The import from Excel option will only be available if it is included in your licence for Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter.
You can use Excel spreadsheets in different ways to prepare for your MTD submissions:
If you've used Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter to collect VAT values from your Sage applications, you can export these to an Excel spreadsheet. You can then adjust these values in Excel, and import them back into Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter.
You can use Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter to create a blank Excel template which is pre-formatted and ready for you to enter your VAT values.
If you want to import VAT values from your own custom spreadsheet, you can format your spreadsheet so that it can be imported by Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter.
Export VAT Return to a spreadsheet
You can export the VAT information in the Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter to an Excel spreadsheet.
You might do this to adjust the VAT values that were taken from your Sage applications. Once you have adjusted the values in Excel, you can import the spreadsheet back in to Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter.
Edit VAT Return in a spreadsheet
You can edit the spreadsheet to suit your needs; for example, by adding rows or columns, including formulae and calculations, and adding new worksheets.
If you're using a spreadsheet produced by the Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter:
1 - The soft landing period is either – 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020 or if HMRC has given a specific direction to a business to start following the Making Tax Digital rules for VAT periods starting on or after 1st October 2019, the soft landing period is 1st October 2019 to 30th September 2020.
2 - For more information on adjustments and digital links please see Vat Notice 700/22 Making Tax Digital for Vat.
Do not change the name of the worksheet or the named cells containing the total values, as these are required to re import the spreadsheet.
You may be asked to justify the VAT calculation that you submit to the HMRC.
You can use Excel to import information from Excel.
Re import a spreadsheet
If you have already imported a spreadsheet and added the company to Selected companies, then you will not be able to import values from the same spreadsheet again. The imported company details must be removed before you can import them again.
To re import the spreadsheet:
Having problems with importing?
If you have any problems when importing your spreadsheet, check these errors and how to fix them.
| Error | Reason |
|---|---|
| There are no worksheets in this workbook that use the correct name. The worksheet used by the Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter must be called Sage MTD. | The worksheet (tab) in the Excel spreadsheet that contains your values must be named SageMTD. |
| A spreadsheet with the name 'xxx.slsx' has already been imported. | A spreadsheet with the same file name has already been imported. You cannot import two spreadsheets with the same name in the same submission. |
| The process cannot access the file 'c:\import.xlsx' because it is being used by another process. | The spreadsheet your are trying to import is probably already open in Excel. Make sure the spreadsheet is closed in Excel, then try to import it again. |
| Bad spreadsheet: could not find the row containing 'xxx'. | The named title for a cell is missing from the spreadsheet. If you have created or edited this spreadsheet, make sure it still has the required named cells. |
| Bad spreadsheet: cell 'D50' contains 'xxx'. This is not a number, as expected for 'Box 1'. | A cell in the spreadsheet contains a value which is not of the expected type. |
Create your own spreadsheet to import VAT Return
You can create our own Excel spreadsheet containing your VAT values and import these in to the Sage MTD module/MTD Adapter.
There are two ways to do this:
You can create a blank Excel template which is pre-formatted and ready for you to enter your VAT values.
You can use your own custom Excel spreadsheet to import VAT values. You can organise your spreadsheet however you want, provided that you use specific names for the cells that contain the VAT information to import. To name a cell in Excel, enter the name in the cell reference.
CAUTION: You can import Excel files in XSLX format, which is supported by Excel 2007 onwards.
Upgrading your licence
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