VAT (MTD) API
| Available in Sandbox | Yes |
|---|---|
| Sandbox base URL | https://test-api.service.hmrc.gov.uk |
| Available in Production | Yes |
| Production base URL | https://api.service.hmrc.gov.uk |
Overview
This API allows developers to:
- retrieve VAT obligations
- submit and view a VAT return
- retrieve a VAT liability
- retrieve a VAT payment
- retrieve VAT penalties
- retrieve financial details relating to a penalty
For more background on the VAT API, see the MTDfB VAT Guide for Vendors.
For information on how to connect to this API see the VAT MTD end-to-end service guide.
Errors
We use standard HTTP status codes to show whether an API request succeeded or not. They are usually in the range:
- 200 to 299 if it succeeded, including code 202 if it was accepted by an API that needs to wait for further action
- 400 to 499 if it failed because of a client error by your application
- 500 to 599 if it failed because of an error on our server
Errors specific to each API are shown in the Endpoints section, under Response. See our reference guide for more on errors.
Testing
You can use the sandbox environment to test this API. You can use the Create Test User API or it's frontend service to create test users.
It may not be possible to test all scenarios in the sandbox. You can test some scenarios by passing the Gov-Test-Scenario header. Documentation for each endpoint includes a Test data section, which explains the scenarios that you can simulate using the Gov-Test-Scenario header.
If you have a specific testing need that is not supported in the sandbox, contact our support team.
Some APIs may be marked [test only]. This means that they are not available for use in production and may change.
Fraud Prevention
HMRC monitors transactions to help protect your customers' confidential data from criminals and fraudsters.
Check the data you need to send. You can also use the Test API during initial development and as part of your quality assurance checks.
Versioning
When an API changes in a way that is backwards-incompatible, we increase the version number of the API. See our reference guide for more on versioning.
Endpoints
View API endpointsWhy do these endpoints look different?
The endpoints for this API now use the Open API Specification (OAS).
The API has not changed. You do not need to make any updates to your application if you already use this API.