New VAT submission rules

farmerm · Aug 14, 2018

being forced to move to xero may be doing me a favour, hopefull what it costs will be offset by savings in my accountant (glorified book keeper) charges. Inherited a wonderful system where we run a paper version for working out VAT and then each year send the account a bag of receipts and invoices to produce end of year accounts, most of his fee is for re-entering the numbers into a spreadsheet. The numbers never seem to quite match up with what is in the VAT book either :scratchhead:

Lincsman · Aug 29, 2018

If you are on a really old sage how do you move data to xero or QB to carry on?

geoff570 · Aug 30, 2018

matthew said:
Just battling my way through this ^^.

Our accountant had a seminar where QB, Xero and Sage were explained. Except that he must be getting a bigger kickback from QB than the other two. He dismissed Sage out of hand, said Xero was about the same but didn't link to Lloyds bank. (need a third party router to balance that bank) so favoured QB.
The young person doing the explaining was / is not very good at it.
The monthly fee was a DD to the Accountant of an unspecified amount. So I bought QB on a trial 6 months.
That's £7.50 / month plus VAT then £15 / month. They provide backup and are helpful.

I had a play with it through 'expenses' portal', entering April's VAT but left the Bank Feed, I added 'Accountant' to the people allowed into your programme, and then went for an hour's tutorial. That was not very successful. More questions than answers, but the real niggle was that when I went to input something a week or so later, all the figures had changed. Our business's figures. The QB teenage tutor had been in there trying to force a balance between the bank and QB. Moved sales stuff over with no allocation etc. And some inevitable errors.

When I exploded at the Accountant and asked how I could 'delete' him, he said I couldn't. And if you go through an accountancy form, with them labelled 'Master Administrator' then i expect he was correct. But I had bought the programme so i am the MA. And he is deleted until I can (if ever) trust the company again.

As said, from next April, VAT returns have to be submitted on such a digital programme, and from 2020 at the earliest (and possibly not at all) accounts submitted quarterly to HMRC through it too.

Having done double entry book keeping from 1968, I am not stooopid, but all these programmes need setting up correctly, and info given in a way that relates to your business. That hasn't happened with the tutorial I've had.

1+ for Xero we’re with Lloyd’s and bank feed works fine

RAW24 · Aug 30, 2018

wr. said:
Our accountant is pushing Sage. Has anyone any experience with it?

We use sage and have done for years. Never had a problem with it. Whatever software you choose make sure your accountant can access it and support you with it.

Our accountant can supply sage but tells us you will get it cheaper elsewhere.

farmerdan7618 · Aug 30, 2018

Lincsman said:
If you are on a really old sage how do you move data to xero or QB to carry on?

I would just export the nominal to excel and save them.
Start xero at a year end and just put on opening balances from the accountant.

farmerdan7618 · Aug 30, 2018

matthew said:
Just battling my way through this ^^.

Our accountant had a seminar where QB, Xero and Sage were explained. Except that he must be getting a bigger kickback from QB than the other two. He dismissed Sage out of hand, said Xero was about the same but didn't link to Lloyds bank. (need a third party router to balance that bank) so favoured QB.
The young person doing the explaining was / is not very good at it.
The monthly fee was a DD to the Accountant of an unspecified amount. So I bought QB on a trial 6 months.
That's £7.50 / month plus VAT then £15 / month. They provide backup and are helpful.

I had a play with it through 'expenses' portal', entering April's VAT but left the Bank Feed, I added 'Accountant' to the people allowed into your programme, and then went for an hour's tutorial. That was not very successful. More questions than answers, but the real niggle was that when I went to input something a week or so later, all the figures had changed. Our business's figures. The QB teenage tutor had been in there trying to force a balance between the bank and QB. Moved sales stuff over with no allocation etc. And some inevitable errors.

When I exploded at the Accountant and asked how I could 'delete' him, he said I couldn't. And if you go through an accountancy form, with them labelled 'Master Administrator' then i expect he was correct. But I had bought the programme so i am the MA. And he is deleted until I can (if ever) trust the company again.

As said, from next April, VAT returns have to be submitted on such a digital programme, and from 2020 at the earliest (and possibly not at all) accounts submitted quarterly to HMRC through it too.

Having done double entry book keeping from 1968, I am not stooopid, but all these programmes need setting up correctly, and info given in a way that relates to your business. That hasn't happened with the tutorial I've had.

https://www.oldmillgroup.co.uk/events/details/making-tax-digital-clinic-wadebridge/ MTD clinic with xero demo at Royal Cornwall Showground on 3rd September. May give you an idea of what Xero is like to use. Let me know if anyone wants to go.

matthew · Aug 30, 2018

farmerdan7618 said:
https://www.oldmillgroup.co.uk/events/details/making-tax-digital-clinic-wadebridge/ MTD clinic with xero demo at Royal Cornwall Showground on 3rd September. May give you an idea of what Xero is like to use. Let me know if anyone wants to go.

Thanks. Booked.

radar · Nov 4, 2018

Whilst messing about on youtube happened upon a video from Absolute Excel vat filer which looks to be a cheap and easy way of linking existing spteadsheets to HMRC. Anyone seen this and any thoughts?

Farfrae · Nov 4, 2018

radar said:
Whilst messing about on youtube happened upon a video from Absolute Excel vat filer which looks to be a cheap and easy way of linking existing spteadsheets to HMRC. Anyone seen this and any thoughts?

