This section is for businesses submitting their own VAT return. If you are an agent using an agent services account, see Setting up MTD: agents.
1.Grant authority (once every 18 months)
a)Click on the VAT button 
and select Grant Authority.
| (Or if you are using VT MTD For Excel, select Add-Ins > VT MTD > Grant Authority.) |
| Do not tick the box marked 'I'm using my Agent Services Account for this client'. |
b)Select Grant Authority to VT.. and OK.
c)The following web page opens in your web browser, select Continue.
 |
| If you experience any technical issues at this point, see Grant authority errors. |
d)Sign in with your government gateway user ID.
| If you cannot find this ID, search for 'Government Gateway User ID' in your emails. Alternatively, go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sign-in-to-your-hmrc-business-tax-account, click on 'Sign in', select 'I have forgotten my Government Gateway User ID' and complete the steps that follow. If necessary, you may need to call HMRC on 0300 200 3700 (+44 292 050 1261 from outside the UK). |
e)Complete the instructions that follow. At the end of the process a long authorisation code appears on screen.
f)Click on the Copy button under the code, then close your web browser.
g)A dialog appears in VT with a Paste button, click on Paste.
| If you cannot see this dialog, close and re-open VT, open the Grant Authority dialog as shown in step 1a) above, and click where it says 'I have just granted authority and want to enter the authorisation code'. |
(If you are using VT MTD for Excel, see VT MTD For Excel)
a)Click on the VAT button and select New VAT return.
b)Enter the VAT period dates and select Save
c)To submit, click on the VAT button again, select the saved return from the list on the left of the screen, then click on Submit VAT return to HMRC.
 |
For more details on creating a VAT return click here.
| If you need to add more transactions before submitting, delete the VAT return, enter the transactions then re-run the return as shown in steps 2a) and 2b) above. |
If you encounter an error when submitting, see Errors when submitting a VAT return.
How authorisation codes are stored in the software
The authorisation code issued to VT for a business is stored in the VT Transaction+ file, VT Cash Book file or Excel workbook depending on which program you have used to grant authority. Authority is valid on any PC used to open the same VT file or workbook. You can cancel the authority at any time by clicking on the Forget authority caption in the Grant Authority dialog.
Therefore if you transfer your VT files or Excel workbooks to another other PC, you should not need to grant authority again until the 18 month period has expired.
