Adjust boxes 6 to 9 of your VAT return
This article explains how to increase or decrease the amounts in boxes 6, 7, 8 and 9 of your VAT return.
FreeAgent will populate these boxes for you based on the information entered into your account, though there may be some occasions when you might need to adjust the figures in boxes 6 to 9 of your VAT return, without making changes to the figures FreeAgent has calculated for boxes 1 to 5.
The process for adjusting the amounts in boxes 6 to 9 is the same regardless of whether your business uses the VAT Flat Rate Scheme (FRS) or standard VAT scheme. For information on what goes into each of these boxes, please refer to HMRC's guidance.
Please note:
- It's not possible to adjust the amounts in boxes 6 to 9 by creating journal entries.
- If you have an accountant, please check with them before making any adjustments to these boxes.
Learn how to adjust boxes 1 and 4 of your VAT return.
1. Navigate to the relevant VAT return
Navigate to the 'Taxes' tab at the top of the screen and select 'VAT' from the drop-down menu.
Select the VAT return that you’d like to adjust from the list.
2. Adjust the boxes on the VAT return
To adjust the numbers in boxes 6, 7, 8 or 9, select ‘Edit VAT return details’ in the top-right.
In the ‘Adjustments’ section, enter the amounts you want to adjust in the relevant boxes.
If you enter a positive number into any of these boxes, the amount on your VAT return will increase. If you enter a negative number into any of these boxes, the amount on your VAT return will decrease.
Select ‘Save Changes’ to complete the process and update your VAT return.
How can I review the adjustments?
To view any adjustments you’ve made to boxes 6 to 9 on your VAT return, select the ‘Full Report’ tab.
The adjustments will be displayed as ‘Manual adjustments’ at the bottom of the relevant columns in the 'Sales' and 'Purchases' sections.