Your VAT obligations once registered

Quarterly returns

Most businesses file four VAT returns a year. Each is due one calendar month and seven days after the end of the VAT period, with payment due at the same time. You choose your VAT quarters (or align them to your year-end) when you register.

Digital records

You must keep specified records digitally — your business name and address, VAT number, the VAT on everything you buy and sell, and the adjustments you make. There must be a digital link all the way from those records to the figures on your return.

The late-submission and late-payment penalties

VAT uses a points-based late-submission system: you get a penalty point for each return filed late, and a fixed penalty once you reach the points threshold for your filing frequency. Late payment attracts separate, escalating penalties plus interest. Filing and paying on time keeps you clear of both. Making Tax Digital for VAT

For the exact current points thresholds and penalty rates, check HMRC’s guidance — these are the details most likely to change, so we link rather than freeze a number that could drift.

Getting set up

New to all this? Start with the Making Tax Digital walkthrough to find your path, then keep tracking your position with the rolling tracker.