Clear Books + VAT Return: Complete Workflow
Preparing for vat return and using Clear Books? Quarterly VAT returns require matching bank transactions to sales and purchase invoices. Working from PDF statements adds unnecessary time to an already tight deadline. BankScan AI bridges the gap between your bank's PDF statements and Clear Books's import feature.
BankScan AI → Clear Books for VAT Return
Convert bank statement PDFs to CSV formatted for Clear Books import. Convert bank statements to Excel to quickly identify VAT-bearing transactions, match against invoices, and prepare your VAT return accurately.
How It Works
Upload your bank statement PDF
Supports all major banks. Upload 3 months per VAT quarter (standard scheme); 12 months for annual accounting scheme users of statements.
AI formats for Clear Books
Output as CSV with Date, Description, Money in, Money out — Clear Books uses separate columns for credits and debits — dates in DD/MM/YYYY.
Import and use for vat return
Upload into Clear Books and use the reconciled data for vat return.
Supported Banks
BankScan AI works with all major UK and US banks, including:
Clear Books + VAT Return Features
- Clear Books ready — Output formatted as CSV matching Clear Books's expected column structure
- Smart integration — Clear Books has built-in Corporation Tax estimation that updates as bank transactions are imported, giving directors a live view of their CT liability.
- Built for VAT Return — Convert bank statements to Excel to quickly identify VAT-bearing transactions, match against invoices, and prepare your VAT return accurately.
Import for VAT Return into Clear Books
After converting your bank statements for vat return:
- In Clear Books, go to Money > Bank Accounts > select your account > Import
- Upload the CSV and map Date, Description, Money in, and Money out columns
Common Import Issues
Clear Books requires header row labels to exactly match expected names. Rename columns to Date, Description, Money in, Money out if import fails.
Clear Books Import for VAT Return
VAT returns due 1 month and 7 days after the end of the VAT quarter; late submission triggers a surcharge of up to 15% of VAT owed under the default surcharge regime
Convert for Clear Books + VAT Return