Setting up VAT on your online company Government Gateway account

Your online Government Gateway account provides you with added control over your VAT profile, including managing Direct Debit and repayment banking details, something accountants and agents are not able to manage or access from their HMRC agent login. It is also required to authorise Barnes & Scott to be your VAT agents. 

You’ll need the following information before getting started: 

• Your VAT registration number, which can be found on any HMRC VAT correspondence.
• The date the business was registered for VAT, which reflects on your VAT certificate or HMRC notification of VAT registration letter.
• The postcode for the business’ VAT registered address, which can also be found on your VAT certificate or HMRC's notification of VAT registration letter.

If you have been submitting VAT returns, you’ll also need the following information, both of which can be found on the most recently filed VAT return:

• The month in the last VAT return was submitted.
• The VAT amount reflected in box number 5, exactly in pounds and pence as shown on the return. 

Getting started:

1.     Log into your business’ online Government Gateway account.

If you don’t have an active account, you can use the link above to set this up as well

2.     On the landing page, select the 'get online access to a tax, duty, or scheme’ option.

3.     On the next page, select the fourth option, ‘VAT and VAT services’:

4.     This will bring up the next page, on which you can select ‘VAT’. 

5.1  From here on you will be prompted to enter your company’s

• VAT number
• Postcode associated with the VAT registered address
• Date when the VAT registration became effective

If your business is newly VAT registered, confirm that you are currently NOT filing returns.

5.2  If your company has been filing VAT returns, select YES, and you’ll be directed to two more pages to enter the additional verification info as reflected on the last VAT return filed:

• The month in the last VAT return was submitted.
• The VAT amount reflected in box number 5, exactly in pounds and pence as shown on the return. 

6      Once completed, you’ll be shown your answers to confirm all is correct. 

If your information matches what HMRC has on file, the VAT account will be added immediately to your dashboard.