The question that has always loomed around MTD is why the extraordinary effort and expense for HMRC and over a million taxpayers when the result is the same as pre-April 2019 – nine boxes of VAT numbers are still filed? The answer lies behind the choice of the API technology, which enables huge and fast exchanges of data. At some point in the not-too-distant future, HMRC may require taxpayers to submit all VAT transactions to them for verifying the VAT calculations.It’s a point to ponder: soon, HMRC may ‘own’ the source of tax data, your accounting records. That will signal a colossal shift of power from FD’s and accounting departments to HRMC.

Source: UK Making Tax Digital phase 2 launch