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Is your current VAT tool good enough?
A general guide, not advice, based on HMRC VAT Notice 700/22.
What makes a VAT tool compliant
- It is recognised by HMRC. It appears on HMRC's software finder for Making Tax Digital for VAT.
- Your figures arrive digitally. From your records to the return, data moves by formulas, file imports or other digital transfers. Typing or copying and pasting the figures is not a digital link.
- It files through the MTD service and receives HMRC's response.
Basic tools compared with good MTD software
| Basic tool | Good MTD software | |
|---|---|---|
| How figures get in | Often typed into nine boxes | Uploaded as a file or taken from your records |
| Checks before sending | Few or none | Box 3 and Box 5 worked out, every box checked |
| VAT periods and due dates | Not always shown | Read from HMRC |
| HMRC errors | Shown as codes | Explained in plain English |
| Receipts and history | Not always kept | HMRC's receipt kept for each return |
| Reminders | Rarely | Before each due date |
Why checks before sending matter
- A VAT return cannot be changed once it is submitted. Errors are corrected on a later return, or reported to HMRC if they are over the limits.
- Simple mistakes are common: Box 3 not matching Boxes 1 and 2, Box 5 worked out wrongly, or pence in Boxes 6 to 9, which must be whole pounds.
- Good software catches these before anything reaches HMRC.
When a basic tool is enough
- It is on HMRC's list, your figures reach it by file upload rather than typing, and you check the return carefully yourself.
- Even then, look at what happens if HMRC rejects a return near a deadline, and who helps you.
When to move to better software
- You type your box totals in by hand.
- You have had a return rejected and could not work out why.
- You have missed, or nearly missed, a deadline.
- You file for more than one business.
Bridging software keeps your spreadsheet and adds the digital link and checks. Accounting software replaces your spreadsheet. See bridging software vs accounting software.
A digital link and checks on every return, from £5 a month
Swift VAT Pro takes your nine box totals from a CSV saved from your records, so nothing is retyped, and checks every box before it goes to HMRC.
- Connect to HMRC on HMRC's own page with your Government Gateway sign-in. We never see that password.
- See your VAT periods, due dates, amounts owed and payments, read from HMRC.
- Upload your nine box totals as a CSV. Box 3 and Box 5 are worked out and every box is checked.
- Submit and keep HMRC's receipt. Reminder emails arrive before each due date.
No card needed · From £5 a month · Plans for up to 100 businesses · Filing through HMRC's MTD service since 2019
Final thoughts
Being on HMRC's list makes a tool legal to file with. Keeping a digital link, checking your figures and showing your deadlines makes it safe to rely on. If your current tool makes you retype your nine boxes, it is time to change.
Disclaimer: This guide gives general information, not advice for your business. If you are unsure how the rules apply to you, speak to an accountant or contact HMRC.
Frequently asked questions
Checked against HMRC VAT Notice 700/22 (digital links), VAT Notice 700/45 and HMRC's software finder. November 2026.
Is a basic VAT submission tool compliant with MTD?
Can I type my VAT return figures into software?
Why do checks before submitting matter?
Do I need full accounting software for MTD?
How do I check if my VAT tool is recognised by HMRC?
A digital link and checks on every return, from £5 a month.
Swift VAT Pro files your return to HMRC from the spreadsheet you already keep. From £5 a month.
No card needed · 2,900+ VAT returns filed since 2019