PTP VF - INVALID_REQUEST error when submitting VAT returns after updating to version 23.3.111

kba-03840

PTP VF - INVALID_REQUEST error when submitting VAT returns after updating to version 23.3.111

4th August 2023

Since updating to version 23.3.111 the following error is occurring on any submission of a period which existed in the system prior to updating the version. Any new clients, or new obligations will be fine, but pre-existing obligations will get the error.

It was not possible to connect to HMRC to collect this client’s data.  Please contact support quoting the following error:
INVALID_REQUEST

This issue was fixed in 23.3.124.  Alternatively, the following workaround may also be followed to reimport the obligations from HMRC.  PLEASE NOTE: The reimported obligations will pull through the figures but not the original date of submission for the prior periods.

1. Identify the data location by going to the Settings icon and make a note of the Database Path
2. Browse to this location and take a copy of the VatFiler.db before proceeding
3. Select the client
4. Make a note of the start date of the earliest obligation (you may need to amend the date range being displayed to show all obligations)
5. Go to the Client Menu > select Delete VAT Data (this will remove all obligations for this client)
6. Reselect the client
7. Go to the Client Menu > select Retrieve
8. Enter the start date as the start date of the very first obligation (noted in Step 4) and the end date as today, ensuring that the date registered for VAT is on or before the start date
9. Move the cursor out of the date box to ensure the Retrieve button is enabled
10.Click Retrieve
11.This will pull through all prior year obligations including the figures (but not the original date of submission)
12.Reimport the figures for the current submission from spreadsheet/csv and submit
13.If for any reason the desired result is not achieved, restore the original database by closing out of VATFiler, browsing to the data location identified in Step 1, renaming the VatFiler.db to VatFiler old.db, renaming the backup version to VatFiler.db