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Setting Up

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Welcome to the 123 Sheets setting up guide

Follow the instructions below to get the most out of using 123 Sheets.

Any problems, please contact us at support.team@123sheets.co.uk.

Step 1
Get an Agent Services Account

Please go on to Step 3 if you already have a working Agent Services Account (ASA) and have linked your clients to your Making Tax Digital Agent Services Account (ASA).

To create your firm's Agent Services Account (ASA), Sign in using your old agent government gateway ID and password. There is a specific page where you must do that, which you can get to by Clicking Here.

Government gateway website

As part of this sign up you will be required to:

  • Sign in using your old agent government gateway ID and password.
  • Enter the business type of your practice.
  • Enter the business UTR and postcode of your practice. Use the address HMRC have on your old agent government gateway.
  • You may be asked about who your money laundering supervisory body is. This could be: ICAEW, ACCA etc.
    • If you are asked the date this is valid to, it may be to 31 December for the ICAEW, or 12 months after you last paid your institute's annual fees for the ACCA.
    • If you are not a member of a professional body, your money laundering supervisory body is HMRC: set this up with them before proceeding.
  • Make a note of your new Agent Services Account (ASA) Government Gateway ID and the password. You will need these to authorise our software with HMRC.
  • The new Government ID is a 12-digit number. Also make a note of your "Account Number" which begins with four letters as you may need it to speak th HMRC if you call them.

Once you have your new account you will be able to link your existing client relationships for both VAT and Income Tax to these new credentials. It will not remove the client authorisation from your old Government gateway account.

The steps required are:

  • Sign in to your new Agents Service Account Click Here. Use your new gateway ID and password; select the link "link your current Self Assessment and VAT clients to this account".
  • Enter your User ID and Password (the old government gateway ID and password, not the new ASA one).
  • Enter your new ARN you received in step 2 above.
  • Enter your UTR or Corporation Tax Reference for your accountancy/tax practice.
  • Click Connect.

Once you have completed this, your new Agent Services Account has the same client authorisations as your old government gateway. Any new authorisations on the old government gateway are also automatically linked to your new ASA.

Step 3
Authorise 123 Sheets software to provide VAT Services for clients

Firstly, ensure you have entered all your firm’s details into our software, you can do that in "Settings", then "Firm Details" page. There, click on the white 'Edit' button, then click on the 'Save Changes' button when you have finished.

Now add a client into our software. Click on the top Menu "Clients" and then "Add Client". If you haven’t purchased the correct licence, you will be advised to pay for one.

Enter their business name and VAT Number. Now go to the client's page by clicking on the "Clients" Menu heading, then click on the client name that appears in blue.

A Message from HMRC will appear. Please click on the "Continue" button and follow the instructions. You will be asked to sign into your ASA Account, please use your new ASA Government Gateway credentials. Next, click on the "Grant Authority" button.

You will then be re-directed back to our website, and have now authorised us to provide VAT Services for all your clients. The client is now set up, and you can file Returns using our software for any of the clients for which you have 64-8 access. You should see any outstanding VAT Returns to be submitted. Please note you may only see VAT Returns to file if the VAT Return period end date is in the past.

You can now add additional clients: you do not need to authorise our software again for these, as your authorisation on our software will work for all clients for which you have 64-8 access.