Viewing and managing VAT obligations

Once your company is connected to HMRC via Making Tax Digital, WeFile automatically synchronizes your VAT obligations. This ensures you always have an up-to-date view of what needs to be filed and when.

Understanding Obligation Statuses

Your obligations will typically fall into two categories: 'Open' and 'Fulfilled'. An Open obligation means a VAT return is due for that specific period and has not yet been received by HMRC. A Fulfilled obligation means the return has been successfully submitted and accepted.

Period Dates and Deadlines

Each obligation displays a Period Start Date, a Period End Date, and a Due Date. The Due Date is the strict deadline by which HMRC must receive your return and any associated payment. Missing this deadline can result in financial penalties.

How WeFile Fetches Data

WeFile does not guess your VAT periods; we pull them directly from HMRC's database in real-time. This means if you change your VAT stagger (your reporting frequency) with HMRC, WeFile will automatically reflect those changes upon the next sync.

Missing Obligations

If you expect to see an open obligation but your dashboard is empty, ensure you have waited until the end of your current VAT period. HMRC typically does not open a period for submission until the period has officially ended. If issues persist, try clicking 'Refresh Obligations' to force a sync.