Bridging a VAT return from a spreadsheet

Bridging a return

1. Start it

   On the VAT tab press "Bridge a spreadsheet" against the period.

2. Enter the period

   Enter the start, end and due date, and HMRC's period key if you know it.

3. Say what the file holds

   Choose "The nine box figures" or "A list of sales and purchases".

4. Upload the file

   Choose the .xlsx, CSV, .txt or .tsv file, up to 2 MB, and press "Read the file". An old .xls workbook needs saving as .xlsx first.

5. Check and submit

   The return opens with the figures as uploaded. To change a figure, correct the spreadsheet and upload it again.

How the file is read

• Box figures are found next to labels Box 1 to Box 9, or next to wording such as VAT due on sales. Or name the cells under "Name the cells instead", for example Return!D10.
• Box 3 must equal boxes 1 and 2 added together, and box 5 must equal box 3 less box 4.
• A list of transactions needs columns headed Date, Type, Net and VAT, with an optional VAT code column. Codes can be S, R, Z, E, X, a rate such as 20, or T0, T1, T2, T5 and T9.
• Rows dated outside the period are skipped with a warning.

Submission

Submission to HMRC switches on once HMRC has recognised Accountin and issued its software credentials. Until then the screen says sending is not switched on yet, and everything up to the send works: building, checking and the client's approval.