How do you do a zero EPS return

Good day, kevin28.

Thanks for joining the Community.  Let me address your filing a zero EPS return concern.

You can send a zero Employer Payment Submission (EPS) return if you've run a payroll that has nothing on it for a specific pay period. To submit EPS to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), please follow these steps:

1. Go to Taxes and select VAT.
2. In the VAT tab, you'll notice that if you have an EPS filing that needs to be sent under Open returns.
3. Click on the Submit return link.
4. Review your return.
5. Click on Submit to HMRC.
6. Follow the onscreen instructions.

I've attached some screenshots below, so you'll know what I'm referring to.

As a reference, you can also check out this article: Submit EPS to HMRC in QuickBooks Online Payroll.

This should point you in the right direction. Let me know if there's more I can help you with. I'll be around.

Filling VAT returns has got absolutely NOTHING to do with filing zero EPS returns.

A zero EPS return is a payroll message to HMRC that you did not pay any employees for that period.

So your screenshots do not help.

The link you supplied IS instructions to "Submit EPS to HMRC in QuickBooks Online Payroll" So they are much better, however....

I have already tried to follow those instructions and it does not work. QBO online suppport did not help becasue after a 2 and half hour telephone conversation where they told me

I COULD NOT do that,

then I COULD,

then I COULD NOT,

then that help link you sent is WRONG,

then the message QBO shows when you create a payroll run with no payments which says "Your HMRC submissions (FPS and/or EPS) will be created and ready to submit. If you have auto-filing set up, these will be automatically submitted" (see attachment) is WRONG.

then I have to wait until AFTER the 19th,

then I have to wait until after the 6th but before the 19th...........

Hello kevin28,

You can submit a 0 EPS, however this will not generate in the system until the 6th, you then have until the 19th to submit this.

I apologise for the information provided above, the EPS will be generated within the Payroll Tax tab.

Thanks,

Talia

Thanks  - so you can confirm the information give by two support people over a 2.5 hourt call that qbo CANNOT submit EPS returns and i WOULD HAVE TO use HMRC basic tools to do it is wrong.

An not only that, they argued about it for 2.5 hours.

Hello kevin28,

I apologise for the length of time you were on this call. This was the case until very recently, as I have only been made aware of this change to the system today, which may be why the agents told you this.

Thanks,

Talia

That is a suspiciously convenient explantion.