I’m wondering if anyone has a clear idea when we small, sole traders must pull the trigger on MTD for VAT? The relevant Gov.uk web page says this:
Operative date
From their first VAT period starting on or after 1 April 2022, VAT registered businesses (including self-employed and landlords) that are not already required to operate MTD under the requirements applying from 1 April 2019 will have to:
As this is mid-period for me, and my first VAT period starting on or after 1 April 2022 runs from1 May to 31 July, I’m wondering if this means I’ll still be able to submit my current period return in the old way (ie, via the HMRC website)?
I’m already using QuickFile, to ensure I know how it works before I have to go live with MTD VAT, but I’m wondering if I can therefore hold off activating MTD VAT until May?
Thanks for that. I interpreted it the same way. However, I called HMRC today and, after the usual 30+ minutes on hold, I was told that it was better to sign up before 1st April to avoid any potential penalties.
The assistant wasn’t unhelpful but, as so often with these things, one quickly understand that the frontline staff have little to no more information or knowledge than oneself: they’re just applying their own interpretations of whatever documentation other civil servants have prepared for them.
I’m posting this only for completeness. I’m not sure if it’ll be of help to anyone, as I’m still really none the wiser – but I have just clicked the button to sign up, because I’ll anyway need to for the next period, whatever the true meaning of the HMRC guidance.
The period starting on or after 1st April is the first one for which you must use MTD, you may choose to use MTD for earlier periods as well if you wish. But it’s a trap-door process - once you sign up for MTD with HMRC then you must use MTD for all your returns from that point on, i.e. now you’ve clicked the button you will no longer be able to submit your Feb-Apr return the old way, you will have to use the QuickFile MTD tools to do so.
Blockquote But it’s a trap-door process - once you sign up for MTD with HMRC then you must use MTD for all your returns from that point on
Yeah, I pretty much knew that. It doesn’t really make a whole lot of difference to me as I’m already up and running in QuickFile. Shame the HMRC folks couldn’t have been a bit clearer on the point, though: I did suspect I could push it MTD to the next period. Ah well – what’s done is done!