History of MTD for VAT
MTD for VAT launched in April 2019 for businesses above the £85,000 VAT registration threshold and was extended to all VAT-registered businesses in April 2022.
Who MTD for VAT Applies To
Every UK VAT-registered business must comply, regardless of turnover. Voluntary VAT registrations are also in scope.
Digital Links Requirement
HMRC requires a digital audit trail from source records to the VAT return figures submitted. This means data should not be re-typed or copied between systems manually — digital links must connect each step.
Compatible Software for MTD VAT
A wide range of HMRC-recognised software is available for MTD for VAT, including full bookkeeping suites and lightweight bridging tools that work with spreadsheets.
MTD VAT Penalties
Late VAT returns under MTD attract penalty points; reaching the threshold triggers a £200 financial penalty per missed submission.
What to Do if You Are Not Yet Compliant
If you are still using the old HMRC VAT portal, you are non-compliant. Choose MTD-compatible software and re-authorise your VAT submissions through it.