VAT Return boxes and codes included | Dimensions Help Centre

Each box on the VAT Return Summary is updated as specified on the VAT Rate record, where each VAT Value is based on the formula [VAT-(VAT*Recovery Rate)]. This ensures that any transactions flagged as Partially- or Non-recoverable are not included on the VAT Return.

Calculations and inclusions on the VAT Return boxes work as folllows.

VAT Return boxes - inclusions and calculations

Box Number	Description	Included values / calculation
1	VAT due in this period on Sales and other outputs	VAT value of all Sales Ledger and Sales Order Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes 1 –7, 11, 12, and VAT Codes of Type A and U VAT value of all Credit VAT Journals and Credit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes 1 – 7, and VAT Codes of Type A and U VAT value of all Purchase Ledger and Purchase Order Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes of Type V, R and X VAT value of all Debit VAT Journals and Debit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes of Type V, R, and X
2	VAT due on Acquisitions	VAT value of all P/L and POP Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes of Type A VAT value of all Debit VAT Journals and Debit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes of Type A
3	Total of Boxes 1 and 2	Sum of value in Box 1 plus value in Box 2
4	VAT reclaimed in this period on Purchase and other inputs	VAT value of all Purchase Ledger and Purchase Order Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes 1 – 7, and VAT Codes of Type V, A, R, U, and X VAT value of all Debit VAT Journals and Debit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes 1 – 7, and VAT Codes of Type V, A, R, U, and X VAT value of Bad Debts written off less the VAT element of Bad Debt reversal transactions
5	Net VAT to be paid to Customs or reclaimed by you	Value of Box 3 minus value of Box 4 Always displayed as a positive value
6	Total value of sales and all other outputs excluding any VAT	Net value of all Sales Ledger and Sales Order Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes 0, 1 – 7, 10, 11, 12, and VAT Codes of Type V, A, G, S, T, U, and X Net value of all Credit VAT Journals and Credit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes 0, 1 – 7, 10, 11, 12, and VAT Codes of Type A, G, S, T, U, and X Net value of all Purchase Ledger and Purchase Order Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes of Type R and X Net value of all Debit VAT Journals and Debit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes of Type R and X
7	Total value of purchase and all other inputs excluding any VAT	Net value of all Purchase Ledger and Purchase Order Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes 0, 1 – 7, 10, 11, 12, and VAT Codes of Type V, A, G, R, S, T, and X Net value of all Debit VAT Journals and Debit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes 0, 1 – 7, 10, 11, 12, and VAT Codes of Type A, G, R, S, T, and X
8	Total value of EC Supplies	Net value of all Sales Ledger and Sales Order Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes of Type A, G, or T Net value of all Credit VAT Journals and Credit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes of Type A, G, or T
9	Total value of EC Acquisitions	Net value of all P/L and POP Invoices and Credit Notes using VAT Codes of Type A, G, and T Net value of all Debit VAT Journals and Debit VAT Journal Reversals using VAT Codes of Type A, G, and T

Note: Box 8 on the VAT Return includes distance sales to unregistered customers in another member state, irrespective of whether you have exceeded the distance selling threshold for that state. Therefore, if your sales to unregistered customers fall below this threshold you must deduct this figure from Box 8 only.

Further to this, please review HMRC's VAT guidelines to ensure your VAT codes are correctly set up. If you use custom VAT rates, you may need to liaise with consultancy who should have helped ensure these were correctly in line, and can be easily referred to how they correspond with the system default codes.

You can review the Dimensions help files to learn more about the VAT return and the default VAT rate codes setup

VAT code for zero rated purchases within the EU

Create a VAT journal that updates your VAT Return

Write off bad debts in the Sales Ledger

Reversing an incorrectly posted Journal

Vat Due on Imports including postponement of Vat liability (PVA)