The VAT Dashboard

The VAT Dashboard reads your VAT account directly from HMRC, so what you see is what HMRC sees. Go to Reports, choose Dashboards, then open the VAT Dashboard tab.

You need to be connected to HMRC - until then, the page shows a Connect to HMRC prompt.

The current return

The top card shows your open return: the period, the net VAT due or reclaimable, the due date, and a countdown pill such as Due soon or Overdue. Below it are the headline figures - Sales (box 6), VAT on sales (box 1), and VAT reclaimed (box 4) - and a Review & file return button that takes you straight to the return. If nothing is due, it says so: no open return means you are all caught up.

The account cards

• Return periods - your obligations from HMRC for roughly the last year, each marked Open or Filed with its due or filed date.
• What you owe - the amounts outstanding with HMRC, with their due dates.
• Payments to HMRC - the payments HMRC has received, with a total.
• Penalties & points - your late submission points and any penalty charges. See VAT penalties and points.
• Registration details - the name, VRN, registration date, and address HMRC holds for your business.

Everything is synced live from HMRC. Use the refresh button in the header to fetch the latest figures, and submit your return when the open period has ended.