Submitting to HMRC

What this is

The submission step is where your reviewed data is sent to HMRC. This is the final action in the upload wizard - once you confirm, Aligned transmits your quarterly income and expense figures to HMRC’s Making Tax Digital system. You receive a confirmation once HMRC accepts the submission.

What you see on screen

The confirmation screen shows:

• A summary of what you are about to submit - the obligation period, income type, and key totals
• A confirmation checkbox or button - you must explicitly confirm before submission
• Submission status - after clicking submit, a progress indicator shows the submission is being sent

If you’re an accountant

The confirmation screen includes a notice: “You are submitting on behalf of [client name]”. This confirms which client’s data is being sent.

If you’re filing for yourself

The confirmation shows your own name and the obligation period you are filing for.

After submission, the screen shows:

• Success confirmation with HMRC’s response
• A submission receipt you can view or save for your records
• Option to view in submission history for future reference

How to submit

1. Review the final summary one last time
2. Confirm the submission by checking the confirmation box or clicking the submit button
3. Wait for HMRC’s response - this usually takes a few seconds
4. Check the confirmation - a green success message means HMRC has accepted your data
5. Save or note the receipt for your records

Things to know

• Submission is for that quarterly period. Each submission covers a specific obligation period (e.g., 6 April to 5 July). Make sure you have selected the correct period.
• You can amend later if needed. If you discover an error after submitting, you can upload corrected data and resubmit for the same period. The new submission replaces the previous one.
• HMRC processing may take a moment. In most cases the response is near-instant, but during busy periods it may take slightly longer.
• Your spreadsheet file is stored securely. A copy of your uploaded file is retained for your records and audit trail.

If something goes wrong

HMRC rejection

If HMRC rejects the submission, you will see an error message explaining why. Common reasons include invalid data formats or missing required fields. See HMRC Error Codes and What They Mean for a full reference.

Timeout or connection error

If the submission times out, do not immediately retry. Check your submission history first - the submission may have gone through despite the timeout. If it does not appear in your history after a few minutes, try again.

Duplicate submission warning

If you try to submit data for a period that has already been filed, Aligned will warn you. You can proceed if you intend to replace the previous submission with updated figures.

Related

• Reviewing Before You Submit - the step before submission
• Viewing Submission History - checking past submissions
• HMRC Error Codes and What They Mean - understanding HMRC errors

FAQ

Is the submission final?

The submission is final for that quarterly period, but you can amend it by uploading corrected data and resubmitting for the same period. The new figures replace the old ones with HMRC.

Do I get a receipt?

Yes. After a successful submission, Aligned shows a confirmation with details from HMRC’s response. This is also saved in your submission history.

How do I know HMRC received my data?

A successful submission shows a green confirmation with HMRC’s acknowledgement. The obligation status will also update to “Fulfilled” in your Quarterly Statuses page.

What if I submitted the wrong data?

Upload a corrected spreadsheet and submit again for the same obligation period. HMRC accepts replacement submissions for quarterly updates.