I have been successfully submitting VAT returns via QuickFile for the last year or so. I came to process the VAT return that is due either today or tomorrow and it’s suddenly broken! The error message is:
“You are not yet authorised to view this report for the VRN nnnnnnnnn. Please ensure your VAT number is correct and you have connected the corresponding HMRC Tax Account. If you have recently enrolled on the MTD scheme please allow 24 hours for HMRC systems to update.”
We’ve not changed anything within QuickFile so I went in search of a .GOV website that might suggest the MTD service is down at present. I did find one reference to an HMRC service relating to Corporation Tax that is down this weekend, but nothing about MTD.
I saw a similar post on this forum, from a few days ago, but the person with the issue had evidently used the wrong account settings. However, one piece of advice that was given on that thread was:
“Completely delete the link so none are showing, then set it up again and run through the linking process.”
Apart from the fact that I couldn’t quite work out to delete the link, I’m a little reluctant to start messing around with the settings in QuickFile if the problems are due to the MTD service, or perhaps there’s been a change to VAT regulations since Brexit that means HMRC needs me to do something, before I can continue to submit MTD VAT Returns (not that our company really deals with anyone outside of the UK).
Any advice on why this might have suddenly broken or what I can do to try to fix it would be very gratefully received.
Having investigated this a bit further, I think the problem is with our HMRC VAT account. Having found out where I log in to MTD and ended up on the URL “https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/business-account”, this page provides our ‘Business tax summary’. The section on VAT says:
"
VAT
VAT registration number nnnnnnnnn
Your Returns
You have no returns to submit
"
It looks like HMRC have got their knickers in a twist and, for some unknown reason, don’t think we are due to submit a VAT Return. Their help desk isn’t available at weekends, so I guess I will just have to wait until Monday and make contact with them.
Probably nothing more for you folks on the forum to do here, but thanks to those of you who viewed this thread, in any case.
If you are still having problems with your HMRC link then if you go to Reports >> HMRC you should see the link there and if it has Failed then you will see a reason for this. It may be best to disconnect the account and then re-link it as the error you have mentioned sounds like the incorrect account has been linked
Thanks for your response. As it turns out, we’d been registered for MTD 18 months and, apparently, when you set up MTD, it only authorises the application (in this case QuickFile) for an 18 month period. After that, it becomes necessary re-authorise the application. HMRC told me to delete the expired authorisation from within my VAT account (not sure if this bit was really necessary) then I carried out the process you described, which I’d happened to stumble on within another thread within this forum in any case.
Why HMRC should have decided to expire these integration connections, heaven knows. It probably causes them and numerous people like me, who have fallen into the same trap, all sorts of unnecessary aggro.
Anyway, thanks again for your response. If the error message that is presented within QuickFile is generated by QuickFile, which I suspect is the case, could you perhaps consider adding a URL link to the error message that takes the user to a page that lists the different possible causes (such as this problem I had) and explains how to fix it? That could be really useful for others who fall into the same trap.