If your company is registered for VAT, then you will periodically have to submit VAT returns. Continue reading below for a step-by-step guide of how to review and file your VAT return with Ember.
Do remember, if you are subscribed to our Full Service with VAT plan we will support you with your first VAT return submission. Just reach out to the accounting team via the pink Intercom chat icon in your Ember account, or email ([email protected]) to request.
Whether youâre filing your first return or your fiftieth, Emberâs new VAT experience helps you file faster, more easily, and with greater confidence.
Hereâs how it works:
đ 1. Find your VAT return
Go to the VAT menu from the main navigation. Here youâll find your VAT overview screen, listing all your historic, active, due and overdue submissions. We list returns in date order, showing active ones first, followed by any due or overdue ones.
You can also access your VAT returns and VAT payment deadlines directly from My Tasks, which helps ensure you meet all filing and payment deadlines.
VAT Return Statuses and their meaning:
Active: This return covers your current period. You can review it to see how much VAT you owe or are owed today based on the bank transactions, client invoices, supplier invoices, and expenses youâve entered.
Due: These return periods have finished, and if your Ember account is up-to-date, you can file them now.
Overdue filing: These return periods have passed their due date, and you should file them as soon as possible to avoid further VAT penalties or charges from HMRC.
Payment due and Payment overdue: Youâve filed these returns, but either havenât paid them yet or havenât marked them as paid. To mark a return as paid, click into the return and select Mark as Paid. To make a payment, see How to make a payment below. If your payment is overdue, you should make payment as soon as possible, otherwise HMRC will charge you interest on your debt (and youâll receive penalty points, which can accumulate into a charge)!
Refund due: Youâve filed these returns and were due a refund from HMRC, but either havenât received it yet or havenât marked it as received. HMRC says refunds can take up to 30 days and will go straight into your Bank Account if they have your account details, or they will send you a cheque otherwise. Once you receive the payment, click into the return and select Mark as Received to let Ember know.
Paid and Reclaimed: These returns are fully complete and have had their payments, either due to HMRC or due to be received by you.
Once youâre ready, click into a return for more options.
𧞠2. Understand your return
From within your VAT return, you can see how your return breaks down. This includes:
VAT due on sales
VAT reclaimed on purchases
Net VAT to pay or reclaim
Total sales and purchase values
The total amount to pay or reclaim will be visible at the top.
Pro tip: You can switch from the return youâre on to previous returns using the return selector at the top right-hand side to see how your historic filings compare.
We explain each box with helpful guidance to give you confidence in what youâre submitting. Switch to the Sales and Purchases tabs to see how each box is calculated.
3. Review your Sales and Purchases
Use the Sales and Purchases tabs to review what your return includes. Youâll see all your bank transactions, client invoices, supplier invoices and expenses that fall within the VAT period, along with their VAT treatment. If you find transactions dated outside the VAT period, please get in touch with our Support Team to ensure all is as it should be. Itâs possible you added these transactions after your previous VAT submission. Therefore, they should appear within this VAT period, but itâs best to get our expert accountants to double-check.
You can:
View everything in one place
Search the list using the search bar
Download a CSV of Sales or Purchases if you want to review them in a spreadsheet
Understand how each transaction contributes to your box totals
đ¤ 4. Submit your return
Once youâre happy with everything, click Submit return.
Youâll get a confirmation instantly and a receipt ID from HMRC. That ID stays linked to your return and will display on the VAT overview screen, so if you ever need to prove submission, itâs in your Ember account.
đˇ 5. How to make payment or mark a refund as received
The deadline for VAT returns and payments is typically one month and seven days after the end date of the VAT period. For instance, a VAT period covering 1 January to 31 March has a submission and payment deadline of 7 May.
To make a payment:
Click the Pay button on your VAT return for bank details and instructions.
Alternatively, Ember provides a direct link to HMRCâs website for secure payment by selecting Pay on Gov.uk.
After payment, select Mark as paid in Ember to clear the outstanding task.
If you have a Direct Debit setup with HMRC you wonât need to make payment and you wonât receive a task to make payment, but you should still mark the return as paid to let Ember know. Ember will detect this in the HMRC response when you submit. If you havenât got a Direct Debit set up, you can do so directly with HMRC.
If HMRC owe you money, they will usually make repayment via a bank transfer, if they hold your bank details, within 30 days of your submission. Otherwise, they will send a cheque. Read here for more information. Once you have received payment, you can mark the payment as being received from the return.
đ§ Need help?
Youâll find tips and guidance built into each step of the process. But if youâre stuck or filing for the first time, our support team is just a message away.
đŻ Thatâs it â no more hunting around, second-guessing totals, or stressing about due dates.
Youâre all set to file VAT more straightforwardly.