HMRC MTD VAT Service Issue

We have been made aware of issues with the HMRC submission portal, which may affect a small number of our Opera 3 customers.

Making Tax Digital for VAT: HMRC MTD VAT Service Issue on the portal 

HMRC has advised that there is currently an issue with the MTD VAT service affecting some customers. Those affected are either unable to submit VAT Returns, or finding that previously submitted VAT Returns are (incorrectly) regarded by HMRC as being open (i.e. not submitted).

If you have yet to submit your VAT Return, and the MTD VAT Centre shows the expected VAT period as being the next one due for submission, you should commit and submit your VAT Return as usual.

When an authorised user in Opera 3 uses the Opera 3 MTD VAT Centre, HMRC subsequently returns information held within their database relating to the customer’s VAT Return status. This includes information regarding the period start/end date, date the submission has been received, if applicable, and which period is currently open for processing.

Please contact help@sbk.co.uk should you have any queries with regard to the above, you should also be on Opera 3 v2.71.00 or above:-

We have received a small number of reports of customers experiencing errors:

• Error 9 “Data type mismatch” when trying to commit the VAT Return
• If after a successful MTD submission, the MTD VAT Centre displays the previous VAT period due for submission
• After making a successful VAT submission using the MTD VAT Centre, exit and open the MTD VAT Centre to refresh with the next VAT period due.
• If after performing a refresh of the MTD VAT Centre the next VAT period due has not been updated and displays the period that has just been submitted, this is linked to an issue with HMRC’s back-end MTD VAT system for which HMRC expects to implement a fix at the end of June.In this situation you must contact HMRC’s VAT Helpline and explain that due to problems with HMRC’s MTD VAT system the software cannot establish the correct next VAT period due for submission is to HMRC. Hence you are unable to make their submission at present.
• If the MTD VAT Centre fails to display the VAT period due for submission
• When the MTD VAT Centre is loaded, the warning “An Open VAT Period could not be retrieved from HMRC so the VAT period dates will not be displayed” and no VAT period is subsequently shown as the next period for submission. This is directly linked to the issues with HMRC’s back-end MTD VAT system. HMRC expects to implement a fix end of June. In this situation you must contact HMRC’s VAT Helpline and explain that due to problems with HMRC’s MTD VAT system the software cannot establish what the next VAT period due is for submission to HMRC, hence you cannot make your submission at present (specifically, the software cannot obtain any ‘open’ obligation periods from HMRC).

As always, we are here to help so if you have any queries at all, please get in touch: help@sbk.co.uk or 01246 861100.