. However, the record must be capable of automated transfer into the process which creates and submits the MTD compliant VAT return.

For sales the digital record has to include; the time of the sale, the value of the supply and rate of VAT charged For supplier invoices the digital record must include; the time of any supply, the value of supply (including any VAT not claimable) and amount of input tax to be claimed.

For sales the digital record has to include:

• the time of the sale,
• the value of the supply,
• rate of VAT charged on it

For supplier invoices the digital record must include:

• the time of any supply,
• the value of supply (including any VAT not claimable)
• the amount of input tax to be claimed.

Yes, but for now using complementary software is likely to be the only practicable route. The information needs to be submitted to HMRC via an API.

We recommend importing the data from your spreadsheets into a compatible accounting package such as Xero/Quickbooks, or alternatively to use bridging software which takes the date from your spreadsheet and allows this to be submitted to HMRC via an API.

If you wish to remain registered for VAT, you will need to continue to submit VAT returns under MTD once you have joined the scheme, regardless of whether your annual turnover has dropped below £85,000.

HMRC will receive exactly the same information as it does under the current system. The new system removes the chance of entering the wrong figures in the VAT boxes when submitting the VAT return as the data is submitted direct from the software.

No, the EC sales list is not covered by MTD and therefore will need to be submitted in the same way following the introduction of MTD.

No, retailers within a retail scheme can record end of day/end of week reports in a digital format for VAT reporting under MTD. There is also no need to apply for this exemption, provided you are registered under a retail scheme.