MTD VAT · Q ending 31 Mar 2026 · file by 7 May

Your VAT return, reconciled and filed every quarter.

ac-co reads your accounting software and bank, reconciles output VAT against input VAT, handles reverse charge and the schemes you're on, keeps the digital links HMRC requires — and files all nine boxes straight through MTD. You review once and submit.

See the nine boxes

No card · UK-only · MTD-recognised

BUILT FORStandard rateFlat-rate schemeCash accountingReverse charge / CISPartial exemption

Live · click to watch

Wired into

HMRC · MTD VAT APIXero · booksQuickBooks · booksSage · booksOpen Banking · bank feedSpreadsheets · digital links

VAT-return boxes, filled & cross-checked

Box 1 to Box 9 — every quarter

digital links kept intact

no copy-paste — MTD-compliant trail

schemes handled automatically

standard · flat-rate · cash · margin

0 min

median reconcile-to-filed

measured across private beta

HOW IT WORKS

From connected to filed, in four moves.

Connect

Link your accounting software and bank. ac-co reads the period's sales, purchases and the VAT already posted, read-only.

Reconcile

Output VAT against input VAT, reverse-charge entries netted, scheme rules applied — every box cross-checked.

Check

Digital links verified end-to-end, blocked input VAT removed, anomalies against prior quarters flagged before you see them.

File

All nine boxes submitted through the MTD VAT API. Receipt and the full audit trail stored for six years.

THE NINE BOXES

Every box, from sales to net VAT , reconciled.

Box 1 to Box 9, built straight from your ledger. Output VAT on sales, input VAT reclaimed on purchases, the net position to pay or reclaim — each figure traced to the invoices behind it.

Output vs input VATBox 1 and Box 4 reconciled to your sales and purchase ledgers, line by line.
Net positionBox 5 — the amount to pay or reclaim — calculated and explained, never a black box.
Totals (Box 6–9)Net sales and purchases, plus NI/EU values where they apply, computed automatically.
AdjustmentsBad-debt relief, fuel scale charge and prior-period corrections handled in the right box.

VAT · Q ending 31 Mar 2026

Drafting from live data

HMRC connected

Box 1VAT due on sales & outputs£38,420

Box 2VAT due on acquisitions (NI)£0

Box 3Total VAT due£38,420

Box 4VAT reclaimed on purchases−£14,860

Box 5Net VAT to pay HMRC£23,560

+ 5 more boxes · 4 pages

reconciling…

SCHEMES & REVERSE CHARGE

Whatever scheme you're on , handled.

Standard, flat-rate, cash accounting, margin, partial exemption — and the domestic reverse charge for construction. ac-co knows which rules apply to each transaction and applies them so the boxes come out right.

Flat-rate schemeCorrect flat-rate percentage applied, with the 1% first-year discount and limited-cost-trader test.
CIS reverse chargeDomestic reverse charge applied to qualifying construction supplies — no VAT charged, both sides reported.
Cash accountingVAT accounted when money moves, not when invoiced — matched to your bank feed.
Partial exemptionDe-minimis tested each quarter; the standard method calculated where input VAT is restricted.

VAT computation

Output VAT on sales (Box 1)£38,420

less Input VAT reclaimed (Box 4)−£14,860

Reverse-charge adjustment (net)£0

Net VAT before review£23,560

Net VAT due to HMRC£23,560

DIGITAL LINKS

The digital trail HMRC asks for, unbroken.

MTD requires an unbroken digital link from your records to the return — no copy-paste, no retyping. ac-co keeps that link intact end to end, and shows you the audit trail behind every box.

No copy-pasteFigures flow digitally from source to return; the chain is recorded and auditable.
Spreadsheets tooStill on a VAT spreadsheet? We bridge it with a compliant digital link, no rebuild needed.
Full audit trailEvery box traces back to the invoices and ledger entries behind it, kept for six years.
Anomaly checksEach quarter is compared to the last; unusual swings are flagged before you submit.

Pre-submission checks

✓Digital links intact from ledger to return

✓CIS reverse charge applied to qualifying supplies

✓No duplicate purchase invoices in the period

✓Box 5 reconciles to Box 3 minus Box 4

✓Output VAT within expected range vs last quarter

!Input VAT on a capital purchase not yet reclaimed

SEE IT END TO END

Watch a whole VAT file itself — connect, draft, compute, check, submit.

A real return, start to finish, in about ninety seconds. Six steps, every figure traced to its source, ending in an HMRC acceptance receipt.

01Connect02Draft03Documents04Compute05Check06Submit

PRICING

Pay per return — only when you file.

No subscription, no per-page charge. Draft the whole thing for free; pay when you're ready to submit.

Solo

Sole trader / 1 scheme

£12/ return

One VAT return, one scheme. Reconciled from your bank and books, filed through MTD.

Start a return

✓All nine boxes filed
✓Bank + books reconciliation
✓Digital links kept intact
✓MTD VAT submission
✓Receipt stored 6 years

Business

Most VAT-registered firms

Most picked

£24/ return

Every scheme, reverse charge and partial exemption — reconciled, checked and filed each quarter.

Start a return

✓Everything in Solo, plus:
✓Flat-rate, cash & margin schemes
✓CIS reverse charge
✓Partial-exemption method
✓Anomaly + duplicate checks
✓Spreadsheet bridging

Practice

Bookkeepers & accountants

Custom

For firms filing VAT at volume — bulk obligations, a review queue and white-label.

Talk to us

✓Multi-client VAT console
✓Bulk obligation tracking
✓Review & approve queue
✓Agent services account
✓API + bordereau export

TRUST

We file in your name, so we hold ourselves to the highest bar.

ac-co is HMRC-recognised software submitting through the official API. Connections to your bank and books are read-only. Every figure traces to a source, and every receipt is stored for six years.

Security paper →How we use your data →

HMRC

recognised

UK GDPR

data resident in London

Open Banking

read-only

Read-only

default access

Human-in-loop

you tap to file

OAuth 2.1

scoped tokens

FAQ

Questions people actually ask.

Yes. Since April 2022 all VAT-registered businesses must keep digital records and file through MTD-compatible software, whatever their turnover. ac-co is recognised by HMRC for MTD VAT and files through the official API.

MTD requires an unbroken digital path from your records to the figures you submit — no copying a number from one place and typing it into another. ac-co keeps that link intact end to end and records the audit trail behind every box.

Yes — we apply your flat-rate percentage, the 1% first-year discount and the limited-cost-trader test, and produce the right Box 1 and Box 6 figures. We'll also flag if standard rate would now save you money.

The domestic reverse charge for construction is handled automatically: qualifying supplies carry no VAT, and both the supply and the corresponding input are reported in the right boxes.

Not at all. We bridge your spreadsheet with a compliant digital link so you can keep your existing workings while staying MTD-compliant — no rebuild required.

A flat fee per return, billed only when you file. No subscription and no per-transaction charge. See pricing above.

FILE THIS QUARTER'S VAT

Quarter-end again? Let it reconcile itself.

UK VAT · MTD-recognised · all nine boxes · pay only when you file.

Most beta returns reconciled and filed in under 7 minutes