---
title: "Exact Online zero-VAT error for Administrators - Payhawk Help Center"
slug: "failed-to-export-into-exact-online-a-vat-amount-is-not-allowed-if-you-use-a-vat-code-of-type-no-vat-or-vat-0-percent"
description: "Fix the Exact Online export error for a VAT amount on a No VAT or VAT 0% code. Set the VAT amount to 0.00 or pick the right VAT code, then export again."
updated: 2026-10-27T15:07:45Z
published: 2026-10-27T15:07:45Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/failed-to-export-into-exact-online-a-vat-amount-is-not-allowed-if-you-use-a-vat-code-of-type-no-vat-or-vat-0-percent"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payhawk.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Failed to export into Exact Online. A VAT amount is not allowed if you use a VAT code of type No VAT or VAT 0 percent.

## Error message

```plaintext
Failed to export expense. A VAT amount is not allowed if you use a VAT code of type 'No VAT' or 'VAT 0%'.
```

## Affected ERP integrations

- Exact Online

## Cause

This error occurs when you have selected a VAT code in Payhawk that is designated as **No VAT** or **VAT 0%** in Exact Online, but a custom VAT amount (greater than 0.00) has been entered for the expense in Payhawk.

Payhawk's logic for handling VAT amounts is as follows:

- If you select a VAT code, Payhawk typically calculates and displays the appropriate rate, sending only the VAT code to Exact Online.
- If you manually override the calculated VAT amount in Payhawk to a different value, Payhawk will send both the VAT code and the custom VAT amount to Exact Online.

When a VAT code that means **no tax**, such as **No VAT** or **VAT 0%**, is paired with a non-zero VAT amount, Exact Online identifies this as a discrepancy and blocks the export, as it's logically inconsistent to have a VAT amount when the rate is zero.

## Solution

To resolve this issue:

1. In the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com), go to **Spend**.
2. Click on the expense that failed to export.
3. Locate the **VAT code** and **VAT amount** fields.
  - If the expense truly has no VAT, ensure the selected **VAT code** in Payhawk is indeed a **No VAT** or **VAT 0%** type. Change the VAT amount to **0.00**.
  - If the expense should have VAT, change the selected **VAT code** in Payhawk to an appropriate code that has a non-zero VAT rate configured in Exact Online. Adjust the VAT amount accordingly.
4. Save the expense and attempt to export it again.