Has anyone successfully signed up to Making Tax Digital yet?

When I started Sage this morning, it asked me if I wanted to check whether I was ready for MTD. I clicked on to check and my software is ready. It then asked if I wanted to sign up to the pilot with HMRC. I clicked through, logged in and entered the information they asked for but when it came to entering my NI number, a red warning flashed up and said NI numbers must be entered in the correct format and showed the format. I checked and the format was correct but deleted it anyway and tried again. Warning came up again so I tried a further 3 times, still getting the same warning.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Eddie

Unfortunately, I think this has become a bit of a racket to sell updated versions of accounting software. I used to submit my VAT returns to HMRC direct from SAGE, but it stopped working a few months back (due to the MTB new rules) with a 'similarly vague' warning message displayed. The only way around it for me was to buy their updated software or submit all of the numbers on the HMRC website manually again.

My wife uses Xero and is MTB compliant, so far it is going well, but has also had teething problems.

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Originally Posted by Maysie

Unfortunately, I think this has become a bit of a racket to sell updated versions of accounting software. I used to submit my VAT returns to HMRC direct from SAGE, but it stopped working a few months back (due to the MTB new rules) with a 'similarly vague' warning message displayed. The only way around it for me was to buy their updated software or submit all of the numbers on the HMRC website manually again.

My wife uses Xero and is MTB compliant, so far it is going well, but has also had teething problems.

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It wasn't Sage acting up, it was the HMRC website which wouldn't accept my NI number.

Eddie

I'm not happy about this excuse for a rip-off. I paid £100 for account software 8 years ago and it has served me well. Now I will have to spend £100 a year for the same software but on a subscription basis.

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Originally Posted by swanbourne

It wasn't Sage acting up, it was the HMRC website which wouldn't accept my NI number.

Eddie

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Sorry, I wasn't particularly clear.

My issue was different, but was also HMRC 'electronically' refusing to accept information from my version of SAGE, as it was 2 years old.

On a separate (but similar) issue, I remain unable to change my registered address with HMRC on their VAT web page, as it simply will not accept that I am who I am based on the information I provide. I have now given up, as I genuinely do know who I am and the information I have provided is all correct, so there is little more I can do without spending hours on the phone to them.

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Originally Posted by Maysie

Sorry, I wasn't particularly clear.

My issue was different, but was also HMRC 'electronically' refusing to accept information from my version of SAGE, as it was 2 years old.

On a separate (but similar) issue, I remain unable to change my registered address with HMRC on their VAT web page, as it simply will not accept that I am who I am based on the information I provide. I have now given up, as I genuinely do know who I am and the information I have provided is all correct, so there is little more I can do without spending hours on the phone to them.

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My software is fully up-to-date and that's because it's the subscription version and is always the latest version. I don't know how anyone is getting Sage for £100 a year though.

Eddie

I asked my company accountant and got this today:

We are recommending Xero or Sage cloud. Both are subscription options and quite expensive at approx. £20-£30 per month. You may wish to check other alternatives.


It may be that my accountant offers the service, using either of the above - for less than me subscribing myself - they are getting back to me.

HMRC....... Grrrrrr! They even refer to us as............. CUSTOMERS in their literature !!!!!

My accountant has provided us with a hosted Sage One cloud subscription for £7/month. We also had a free training day from Sage which was very good. I have found it very straightforward to use and definitely better than what we were doing before.

Sent from my LG-H870DS using Tapatalk

If you take advantage of the automation opportunities in Xero it should save more than enough time to cover the monthly subscription cost.

If you only need to file your VAT there are some software solutions with lower cost annual license available... less than £20.

Personally I think the whole affair is a cluster f@ck... Tax is already 'Digital' and I don't see why we should have to pay to meet our filing obligations.

Rant over [emoji38]

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Originally Posted by mrwozza70

If you only need to file your VAT there are some software solutions with lower cost annual license available... less than £20.

Personally I think the whole affair is a cluster f@ck... Tax is already 'Digital' and I don't see why we should have to pay to meet our filing obligations.

Rant over [emoji38]

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Can you advise which ones, and how you rate them?

I think the new system they are implementing - will allow them closer scrutiny and cross-checking against annual returns. I have a very simple flat-rate system, with only around 6-8 invoices per year - this is seriously over the top for me.

I signed up via Sage, Eddie, but tbh I don't recall being asked for my NI number. Why would that be relevant if you're registering as a business?

Anyway, it all worked for me - you just need to ensure that you've had the confirmation from HMRC before doing the necessary on Sage itself.

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Originally Posted by mrwozza70

If you only need to file your VAT there are some software solutions with lower cost annual license available... less than £20.

Personally I think the whole affair is a cluster f@ck... Tax is already 'Digital' and I don't see why we should have to pay to meet our filing obligations.

Rant over [emoji38]

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I’m going to give Vital Tax a go. Free Excel plug in from what I can figure. My next VAT submission will be through the Gov. Portal. The last. Thereafter I’ll try Vital Tax if I carry on working. There could be a shortage post-Brexit and I’m kind of hoping for another long hot summer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by blackal

Can you advise which ones, and how you rate them?

