If part of what I sell is at Zero VAT ie Kids clothes but most of what I sell is standard VAT rated how do I make sure that I do not pay VAT on the zero rated sales?

Hi norman3, 

If you create the products and services (Sales > Products and Services) you can set the default VAT rate within each individual item's settings, so that when you select this when creating a transaction this VAT code will automatically be applied. 

Please ensure you are selecting the correct QuickBooks VAT code for zero-rated sales by viewing our guide linked here.

Thanks