Here is the software now approved by HMRC

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/software-for-sending-income-tax-updates#VAT

The list of companies with software in development is listed underneath. Absolute software are listed in this category.

Happy · Nov 4, 2018

So now that this and various similar threads on here have identified Xero as the likely way to go do you need to decide between windows or iOS versions of it or can all your information be stored on it with input from different platforms?

Got an iPhone, iPad & windows PC.
Most invoices emailed these days but some still paper. All paid for via internet banking from phone or iPad. Very rarely use the PC but guess that format would be preferred method of handover to accountants at year end.

Boysground · Nov 4, 2018

I mainly use a windows pc for Xero, it is supposed to work best on chrome. I also use it on ipad and iPhone with both chrome and the app. I haven’t had problems with any of these. On iPhone I can login with my fingerprint everything else you just need to remember your login and password. If you access it on a new machine you will get a message to check it’s you logging in.

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Farfrae · Nov 4, 2018

Happy said:
So now that this and various similar threads on here have identified Xero as the likely way to go do you need to decide between windows or iOS versions of it or can all your information be stored on it with input from different platforms?

https://central.xero.com/s/article/What-do-I-need-to-be-able-to-use-Xero

renewablejohn · Nov 4, 2018

Pheasant Surprise said:
Put a 4G broadband router with an external antenna up on the hill and use a WiFi connection to shoot the signal back to your house....

Sorry missed this. Dont really understand.I have broadband in the house and submitting the vat return online is not a problem. The problem arises because once HMRC have my figures they will then text my mobile a code to input into the computer but the text never arrives as I have no signal until I wander out of the house. By the time I get the text and wander back in to log it on the computer I am time locked out. How will what you are suggesting overcome the no signal on my mobile phone.

Pheasant Surprise · Nov 4, 2018

renewablejohn said:
Sorry missed this. Dont really understand.I have broadband in the house and submitting the vat return online is not a problem. The problem arises because once HMRC have my figures they will then text my mobile a code to input into the computer but the text never arrives as I have no signal until I wander out of the house. By the time I get the text and wander back in to log it on the computer I am time locked out. How will what you are suggesting overcome the no signal on my mobile phone.

No worries. If you’ve got decent broadband already - then you can use it to establish a decent mobile/voice service in your house.

Depending on your mobile network and handset you could either:

(a) use a mobile signal booster like a Vodafone Suresignal to re-create an actual small mobile phone cell and signal in your house.

(b) use a handset that supports native WiFi Calling (no apps etc necessary) it’s built into the operating software of the phone itself and the phone decides whether to use WiFi or actual mobile signal to make/ receive voice calls and text messages.

Hope that may help you a bit.

Boysground · Nov 5, 2018

I have no mobile signal in my house. There is a poor signal outside and I have very thick walls. All my families phones are on EE with Wi-fi calling. It is brilliant I wouldn’t have a mobile contract that does not support Wi-fi calling now.

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Pheasant Surprise · Nov 5, 2018

Boysground said:
I have no mobile signal in my house. There is a poor signal outside and I have very thick walls. All my families phones are on EE with Wi-fi calling. It is brilliant I wouldn’t have a mobile contract that does not support Wi-fi calling now.

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EE are the only carrier in the UK at the moment supporting the new eSIM, which once their provisioning process is up and running, should bring lots of benefits to phone users and hopefully cheaper and easier to move between carriers (or have a suite of carriers you can choose from on your phone), instant activation and no need for physical bits of plastic.

Apple began supporting eSIM as of yesterday in the UK with the release of iOS 12.1.

renewablejohn · Nov 5, 2018

Pheasant Surprise said:
No worries. If you’ve got decent broadband already - then you can use it to establish a decent mobile/voice service in your house.

Depending on your mobile network and handset you could either:

(a) use a mobile signal booster like a Vodafone Suresignal to re-create an actual small mobile phone cell and signal in your house.

(b) use a handset that supports native WiFi Calling (no apps etc necessary) it’s built into the operating software of the phone itself and the phone decides whether to use WiFi or actual mobile signal to make/ receive voice calls and text messages.

Hope that may help you a bit.

In theory option b I have already set up with my iphone linked to my broadband but for some reason it appears not to work. Broadband is with sky and mobile with plusnet. Do they both have to be with the same company to work.

chickens and wheat · Nov 5, 2018

renewablejohn said:
Sorry missed this. Dont really understand.I have broadband in the house and submitting the vat return online is not a problem. The problem arises because once HMRC have my figures they will then text my mobile a code to input into the computer but the text never arrives as I have no signal until I wander out of the house. By the time I get the text and wander back in to log it on the computer I am time locked out. How will what you are suggesting overcome the no signal on my mobile phone.

Just change login method . Hmrc will auto dial your landline and read the code out

Pheasant Surprise · Nov 5, 2018

renewablejohn said:
In theory option b I have already set up with my iphone linked to my broadband but for some reason it appears not to work. Broadband is with sky and mobile with plusnet. Do they both have to be with the same company to work.

Only 3, BT, O2, EE and Vodafone support WiFi Calling in the UK...and then only on particular contracts (generally pay monthly accounts)

List of carriers:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204040

How to set up WiFi Calling
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203032

renewablejohn · Nov 5, 2018

chickens and wheat said:
Just change login method . Hmrc will auto dial your landline and read the code out

No landline as taken out 5 years ago as every time we had heavy rain we lost the line. BT refused to put in new underground section below high voltage pylons.

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