To submit your VAT Return, you need to sign up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) with HMRC and wait for confirmation before attempting to authenticate.

If you haven't received confirmation yet, you will encounter this error when trying to connect in Sage Accounting.

Once you receive the confirmation, try connecting again. If you’re still having issues, try the following steps.

Check your VAT number is correct

1. From Settings, select Business settings.
2. Within the Financial settings section, select Accounting dates and VAT.
3. Go to the VAT DETAILS section.
4. Review your VAT Number.
5. If you make changes, remember to select Save.

Check you can sign into your Government Gateway account

1. Go to gov.uk/sign-in-vat-account.
2. Sign in to your VAT online account using your HMRC Government Gateway user ID and Password.
   • If you can sign in, make sure you’re using the same details in Sage Accounting
   • If you can’t sign in, contact HMRC for support

Once you confirm your VAT number is correct and you’re using the correct Government Gateway user ID and Password, authenticate again.