VAT Returns
Submit MTD-compliant VAT returns directly to HMRC.
MTD requirement
From April 2022, all VAT-registered businesses must use MTD-compatible software. SpeyBooks is HMRC-recognised for MTD VAT.
Prerequisites
- VAT-registered business
- HMRC MTD credentials linked to SpeyBooks
- Accurate transaction records for the period
Link HMRC account
Before submitting, you need to authorise SpeyBooks with HMRC:
- Go to Settings → Integrations → HMRC
- Click Connect to HMRC
- Sign in with your Government Gateway credentials
- Grant SpeyBooks permission to submit VAT returns
This is a one-time setup.
Generate VAT report
Review your VAT position before submitting:
curl "https://api.speybooks.com/v1/reports/vat?period=2026-Q1" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_your_api_key"
Response:
{
"period": "2026-Q1",
"from": "2026-01-01",
"to": "2026-03-31",
"box1": 100000,
"box2": 0,
"box3": 100000,
"box4": 25000,
"box5": 75000,
"box6": 500000,
"box7": 125000,
"box8": 0,
"box9": 0,
"status": "draft"
}
Box meanings
| Box | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAT due on sales | £1,000.00 |
| 2 | VAT due on acquisitions | £0.00 |
| 3 | Total VAT due (1 + 2) | £1,000.00 |
| 4 | VAT reclaimed on purchases | £250.00 |
| 5 | Net VAT to pay/reclaim (3 - 4) | £750.00 |
| 6 | Total sales (ex VAT) | £5,000.00 |
| 7 | Total purchases (ex VAT) | £1,250.00 |
| 8 | Total EU supplies | £0.00 |
| 9 | Total EU acquisitions | £0.00 |
Submit to HMRC
Once you've reviewed the figures:
curl -X POST https://api.speybooks.com/v1/vat/submit \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_your_api_key" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"period": "2026-Q1"
}'
Response:
{
"submission_id": "sub_abc123",
"period": "2026-Q1",
"status": "submitted",
"receipt_id": "HMRC-12345678",
"submitted_at": "2026-04-07T10:30:00Z"
}
View submission history
curl "https://api.speybooks.com/v1/vat/submissions" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_your_api_key"
Deadlines
VAT returns are due:
- Quarterly — 1 month and 7 days after period end
- Monthly — 1 month and 7 days after period end
SpeyBooks will remind you of upcoming deadlines.
Amending returns
HMRC allows amendments within certain limits. Contact HMRC directly for corrections after submission, or adjust in the next return period.