VAT returns and MTD for Income Tax are paid for by a subscription, charged to a card held by Stripe. This page covers starting it, keeping the card up to date, finding invoices and cancelling. Year-end filing is not part of the subscription: see How billing works.
The free period
- A company or individual uses VAT and MTD free for the first year; for VAT the year runs from the first return filed. After that the subscription is £30 + VAT a year.
- A firm has 30 days from signing up. After that the subscription is monthly, priced by the number of clients.
When the free period ends, opening VAT Returns takes you to the payment step. Nothing else is blocked: accounts, Corporation Tax and the rest of the application carry on working.
The Billing page
A company opens Settings, then Billing. A firm opens Firm Settings, then Billing.
- Subscription Expiration Date is when the free period or the current paid period ends. Once a subscription is running it is labelled Subscription Renewal Date.
- Card Details shows the last four digits and expiry of the card on file. They are blank until a card has been added.
- Billing Detail is where invoices are addressed and emailed.
- The table lists each Stripe invoice with its status. Click the invoice number to download the PDF.
Add or change the card
- On the Billing page, click Update Payment Details.
- Enter the card on Stripe’s page and confirm.
The new card is used for the next renewal, and Tax Optimiser retries any invoice that failed on the old card.
If Stripe emails to say a payment failed or a card is about to expire, update the card here. A person with several companies has a separate subscription for each, so check the company named at the top of the page and switch organisation first if it is the wrong one.
Change who receives invoices
A firm clicks Update Billing Details to set the Billing Company Name and Billing Email Address. A company clicks Update Email Address. Invoices go to that address, so use a shared mailbox if more than one person needs them.
Tax Optimiser Invoices
Some customers are invoiced by Tax Optimiser directly instead of by card. Those invoices appear in a second table, Tax Optimiser Invoices, with View and PDF buttons. If you do not see the table, you have none.
Cancel the subscription
Click Cancel Subscription at the top of the Billing page and confirm. The subscription stops renewing. VAT and MTD stay available until the date already paid for, and your data is kept.
Cancelling the subscription does not affect year-end filing, credits a firm has bought, or submission fees already paid.
Common questions
Does the subscription cover Corporation Tax and accounts?
No. It covers VAT returns and MTD for Income Tax. Year-end filing is paid per period by companies and with credits by firms.
How is a firm’s monthly price worked out?
From the number of clients the firm has, organisations and individuals together: from £5 + VAT a month for up to 10 clients to £40 + VAT for 126 or more.
Where do I get a VAT invoice?
On the Billing page. Click the invoice number in the table to download it.
My card was declined. What happens?
Stripe emails you and tries again. Update the card from the Billing page and the outstanding invoice is retried.
I only use Tax Optimiser for year-end accounts. Do I need a subscription?
No. Without one, only the VAT Returns screens ask for payment.