Can AI do our VAT return?

Receipt · 2026-08-12

This is the raw model output this answer rests on, stored at test time and never edited. The content hash below is recomputed from these bytes on every build. Back to the answer.

The exact prompt

List the records I need to have ready before my UK VAT return is filed, and the deadlines and payment dates that apply to a standard quarterly period. Do not calculate any box figure and do not advise me on the VAT treatment of any transaction.

The raw output

# Records Needed for UK VAT Return

## Documentation to Have Ready

- **Invoices issued** to customers (sales records)
- **Invoices received** from suppliers (purchase records)
- **Credit notes** issued and received
- **Bank statements** and payment records
- **Sales records** (till rolls, point of sale systems, order confirmations)
- **Purchase records** (receipts, delivery notes, statements)
- **Records of acquisitions** from other EU countries (if applicable)
- **Export documentation** (if applicable)
- **Import records** (if applicable)
- **VAT accounts** or records showing VAT transactions by category

## Standard Quarterly Return Deadlines and Payment Dates

| Item | Deadline |
|------|----------|
| Submit VAT return | One month after the end of the quarter |
| Pay VAT due | Same date as the return submission deadline |

**Example:** For a quarter ending 31 March, both the return submission and payment are due by 30 April (or 7 May if filing online with 7-day payment grace).

## Additional Notes

- Different deadlines apply if you use a different VAT period
- Monthly or annual returns have different dates
- Records must be kept for six years (or five years if digitally stored)
- Records can be kept in digital format, provided they remain accessible