New VAT Registration Service (VRS) set to launch

HMRC is introducing a new VAT Registration Service (VRS), it has been revealed.

Launching on 1 August, the service aims to speed up the process, improve security, and automatically register businesses for Making Tax Digital (MTD).

From this date onwards, the existing system of registration will be closed.

Making Tax Digital

A notable change is that every taxpayer will be automatically registered for Making Tax Digital, eliminating the need for that additional step.

All VAT-registered businesses are obliged to follow the Making Tax Digital regulations by maintaining digital records and employing software to submit their VAT returns.

Tried and tested

The VRS has been tested by HMRC throughout the past 18 months, with more than 37,000 businesses enrolling themselves on the system.

Following this, the next step is to turn on the new functionality for agents, at which time HMRC will redirect all new applications from the legacy service.

Do you have unfinished VAT applications?

For agents with incomplete, unsubmitted VAT applications for customers, HMRC warns that these must be submitted by 31 July 2022 at 5pm.

It’s important to note that any partly finished, saved applications on the old service cannot be retrieved after this time.

The new service saves applications for up to four weeks.

In certain cases, it may be useful to wait for the new service to launch on 1 August to benefit from the enhanced functionality, including the automatic sign up to MTD for VAT.

Need advice on the VAT Registration Service? Contact our team today.