MTD - falling between MTD and old system

Sharing info from client who fell between MTD and old system, in case it helps anyone else

Didn't find your answer?

You couldn't make this up....

E-mail from HMRC "Higher Officer":

"Thanks for your email; sorry to hear that you are experiencing difficulties with submitting your 07/19 VAT return. I believe that this problem is related to your recent migration to Making Tax Digital (MTD).

Upon investigation, it would appear that you have been migrated to MTD from 29/08/19 with a tax obligation start date of 01/08/19, therefore you are unable to submit the 07/19 obligation covering the period 01/05/19 – 31/07/2019 using either the earlier or new submission methods.

To assist you with your enquiry, please can you contact the VAT helpline on the following telephone number: 0300 200 3700  and ask to be put through to the Making Tax Digital support team and explain the above situation. It is my understanding that to resolve the problem, the tax obligation start date of 01/08/2019 needs to be altered to 01/05/2019 – the new system would then accept the 07/19 VAT return. Unfortunately I am unable to make these changes for you as I do not have access to the appropriate systems and it is required to be completed through the official channels."

Fantastic - so not within either old or new system!!

The solution (after much chasing) was for HMRC to send out a paper VAT Return for completion!

Problem solved by ignoring the digital pathway altogether.  Can't wait to complete more paper VAT Returns... 

Anyone else having similar issues?

 

 

Replies (10)

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By barberbuzz
19th Sep 2019 13:33

I am having a similar problem with incorrect Return dates meaning a client couldn't submit his first MTD Return to 6/19 on time.
He uses Quickbooks and I am not sure if the incorrect dates are generated by the software or HMRC.
He had a change of stagger date last year. So there was a 2 month Return a few Returns ago. But the dates on QB have this as a 3 month one and the following ones are therefore incorrect.
Have spent ages with QB support to no avail.
I expect next step will be spending ages to HMRC VAT support
Sigh ..................

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Replying to barberbuzz:
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By johnhemming
19th Sep 2019 13:51

You can find out where the problem is by setting up a bridging system and using that to find out if there are obligations. Ideally you want a flexible system which allows a wide range of requests to HMRC.

This, however, might be a missing obligation error and probably lies with HMRC.

Red Five explained how to deal with these.

Bridging software will explain the details of where the problem is.

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Chris M
By mr. mischief
24th Sep 2019 11:51

I might be. I get an error message "no VAT returns outstanding" from VT software.

The VAT helpline is no good as their system is totally down and they can't look at any records.

If Boris Johnson needs a new job where his utter incompetence and lack of a clue will go unnoticed, he could do a lot worse than apply to HMRC.

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Replying to mr. mischief:
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By Matrix
24th Sep 2019 12:00

Ditto.

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Replying to Matrix:
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By GMacK
25th Sep 2019 11:02

HMRC system still down today (25 Sept). Typically, it is one of the more demanding clients whose MTD signup has gone pear-shaped.

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Replying to GMacK:
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By Matrix
25th Sep 2019 11:22

My client is a MTD filing only client. I am charging £75 per quarter to pick up his excellent handwritten records, put them on VT and file. All fine except no VAT returns outstanding and he will think I am a muppet.

I wish that either I hadn’t taken on the work or I had applied for an exemption.

He has filed using the gateway no problem for years.

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By GMacK
26th Sep 2019 15:25

HMRC's systems now working. It seems there was a technical problem with sign-ups for MTD on 19 September only. The migration has been only "partial", so our old Gateway has the client as signed up for MTD. However, I can't submit digitally, as the software tells me no VAT returns are outstanding. HMRC do at least know about the problem. I will just have to wait and see what happens and have told the client to pay his liability on time.

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Replying to GMacK:
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By Matrix
27th Sep 2019 16:04

I have just managed to submit mine so see if yours is now working!

I also registered this client for MTD on 19 Sept, HMRC said it was stuck like yours but would be resolved by the end of the week and it just went through.

I did kick up a MASSIVE fuss yesterday, asked to be put through to MTD complaints team and got a reference and names.

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Replying to Matrix:
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By GMacK
27th Sep 2019 16:24

Yes, I got the long-awaited confirmation email this morning, and the VAT return went through fine. This does not compensate for the time spent on the phone with that fatuous recorded voice suggesting there is "lots of information on our website" and asking me if I want to import a car.

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Replying to GMacK:
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By Matrix
27th Sep 2019 17:13

No we will never get that time back and can’t charge clients but I felt a bit better after complaining.

A client has just lost their second dog this year and contacted me to say she couldn’t face MTD this quarter. So she is going to submit as normal. I would not normally advise this (she uses VT so it should take me seconds but I lost so much time on the recent one I can’t face helping her if it all goes wrong). Until the 19th I thought MTD was pretty straightforward!

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