Prepare a spreadsheet with VAT Return details
To submit a client's VAT Return to HMRC using Onvio, you will need to upload an Excel worksheet that contains the details of the Return instead of entering them manually in Onvio.
Use our template or make your own Excel spreadsheet
You can create your own Excel spreadsheet or you can download our VAT Spreadsheet Template. We recommend that you use our template because it will help to save you time and minimise the risk of error from data entry.
Download our VAT Spreadsheet Template
You can download our template from Onvio by carrying out the following steps.
- Select My applications > Onvio VAT.
- Under the client's name, select the project that has been set up for this VAT Return.
- Select the File upload tab.
- Select the How to prepare your spreadsheet for upload link.
- Select the Excel icon to download the VAT Spreadsheet Template and save it.
Add details to your Excel spreadheet
You can manually enter the details in each required cell of the VAT Spreadsheet Template, but we recommend that you automate data entry by using Excel cell referencing. This will help you to reduce the risk of errors.
Create a copy of the template in your Excel worksheet containing client data
To enable cell referencing, you'll need to copy the worksheet from our template to your Excel workbook that contains the client's VAT Return data.
- Open a copy of the VAT Spreadsheet Template workbook and the Excel workbook that holds your client's VAT data.
- In the template, right-click the Sheet 1 tab and choose Move or copy from the context menu.
- Choose the name of your own Excel workbook from the To book drop-down list.
- Select the Create a copy checkbox, then select OK.
- Close the VAT Spreadsheet Template workbook.
- In your Excel workbook containing client data, rename the new copy of the Template worksheet and save your workbook.
Use cell referencing to enter VAT Return data
- In the Excel workbook containing client data, select the worksheet you've just copied over and renamed.
- Select an empty cell in the VAT Return template that you need to complete and enter the equal sign.
- Select the worksheet containing your client data, then the cell with the value that you want to enter in the template, and press Enter to confirm.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each cell that needs to be completed.
- Make sure that the VAT registration number, VAT Period start date and VAT Period end date are exact matches for VAT number and period for this VAT Return stored in Onvio
- Save your workbook.
If you use your own spreadsheet
If you create your own spreadsheet, you will need to use Excel and make sure that you include the cell names defined by Onvio.
You will need to use the details in Table 1 below to create your own spreadsheet.
Table 1: Excel worksheet contents
| Vat Return details |
Excel cell name |
Cell format |
| VAT Period start date |
OnvioVATStart |
Date (dd/mm/yyyy) |
| VAT Period end date |
OnvioVATEnd |
Date (dd/mm/yyyy) |
| VAT registration number |
OnvioVATVRN |
General |
| VAT due in this period on sales and other outputs |
OnvioVATBox1 |
Number |
| VAT due on acquisitions from other EC member states |
OnvioVATBox2 |
Number |
| Total VAT due |
OnvioVATBox3 |
Number |
| VAT reclaimed on purchases and other inputs |
OnvioVATBox4 |
Number |
| Net VAT to be paid to HMRC or reclaimed by you |
OnvioVATBox5 |
Number |
| Total value of sales and other outputs excluding VAT |
OnvioVATBox6 |
Number |
| Total value of purchases and other inputs excluding VAT |
OnvioVATBox7 |
Number |
| Total value of all supplies of goods and related costs to other EC member states excluding VAT |
OnvioVATBox8 |
Number |
| Total value of acquisitions and related costs from other EC member states excluding VAT |
OnvioVATBox9 |
Number |
You can use the following formulae to calculate the values of OnvioVATBox3 and OnvioVATBox5:
- The Total VAT due cell (OnvioVATBox3) should equal Total value of purchases and other inputs excluding any VAT (OnvioVATBox1) plus VAT due on acquisitions from other EC member states (OnvioVATBox2).
- The Net VAT to be paid to HMRC or reclaimed by you (OnvioVATBox5) should equal the Total VAT due (OnvioVATBox3) minus VAT reclaimed on purchases and other inputs (OnvioVATBox4).
If you make your own spreadsheet, it must be saved as a .xlsx file. This is the file extension used for Microsoft Excel workbooks.
Next step
Upload the spreadsheet and
submit the VAT Return.
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