I think the new system they are implementing - will allow them closer scrutiny and cross-checking against annual returns. I have a very simple flat-rate system, with only around 6-8 invoices per year - this is seriously over the top for me.

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I'm in the same boat... decided to file my VAT the already digital way and defer the decision on which way to proceed. I was able to log on to my .gov.uk account and sign up for the trial via a link there.

I might try 123 e-filing which appears to be as some as using their spreadsheet rather than mine and free for quarterly returns.

I think Sage customers who are not on Sage Business Cloud SaaS subscription products might find they are gently forced to migrate off legacy products. Seeing as their business is struggling to get people over to those cloud products and off perpetually licensed legacy stuff.

Xero and QuickBooks do the have the same stealth agenda as far as I can tell.

There's some great deals through resellers (+accountants) to get people on these products but the in entire es won't last forever and unless you were wanting the full accounting package then it's scandalous to just submit VAT and TAX.

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Originally Posted by BillyCasper

I’m going to give Vital Tax a go. Free Excel plug in from what I can figure. My next VAT submission will be through the Gov. Portal. The last. Thereafter I’ll try Vital Tax if I carry on working. There could be a shortage post-Brexit and I’m kind of hoping for another long hot summer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Will take a look at Vital too [emoji16][emoji106]

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Originally Posted by mrwozza70

Will take a look at Vital too [emoji16][emoji106]

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Got to ask yourself what's in it for them (VitalTax) providing this free... I can't see they offer any other products or service through the site. The privacy notice allows for using your data for more than just provision of the service, so I expect that data collected to be sold and rinsed dry :(

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Originally Posted by mrwozza70

I think Sage customers who are not on Sage Business Cloud SaaS subscription products might find they are gently forced to migrate off legacy products. Seeing as their business is struggling to get people over to those cloud products and off perpetually licensed legacy stuff.

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Not quite. They've released a desktop based tool (MTD Adapter) for legacy customers that will allow users to export a VAT report from their desktop software, and import it into the new tool which will submit it to HMRC.

It (and a fancier cloud version with more functionality) is also available for accountants with clients that have their bookkeeping in spreadsheets but need to submit VAT returns once the old HMRC portal goes away.

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Originally Posted by mrwozza70

There's some great deals through resellers (+accountants) to get people on these products but the in entire es won't last forever and unless you were wanting the full accounting package then it's scandalous to just submit VAT and TAX.

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At the training day I went on, the SAGE rep said that the price we were paying via our accountant's deal (£7/month) would be honoured for 10 years. It's not in writing but it was said in front of the directors of the accountancy firm and a room full of about 100 people!

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Originally Posted by mrwozza70

Got to ask yourself what's in it for them (VitalTax) providing this free... I can't see they offer any other products or service through the site. The privacy notice allows for using your data for more than just provision of the service, so I expect that data collected to be sold and rinsed dry :(

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Received from Vital yesterday;

Thank you very much for your interest in VitalTax.

VitalTax is a cloud based Excel add-in that creates a digital link
between VAT data in spreadsheet and HMRC via Making Tax Digital API.
Whether you record VAT data in a spreadsheet, or extract it from some
bookkeeping software to Excel, you would be able to submit your VAT
returns to HMRC directly from Excel using VitalTax.

We are approved by HMRC and listed as MTD software supplier:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/software...me-tax-updates.

VitalTax for VAT will be free for the first year. After the first year
we will charge £1/month per VAT registration but no more than £10/month.

You need to install VitalTax from within Excel. Please follow
installation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iigKEup4-Ac

You can watch VitalTax demo here: https://youtu.be/8OpkmJEHPagY

If you have any questions please contact us and we would be happy to help.

Kind regards,

Vitaliy,

Vital Code Ltd
info@vitaltax.uk
07 914 914 038

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Originally Posted by learningtofly

I signed up via Sage, Eddie, but tbh I don't recall being asked for my NI number. Why would that be relevant if you're registering as a business?

Anyway, it all worked for me - you just need to ensure that you've had the confirmation from HMRC before doing the necessary on Sage itself.

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It was part of the "verify your identity" on the HMRC website when I tried to sign up for MTD.

Eddie

Hmm... Signed up today after filing return. I didn't get asked for anything other than company number and contact details.

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Originally Posted by mrwozza70

Hmm... Signed up today after filing return. I didn't get asked for anything other than company number and contact details.

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I don't have a company number I'm a sole trader, which is presumably why they asked for my NI number.

Eddie

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Originally Posted by swanbourne

I don't have a company number I'm a sole trader, which is presumably why they asked for my NI number.

Eddie

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I feel for you Eddie. The whole process is a nonsense forcing people to pay for software or services that just isn't necessary. I'm sure THEY have justified it but honestly [emoji2369]

They could at least have the decency to make the switch over simple!

Just looked at VitalTax following this thread and it will do what we want to appease HMRC while allowing us time to work out what we want to do longer term. Thanks for the info.