Tag / HMRC

by Mike Poverello

U.K. Starts Research on Brexit Customs System Due in Four Months

Marcin Jozwiak – Uplash

The British government has started to conduct research on its new post-Brexit customs IT system, with four months left before the service is due to go live.

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, which is in charge of handling the new customs paperwork that will apply to UK-EU trade from 2021, has invited hauliers to participate in rounds of remote-user testing in the coming months for its Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), according to a memo to the freight forwarding industry.

The GVMS – which is set to be used to police cross-Irish Sea trade from Jan 1 2021, and then all UK-EU goods flows from July – will give freight companies a unique reference number that proves that they have filed the necessary post-Brexit paperwork, such as customs declarations.

Without a reference from the GVMS, trucks will not be allowed to cross between the UK and EU.

The fact that the GVMS is still in the research and design phase less than 90 working days before it is due to be introduced is a cause for concern in the logistics industry: one freight forwarder, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said they are worried the service won’t be completed and functional on time.

The new system will be required even if Britain and the EU sign a free-trade agreement.

And while consultation with the industry is welcome, it would have been preferable to do such research during the system design process, said Anna Jerzewska, founder of Trade and Borders, a customs and trade consultancy.

“The Government has made it clear that GVMS is unlikely to be ready for January 1 and as far as we understand there will be back-up procedures in place,” she said.

“It will be crucial to ensure that such alternatives are available in places where traffic management will be important,” she said, citing Kent and the Irish Sea.

In the memo, HMRC says it wants to start the first round of testing “ASAP” due to the shortage of time.

The tests will involve hour-long video calls where hauliers try prototypes and give feedback.

“When designing a system that the industry will be using, it is important we work in partnership with them to make sure it suits their and our needs,” HMRC said by email.

“We will continue to develop our systems in readiness for the end of the transition period and when full border controls are implemented from July 2021.”

Source: Bloomberg, article authored by Joe Mayes, 28 August 2020

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by Mike Poverello

Warehouse Operators – Easy prey for HMRC

warehousingThere is growing evidence that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has begun a campaign to target warehouse keepers and hauliers who may unknowingly be handling excise goods on which the duty has yet to be paid.

And the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) is warning that any company found guilty of storing goods on which duty is outstanding could face ‘financial ruin’ – even if the storage company was unaware that duty had not been paid.

“While HMRC has had the authority to assess anyone for duty on goods illegally diverted from bonded movements who was ‘aware or should reasonably have been aware’ of the diversion at any point in the supply chain since 2010, action has been spasmodic,” says Alan Powell of Alan Powell Associates, UKWA’s honorary adviser on Customs & Excise Matters.

“However,” he continues, “HMRC is deploying more officers to investigate excise goods supply chains. As a result, we are now increasingly seeing third party service providers, including hauliers, warehouse keepers and lessors of property, such as barns and outbuildings, being penalised by HMRC as a result of their involvement with businesses that have evaded duty on alcohol and have absconded – so called ‘missing traders’.”

Anyone found to have held or dealt in duty-unpaid excise goods, can be fined up to 100% of the duty evaded, as Alan Powell explains: “HMRC had been slow to apply what are called ‘excise wrong-doing penalties’ but are now vigorously applying them.  As a result, many small and medium companies are facing unexpected bills and penalties from HMRC of hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Allan Powell continues: “In simple terms, if an organisation has been involved at any stage in the supply of goods that have been illicitly diverted from a bonded supply chain, that  organisation could be liable for duty – even if that organisation is not directly responsible for the diversion.

“Essentially, anyone handling duty-unpaid product is classed as being ‘contaminated’ within the supply chain and assessed for the duty.”

In one particular instance, a storage company is facing a duty bill alone for nearly £100,000 after HMRC inspectors found duty-unpaid alcohol stored at the company’s site.

“The storage company was simply unaware about the risks involved in handling loads of duty un-paid alcohol and the director of the company to whom they leased the space has disappeared,” says UKWA’s chief executive officer, Roger Williams.

The message from Alan Powell and UKWA is that if you offer third party logistical services of any kind, you must check what is being handled or stored – do not take storage requirements on face value.

Alan Powell says: “Always be wary and query the business need, checking out with HMRC if possible.  If in any doubt, do NOT become involved – it could end very badly.” Source: www.ukwa.org.uk.

Read a followup article by – UKWA :Don’t be fazed by HMRC move (Lloyds List)