This guide helps explain the MTD VAT onboarding process for agents in more detail. To begin the MTD VAT onboarding process, please see our guide on how to enable MTD VAT Submissions.
Navigate to Tax > VAT > MTD onboarding to begin running through the onboarding wizard.
Each time you complete the action(s) in each step of the wizard, a green tick will replace the orange exclamation mark.
1. Information about MTD for VAT.
The first step in the wizard gives a bit more information about MTD for VAT. Click the Next button to proceed once you have read and understood this information.
2. Review Your Clear Books VAT settings.
Click on the Update VAT settings button and make sure the VAT number is correct, and the correct VAT scheme has been applied.
Clicking on this button will redirect you to the Settings > Organisation > Details&Tax > Tax menu, please make sure to fill in all the details correctly.
To make any corrections to your VAT scheme, please click here to view our guide.
To return to the onboarding wizard, head to Tax > VAT > MTD onboarding.
3. Enable this Clear Books account for MTD VAT Submission.
This step should be completed by default when you toggled on the MTD submissions setting. If it has been toggled off at any stage, click on the Enable MTD for VAT return button.
4. Set up your HMRC Agent Services Account
As an agent, to get ready for MTD VAT, HMRC have a 5 step process, explained in detail on their Making Tax Digital for VAT as an agent guide.
Your ASA can easily be connected with your existing government gateway account and all your existing clients can be transferred or you can authorise new ones by using the onscreen button.
For more help and advice on how to complete this process please contact HMRC’s dedicated MTD help service for Agents 0300 200 3311.
5. Authorise Clear Books software to submit VAT returns to HMRC
Click on the Authorise button.
You will then be redirected to the Government Services website, where you will have to click on the Continue button,
Important! You must enter your Government Gateway credentials (created in step 4 above) and hit the Sign In button.
On the next page you will be instructed to click on the Grant Authority button authorise Clear Books. Once you have authorised Clear Books as the software for MTD VAT submissions on one client, all clients, with MTD enabled in Clear Books, will be authorised.
6. Find out about our enhanced MTD VAT features
Now that you have completed the onboarding wizard you can begin creating and submitting MTD VAT returns. Click on the Prepare MTD VAT return button, which will redirect you to the VAT return page.
To learn more about how to process and submit the return, please click on this link to view our MTD VAT submissions guide.
