VAT returns for UK businesses and accounting practices
Opening soon. Farside Accounting Ltd's registration with HMRC for anti-money-laundering supervision is in progress. We are happy to talk now, and will take on client work once that registration is confirmed.
Quarterly VAT returns prepared from a reconciled ledger and checked by a named reviewer. They're ready to file well before the deadline, which is one month and seven days after the end of the VAT period.
Figures checked against GOV.UK on 14 October 2026. General information, not advice.
VAT returns for your business
- What we do
- Reconcile the quarter's ledger, check VAT treatment on the transactions that usually go wrong, and prepare the return in your MTD-compatible software.
- What you get back
- The return and a short reconciliation, for you to approve. Nothing is submitted without your approval.
- Who it suits
- Any VAT-registered limited company or sole trader, including those close to the registration threshold.
Outsourced VAT return preparation for accounting firms
- How it works
- We prepare each client's return from the ledger, reconcile it, and return it with any queries ready to send on.
- Filing
- Prepared ready to file. It's submitted under your credentials, after your review.
- Volume
- Useful in the weeks when quarter ends bunch up and your team is also on year-end work.
Who does what is set out in full on our services page.
VAT key figures
- Rates
- 20% standard, 5% reduced, 0% zero-rated.
- Registration threshold
- £90,000 of VAT-taxable turnover in a rolling 12 months. The deregistration threshold is £88,000.
- Deadline
- Return and payment due 1 month and 7 days after the end of the VAT period.
- Making Tax Digital
- All VAT-registered businesses must keep digital records and file through compatible software.
- Late returns
- Points-based penalties. Late payment penalties and interest apply separately. The detail is on our penalties page.
Common questions
When is my VAT return due?
One month and seven days after the end of the VAT period, for both the return and the payment, on standard quarterly returns.
Do I need to register for VAT?
You must register if your VAT-taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months, or you expect it to in the next 30 days alone.
Can you prepare VAT returns for my practice's clients?
Yes. We prepare and reconcile the returns, you review them, and they're submitted under your credentials.
Talk to us
Start with the one line that takes the most of your time. We scope it in a short call. Start a conversation.
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