Help.I have taken on client with 2 companies but there previuos bookkeeper has messed up there accounts but i havent much time to get all accounts done up to date could i pick this current vat period to do return then go back after i have submitted this one and then re do the others before as they have submitted returns up to december but i need to do jan to march period iand i havent got the time to redo the whole year again which client wants is it possible to just enter the transactions for this current period then submit then go back and redo the other data and vat returns?confusing myself hope you can understand my meaning
VAT Returns in QuickFile can only be committed in date (chronological) order, oldest to newest. If you file this current return, the only way you will then be able to go back and file earlier returns is if you first rollback the most recent return. This will only be an internal change on QF, it won’t roll anything back with HMRC.
You could set the start date to the date of this current return, file the VAT return. Then later when you have time make a note of the box totals, roll-back that return and go back and file the earlier ones then the current one again.
You may not even need to go back and file the earlier VAT returns on QF, as you could just journal in the VAT liability for any historic returns. Going back and committing earlier returns would allow you to file them again with HMRC, but I’d guess you’d need to advise HMRC of this first as they will probably just expect the latest return to be filed.
i know some of the items ive put on have not been classed as vat in the old data which previous bookkeeper done.I have set up affinity programme as client now has 3 companies so set them up as 1 login for all 3 companies.
So what I was thinking if I find missed vat on previous vat returns I would do adjustments in the present vat period at the time so it would not mess up the data already filed with Hmrc on quick books. Just that accountant not giving much to me to get started and running out of time to do present vat return so makes sense to do all current info then go back to old data.Would I need to change start dates for vat in the company or could i say i want it to pick up all vat from Jan to March and then file that then put new start date in for vat to be calculated from does that make sense.
When filing the first VAT return on QF it will automatically bring forward all activity even before the VAT period, but never before the start date. So you can use the start date as a wall to prevent items on older returns from being brought forward.
If you were to later revert that first return so you can go and process the earlier ones, you can then push the start date right back again. If you determine any discrepancy against what was filed and the amount was not a significant deviation from your usual quarterly figures you could probably just adjust that into the next return.
Some of the transactions have been put on before this current vat period of jan to march would these be picked up in the vat period of current as its accural vat or if i had a start date of 01.01.2016 in the vat it will only pick up this current period as I am trying to get another person to put on the older data so i can concentrate on new data is this possible or will it screw up the vat returns?sorry just so much work to be done with not much time to sort.
Correct, if you set the start date to 01/01/2016, nothing prior to that will be picked up on the VAT Return. We’d still always recommend you check the backing report before committing the return to HMRC just so you’re 100% clear what’s on there.