Reauthorise with HMRC

You can reauthorise with HMRC in two ways:

• From the message displayed when you go to complete your VAT Return
• From within Financial Settings, under the Making Tax Digital section

Reauthorise from the message

1. When completing your VAT return, we display the following message: "You're not currently authenticated with HMRC. To submit VAT returns you will need to authenticate again."
2. Select Reconnect from the message, then select Authenticate. This takes you to the HMRC website.
3. Select Continue and then enter your Government Gateway User ID and Password.
4. Select Grant Authority.
5. You'll then return to Accounting Start. You will see a confirmation message at the bottom of the page, that's it, you're done.

Reauthorise from Settings

1. Go to More, then Business Settings.
2. Select Accounting Dates & VAT.
3. Within the Making Tax Digital section, select Reconnect, then select Authenticate. This takes you to the HMRC website.
4. Select Continue and then enter your Government Gateway User ID and Password.
5. Select Grant Authority.
6. You'll then return to Accounting Start. You will see a confirmation message at the bottom of the page, that's it, you're done.

 NOTE: You are unable to change to Making Tax Digital with a draft, waiting or failed VAT return. Please submit or delete the return and try again. Once you reconnect you can create your VAT Return again. To delete the draft VAT Return, go to More, then VAT Returns. Select the icon, then choose Yes.

Fix MTD re-authorisation errors

While trying to authenticate with HMRC or submit a VAT return, the following message may appear: We were unable to authenticate with HMRC.

This can occur when:

• The VAT registration number in Accounting Start is not linked to the Government Gateway User ID you authenticated with. To check the VAT registration number, go to More, then Business Settings and Accounting Dates & VAT
• The Government Gateway credentials were not correct when you authenticated. To check this, go to the Government Gateway and make sure you can sign in using the same User ID and password

If you have checked all of the information above and are still receiving the error, please contact HMRC (opens in a new tab).

Create and submit a VAT Return