Welcome to the UK Community, @Optom,

To remove any unassigned VAT in QuickBooks, you'll have to mark them as filed. The most likely reason why they are showing up in the VAT page, is that they might be categorised as VAT Control, or the start date selected during the MTD setup goes back to last year.

Here's how to manually file a VAT return:

1. From the left menu, click Taxes.
2. In the Returns tab, select the previous VAT returns.
3. Click Prepare return under the Action column.
4. Review the Start date and End date of the period.
5. In the Prepare VAT return page, select Mark as filed from the Submit to HMRC drop-down.
6. Click Continue.

You can also find these steps in this article: Submit a VAT Return in QuickBooks.

Otherwise, you can edit the entries and tag them with the correct VAT codes for proper reporting.

If you have other questions, please drop them here by clicking the Reply button below. I'll be here to help whenever you need VAT help. Have a nice day!

Not sure if I have duplicated this reply .

1st many thanks for your efforts to answer my query it is much appreciated. 

I am using Quickbooks 2019 Pro Desktop in the UK.

I am having  problems following your instructions.

You say to remove any unassigned VAT you have to mark them as filed How?

I do not seem to have the menu you have..You talk about editing entries and tagging them with correct VAT codes what entries? where are they found?what VAT codes?

Sorry to be a bit dumb about this.

Thanks for getting back to this thread, @GGM.

The steps that were shared above are intended for QuickBooks Online. This is the reason why you're unable to follow the given instructions. 

A data damage in your company file might be the cause of this issue. This can be the reason why the VAT refund isn't showing in box 5 of your tax form. 

To clear this out, let's run some basic troubleshooting steps. This way, we can correct your tax records.

First, make sure that you're using the latest update in QuickBooks Desktop. Updating your software regularly can fix some minor data issues in the program. Here's how:

1. Go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. From the Update Now tab, click Get Updates to start the download.
3. When the download finishes, restart QuickBooks.
4. When prompted, accept the option to install the new release.

Once done, review again the tax form. If you're still getting a similar result, run the Verify and Rebuild Data tools. Verify Data self-identifies the most commonly known data issues within a company file while Rebuild Data self-resolves most data integrity issues that were verified.

If the issue persists, I'd recommend reaching out to our QuickBooks Support Team. They have the tools that could check your account to verify its cause and assign the VAT refund. 

The Community always has your back, so please let me know if you have any other questions. I'll be more than happy to help. Keep safe.