Making tax digital with Sage VAT Centre

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a key part of the government’s plans to make it easier for individuals and businesses to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs.

Learn more about MTD with our MTD Toolkit.

You'll need to follow steps 1 to 3 once only.

  1. Create an Agent Services Account
  2. Link your existing Government Gateway accounts to your Agent Services Account
  3. Register your existing clients for Making Tax Digital for VAT

And then, you can dip into the following advice whenever you need to:

Create an Agent Services Account

You need an Agent Services Account to access new HMRC online services and to use software to communicate directly with HMRC. This account is used to carry out tasks in relation to clients who are registered for an MTD service. (HMRC provide one agent services account per firm.)

Get an Agent Services Account via the HMRC website

Link your existing Government Gateway accounts to your Agent Services Account

Your agent authorisation is recorded under the Government Gateway user IDs you have. You might have several User IDs in your practice linked to different sets of clients.

Once you've set up your Agent Services Account, you'll need to log in to the account to link your existing Government Gateway user IDs. This will transfer your existing client authorisations to your new Agent Services Account allowing you to act on behalf of existing clients under MTD.

To do this, log in to your Agent Services Account and select the option to allow access to existing client relationships.

Remember this doesn't register your clients for MTD for VAT: it just means that you will be authorised to act on their behalf should the client, or you on their behalf, sign up for MTD for VAT.

Register your existing clients for Making Tax Digital for VAT

If your client is registered for VAT, log in to your Agent Services Account and follow the instructions for signing them up for MTD for VAT.

Request authorisation to act on behalf of new clients

There's a new authorisation process in place. You'll need to get authority from each new client you're representing for MTD for VAT using the new digital authorisation process.

Log in to your Agent Services Account and select Ask a client to authorise you. After following the instructions. HMRC will generate a link that's then emailed to your client for them to accept or reject digitally.

This process is only relevant for those clients you wish to represent under MTD and replaces the online authorisation process you may have previously used.

Register new clients for Making Tax Digital for VAT

If your client is registered for VAT, log in to your Agent Services Account and follow the instructions for signing them up for MTD for VAT.