A quarterly workflow
Pick the month of each quarter it runs in and the clients it covers. It creates every request from your template at 08:00, as drafts to check or sent, which asks you to confirm first.
Set up recurring document collectionUse case
VAT records every quarter, on schedule.
Sales and purchase invoices and the quarter's bank statements from every VAT client. A quarterly workflow sends each client their list after the quarter ends, and reminders chase what's missing.
Last updated · Facts checked
How it works
A typical quarter in GarnerDocs.
Set up a workflow once for each group of VAT quarters. After that, every quarter runs the same way.
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Once
Set up a quarterly workflow.
Choose your VAT template, the month after each quarter ends and the clients whose VAT quarters end then. It creates one request per client, named for the quarter, as drafts to check or sent.
Set up recurring document collection -
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After the quarter ends
Clients get the quarter's list.
Each client gets an email with a private link listing the quarter's records. They upload from a phone or computer, with no account, and come back to the same link for the rest.
Copy or share the client link -
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Before your deadline
Reminders chase what's missing.
By default, reminders go out 3 and 7 days after sending and 3 days before the due date. Each lists only what's outstanding, and they stop once everything is in.
How automatic reminders work -
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As files arrive
Approve, then prepare the return.
Approve each file, or ask for a replacement when a statement stops a month short. Approving the last one completes the request.
Review and approve uploads
Choose your VAT template, the month after each quarter ends and the clients whose VAT quarters end then. It creates one request per client, named for the quarter, as drafts to check or sent.
for Meridian Studio · Due 14 Oct
Private upload link · what Meridian Studio seesNo account needed
N
Northstar Accounting
Documents requested for
Due 14 Oct
Upload a few, leave some missing, then see what the reminders do.
Default schedule
Features
What keeps each quarter on schedule.
A template for each kind of business
A retailer's records aren't a consultant's. Keep a VAT list for each, and tailor one client's request without changing the template.
Create a templateNotes on unusual items
A large purchase or a refund needs a word of explanation, not a file. Your client writes it in a note from their upload page.
Read and reply to client notesReplacements with a note
A statement that stops a month short? Ask for a replacement with a note your client sees next to that document. The earlier version stays in the history.
Ask a client for a replacement fileA quarter, start to finish
Once, set up a quarterly workflow with your VAT template, the reporting period Previous quarter and the clients it covers. Set Due after (days) to leave you time before your own deadline.
The 1st after the quarter ends, it creates one request per client, like "VAT return Q3 2026", and sends it or saves a draft for you.
As files arrive, approve each one or ask for a replacement. When the last is approved, download the files as a ZIP and prepare the return as you do today.
Clients on different VAT quarters
A quarterly workflow runs in the same month of every quarter for all its clients. Clients' VAT quarters don't all end together, so set up one workflow for each group, pick that group under Specific clients, and run it in the month after their quarters end:
| VAT quarters end in | The workflow runs in | Month of each quarter |
|---|---|---|
| March, June, September, December | January, April, July, October | 1st month |
| January, April, July, October | February, May, August, November | 2nd month |
| February, May, August, November | March, June, September, December | 3rd month |
Requests are titled with the calendar quarter the VAT period starts in, so February to April is "Q1". Naming each group's template for its quarter ends, like "VAT return, quarters to April", keeps the titles clear.
Example checklist
Ask only for what each client has. The VAT return records checklist covers each item in more detail.
Sales
- Sales invoices issued
- Till or card terminal reports
Purchases
- Purchase invoices and receipts
- Import and export documents
Bank
- Bank statements for the quarter, one for each account
- Credit card statements
Anything unusual
- Notes on unusual items, such as a large purchase or a refund
Notes on unusual items don't need a file: say so in your request message, and clients write them in a note from their upload page.
What GarnerDocs doesn't do
GarnerDocs collects the records. You prepare and file the return in your own software. It isn't Making Tax Digital software: it doesn't connect to HMRC, read figures from invoices, work out VAT or file anything.
GOV.UK says a return filed online is usually due one calendar month and 7 days after the end of the VAT period. Check the VAT return deadlines on GOV.UK for the full rules (checked on 19 October 2026). This page isn't tax advice, and GarnerDocs doesn't know anyone's deadlines: every due date on a request is one you set.
Questions
My clients have different VAT quarters. Does that work?
Yes, with one quarterly workflow for each group. A workflow runs in the same month of every quarter for all its clients, so set one up for each set of quarter ends and pick its clients under Specific clients. The table above shows which month to choose.
Does it matter whether a client uses cash accounting?
Not for collecting the records. GarnerDocs doesn't know which VAT scheme a client uses and doesn't work anything out: it asks for the documents on your list. If some clients need a different list, keep a template for them.
What happens when a client is late?
Once the due date passes, the request shows as overdue and appears on the Overview's Needs your attention list. Your client can still upload with the same link. No automatic reminders go out after the due date, so use Send reminder to chase it. The next quarter's request still goes out on schedule.
Can I check the requests before clients get them?
Yes. New workflows save drafts for you to check and send. Sending automatically asks you to confirm first, and you can pause a workflow at any time.
Related
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For bookkeepers
Bank statements, receipts and invoices from every client, every month. GarnerDocs sends each client their list on schedule and reminds them about whatever is still missing.
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Checklist
VAT return records checklist for clients
What HMRC expects VAT-registered businesses to keep, the quarterly list to send clients, and your firm's side of the quarter.
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Workflows
Set up recurring document collection
Monthly, quarterly or annual requests from a template, sent or saved as drafts.
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Use case
Monthly bookkeeping
Bank statements, receipts and invoices from every bookkeeping client, every month. GarnerDocs sends each client this month's list on the 1st and chases what's missing, so you can get on with the books.
Spend less time chasing. More time doing the work that matters.
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