Brexit – companies need a Customs Declaration:
Starting on 01.01.2021, UK companies will need customs declarations for all in- and outbound movement of goods to and from the EU
In the customs declaration the goods are declared by their Customs Tariff Number (CTN), value and weight.
The CTN is used to clearly identify the customs duties, import sales tax and export control regimes. There are more than 9,500 CTN’s, split into 96 chapters.
Have you identified the proper CTN’s (8-digits) for your goods yet? Classifying goods can be challenging.
The Zollfuchs is specialised in classifying goods. If you wish support – please contact me:
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Read on for more details about Customs Declarations:
The UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is leaving the EU on the 01.01.2021 and will become a so called ‘third country’ in relation to the EU.
What do companies in the UK have to consider for transport of goods outbound or inbound from or to the UK:
- You must have a Customs tariff number (CTN) for your goods.
You can only classify your goods when you have knowledge about its material and purpose. - Imports that have taken place between 01.01.2021 and 30.06.2021 must be declared at the latest in July 2021. Companies in the UK have therefore the possibility of postponing the import declaration for a maximum of six months.
My advice:
Do not postpone your declarations! Do it right away when the shipment is entering the UK! Postponing does not simplify the process; just the opposite will happen. Getting then all the documents together will be a hassle. Much more important: With the declaration, import customs duties and import sales tax become immediately payable. That may amount to a large sum of money – do you have the cash flow at hand?
- The recipients of your goods in the EU and other countries have to declare the imports on the effective date when the goods are entering the particular country. So, these recipients have no possibility of postponement. They need your data, as you do, right away for their import customs declaration.
- An exception is when the goods are transferred into a bonded warehouse. But goods in a bonded warehouse are normally not allowed to be worked on and only a few companies have a bonded warehouse licence.
- With the status of a third country there is no need any more to report data to Intrastat.
What do you need when you export or import goods from or to the UK?
- Invoice for the shipment
- Customs Declaration
Which data should be indicated in the invoice?
- Invoice no.
- Date of issue of the invoice
- A sufficient description of the articles
- Customs Tariff No. (CTN) in reference to the article
- Country of Origin (CoC)
- Quantity
- Value and Currency
- Terms of delivery acc. Incoterms ®
- Terms of payment
- Net and gross weight
- Kind of packaging
With more than 15 years’ experience Anke Brucklacher, CEO, is known as the Zollfuchs and consults companies in customs and export. She lived and worked in York / England and Portland OR / USA as well as in France.
