To connect your Business Finance Assistant account to your HMRC account so you can file your VAT return, press the 'Connect to HMRC' button from your VAT return page, enter your Government Gateway ID and follow the onscreen process:
If the 'Connect to HMRC' button doesn't switch to a 'Preview VAT return' button, please note that sometimes, browser extensions are enabled on your computer that may be blocking you from proceeding with the HMRC connection.
To fix this, please first clear the cache and cookies, which helps the applications run better on your computer and significantly improves the speed and performance of your browser. Then, disable any browser extensions before trying to connect again. For example, if you are using Google Chrome, please follow the steps below:
Disable Browser Extensions on Google Chrome:
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click More > More tools > Extensions.
- Turn off the extension you want to disable.
Alternatively, a good way to check if extensions are blocking you is to open Business Finance Assistant on an 'incognito' or 'private' browser, and you should be able to connect your HMRC account seamlessly:
How to go incognito in Google Chrome
- The easiest way to open an Incognito window is with the keyboard shortcut combination Ctrl-Shift-N (Windows) or Command-Shift-N (macOS).
- Another way is to click on the menu on the upper right - the three vertical dots - and select New Incognito Window from the list.
If you are still unable to connect after following the steps in this article: How do I get Business Finance Assistant set up for submitting VAT returns in compliance with Making Tax Digital, please send the support team a screenshot of where you are getting stuck and any error messages. Please also check directly with the HMRC that your account is set up for Making Tax Digital.