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Creating a Partnership Tax Return in BrightTax

Michaela Greene
  • Updated

 

Overview

A Partnership Tax Return (PTR) in BrightTax covers the preparation and submission of the SA800 Partnership Tax Return to HMRC. Each tax year requires a separate task per partnership. This article covers how to create, open, and set up a new PTR.

 

Before You Begin
  • The partnership must exist in BrightTax as an Organisation client.
  • Each partner must be created as an Individual client in BrightTax before they can be linked to the return.
  • Your HMRC filing credentials must be configured in System Settings. Note: Partnership Tax Returns are filed using the Corporation Tax filing credentials — not the Self Assessment credentials.

 

⚠ Important: Partnership Tax Returns are submitted to HMRC using your Corporation Tax agent credentials, not your Self Assessment credentials. Ensure your CT credentials are correctly entered in System Settings > Account Information > HMRC Filing Details before attempting to submit.

 

How to Create a Partnership Tax Return
  1. From the Dashboard, go to the Client List.
  2. Switch the toggle at the top to Organisations.
  3. Find the partnership client and click the green Create Task icon to the right of the record.
  4. Select Partnership Tax Return from the task type list.
  5. Select the Tax Year and assign a Responsible User.
  6. Click Create Task to confirm.
  7. Click Open Tax Return to open the PTR.

 

✔ Tip: You can also create a Partnership Tax Return task from the Dashboard by clicking Create Task, selecting Partnership Tax Return, and searching for the partnership client.

 

Roll Forward Option

If a Partnership Tax Return already exists for the same client from the previous tax year, BrightTax will ask whether you want to roll forward the data from that return.

 

  • Click OK to roll forward last year's data as a starting point.
  • Click Cancel to start with a blank return.

 

⚠ Important: If you roll forward, review all pre-populated data carefully before calculating or submitting. Rolled forward figures must be updated to reflect the current year's income and allocations.

 

Opening the PTR

The PTR opens in read-only mode. Switch to Edit mode using the toggle in the bottom-left corner before making any changes. Grey fields are calculated automatically and cannot be edited directly.

 

Troubleshooting

I cannot find the partnership in the client search

  • Confirm the partnership is set up as an Organisation client in BrightTax, not as an Individual.
  • Check the toggle in the Client List is set to Organisations.

 

The submission is failing with an authentication error

  • Partnership Tax Returns use the Corporation Tax filing credentials. Check that your CT credentials are correctly entered in System Settings > Account Information > HMRC Filing Details.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I create a PTR for an LLP?

A: Yes. LLPs are set up as Organisation clients in BrightTax. Create the PTR task in the same way as for a general partnership.

Q: How many partners can a Partnership Tax Return have?

A: BrightTax supports multiple partners on a PTR. Each partner must be created as an Individual client in BrightTax before they can be linked to the return.

Q: Can I change the tax year after creating the task?

A: No. The tax year is fixed at the point of task creation. If you selected the wrong year, discard and delete the task and recreate it.

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