how do set up qbonline to set my vat closing date as the books closing date to be the same - automatically - not manually under advanced settings each period.

Good day, Lorna 14. QuickBooks Online does not have a built-in option to automatically sync the VAT period closing date with the books closing date. Currently, you need to manually change or update these from the Gear icon > Account and Settings > Advanced.
 

Please know that the VAT closing date and the books closing date do not necessarily need to be the same. Whether they should match depends entirely on the business's internal accounting practices and filing requirements.
 

VAT closing date is the end date of your VAT reporting period (e.g., monthly, quarterly, etc.). It reflects the period for which VAT returns are being filed and often depends on local VAT laws and filing schedules. While, books closing date is the date by which you "lock" your accounting books to finalize financial reporting for a specific period (e.g., end of the fiscal year, quarter, or month). It prevents accidental or unauthorized changes to financial data beyond the closing date.
 

For example:

VAT filing period: January 1st – March 31st.
Books closing dates: January 31st, February 28th, etc.

In this case, the dates do not need to match, and they can follow independent timelines.
 

If they need to match, you can set reminders as a workaround to manually update the books closing date after filing VAT returns and track reporting periods (e.g., quarterly) to prevent mismatches between VAT filings and locked accounting periods.
 

You can refer to these article links for a complete guide on how to manually set up the VAT date and closing date:

File your VAT return and record VAT payments 
Close your books in QuickBooks Online

Please leave us a response if you have other questions or concerns.