How to submit your VAT return with Tide Accounting

This guide shows you how to:

🔗 Submit your VAT return with Tide Accounting

🔗 Review your past reports, add a new account, or change your account details

Submit your VAT return

You'll need to submit your VAT return before your deadline, which will be one month and 7 days after the end of your VAT period.

For example, if your VAT return period ends on 31 March, your VAT return will be due by 7 May.

Step 1: Set up a Government Gateway account

You'll need to set up a Government Gateway account by heading to gov.uk. This allows you to securely log in to your tax account and file your VAT online.

Step 2: Register with HMRC

Head to gov.uk to register for VAT. You can do so using your Government Gateway user ID and password.

Step 3: Connect your Tide Accounting to HMRC

You can do this through Tide on the web. All you need is your VAT number to hand.

Click Admin > Taxes

Click Connect to HMRC and enter your VAT number

Click Connect

Step 4: Categorise and add VAT rates to your transactions

Make sure that your invoices, payments, and other transactions have the correct categories. You can use this page to help you categorise them.

Then add your missing VAT rates to your transactions:

Tap Admin > Taxes

Tap update X items

Make sure your VAT rate isn't applied twice

It could be applied once when the invoice is issued and again when the payment is made.

Check if you've matched your invoices and bills to their respective payments in-app:

Tap Invoices & Bills > find the relevant invoice

Tap mark as Paid > select the correct transactions

Remember that different items in the UK have different rates applied. Use this reference of the different VAT rates.

Wait for the automatic calculations

Tide Accounting automatically calculates your VAT based on the VAT rate you've added to your transactions.

The amount of VAT you'll pay depends on the VAT scheme you're on:

Cash VAT Scheme – you pay VAT when you receive payments and reclaim it when you pay suppliers. The amount will be calculated based on transactions only

Standard VAT Scheme – you pay VAT when you issue an invoice and reclaim it when you receive an invoice. The amount is based on invoices and transactions

Step 5: Review your submission

If you're on the Cash VAT scheme, you can only view your draft report in-app:

Tap: Open Accounting > VAT Manager

Tap Next VAT period > View draft report

If you're on the Standard VAT scheme, you can only generate your draft report on the web: