Fix a rejected submission
What to do if HMRC does not accept your VAT return.
Last updated 10 July 2026.
Occasionally HMRC declines a submission. This almost always comes down to authorisation or timing, not your figures, and it is straightforward to sort out.
Common reasons
- Your HMRC authorisation has expired. Reconnect from Settings → HMRC - see Connect Kontala to HMRC.
- The period is not open yet. HMRC only accepts a return once the obligation period is available to file.
- The return was already submitted - for example, filed elsewhere before you switched to Kontala.
What to do
- Read the message HMRC returned - Kontala shows it with the rejection.
- Fix the cause above (most often, reconnect to HMRC).
- Try the submission again.
If it still will not go through, contact our team with the period you are filing and we will help you get it submitted. See also HMRC submission errors.