UK VAT Registration for Dormant Ltd (Now Starting to Trade)

We have a UK limited company (formed ~2 years ago via Rapid Formations). It has been dormant to date (no trading, no employees). We’re now starting to sell digital/online services/products and need UK VAT registration (voluntary, as we’re starting trading now). The director is non-UK resident (Hungarian). We want an accountant/tax agent to handle the VAT application end-to-end and set us up correctly for ongoing compliance.

What we need (scope):

Assess the best VAT route: standard vs. Flat Rate, cash vs. accrual, monthly vs. quarterly.

Prepare and submit VAT1 and any supporting forms (incl. explanation for voluntary registration).

Register us for MTD for VAT and set up the HMRC authorisation so you can act as our agent.

Help create/confirm the Business Tax Account access and link it to MTD software (if needed).

Advise if we also need GB EORI (in case of physical goods later) — optional, but please flag.

Provide a short onboarding checklist for VAT invoicing, record-keeping, and first return deadlines.

Target: obtain VAT number and confirm effective date of registration.

Deliverables:

Confirmation of submitted VAT application (copy/screenshots).

VAT number and effective date (once issued).

Brief one-pager with our VAT scheme choice, return frequency, first period dates, and next steps.

MTD setup confirmation (and agent authorisation in place).

What we’ll provide:

Company details (name, number, registered office).

Director/shareholder details and ID as needed.

Nature of business & planned activities (B2B/B2C, UK/EU/ROW).

Bank statement / proof of intent to trade (website/domain, contracts, etc.) if HMRC requests.

Nice to have (please state if included):

Ongoing VAT return filing (quarterly) — quote a separate fixed fee.

Companies House & CT compliance support (annual accounts/CT600) — optional.

Timeline:

Please state typical timeframe from engagement to VAT number issuance and any dependencies from HMRC.

Budget:

Fixed fee for VAT registration + MTD setup + agent authorisation.

Please break down any extras (e.g., responding to HMRC additional queries).

Experience required:

UK accountant/tax agent with recent VAT registrations for micro-entities/online sellers.

Familiarity with non-resident directors and voluntary registrations.

PPH reviews or references preferred.

Screening questions (please answer briefly):

What VAT scheme (standard vs. Flat Rate; cash vs. accrual) would you preliminarily recommend for a small online seller and why?

What documents from us do you usually submit/prepare to support voluntary registration?

Your fixed fee and what it includes; any exclusions.

Typical timeframe you’ve seen recently for VAT numbers to be issued.

Do you also handle quarterly MTD VAT returns? If yes, what’s your fixed fee per return?

Milestones (suggested):

Milestone 1 (50%): KYC complete, agent authorisation obtained, VAT application submitted.

Milestone 2 (50%): VAT number issued, MTD setup confirmed, handover checklist delivered.

Please start your proposal with “VAT READY” so I know you read the brief. Thanks!