UK warns 250k businesses to get Brexit customs & VAT help

The UK’s HMRC has written to 250,000 UK businesses to get help on customs declarations and VAT in preparation for the end of the Brexit transition period.

With less than 70 days to go, HMRC recommends:

1. Appoint a specialist to deal with import and export declarations. This is important regardless of the amount or value of trade your business does with Europe. Most businesses use a third party such as a freight forwarder or fast parcel operator to deal with this, and do not do their customs declarations themselves.

2. Check to see if you will be able to delay your declarations or duty payments.

3. Register for the free-to-use Trader Support Service if you plan on moving goods into Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021.

Key VAT issues include

• Appoint a VAT fiscal representative in the 19 countries that may force this requirement on UK businesses
• Check you can use Postponed Accounting to avoid paying import VAT
• Seek extra VAT registrations on B2B and B2C selling to avoid fines or blocked goods
• Apply for new MOSS registrations on digital services