Customs Advice in a Post-Brexit World

Since the UK left the European Union on 31st December 2020, trading with EU countries now requires businesses to comply with updated customs formalities. Even though it is more than four years since Brexit was introduced, businesses continue to face challenges in managing these requirements, whether trading within or outside of the EU. At The Customs People, we offer expert customs advice to help you manage these processes efficiently, saving time and reducing costs.

We help you and your clearance agents understand the requirements, responsibilities and processes involved in ensuring that required information on import declarations and export declarations are correctly accounted for and compliant with HMRC's standards. We can help you in accurately managing liabilities for import VAT and customs duty, along with handling goods qualifying for excise duty-free treatment.

We also advise on the tax implications for shipments sent via postal services and offer strategies for accurately addressing added taxes when importing or exporting goods. This includes considering and advising on the best strategy based on where you ship to in the EU and be the party that ‘imports’ into the EU to avoid pushbacks from your EU customers. We can assist you in setting up efficient processes so that you can ship to and import into the EU with minimum fuss and cost.

Brexit-related changes have created ongoing challenges, including how to pay VAT on imports, meet regulatory requirements and maintain compliance when trading with both EU and non-EU countries. Our team has worked with businesses across diverse sectors, simplifying complex customs procedures and offering actionable solutions to keep operations running smoothly.

Contact The Customs People today for up-to-the-minute guidance on the latest customs rules relevant to Brexit. Call us on 0161 826 8926 or complete our 0161 826 8926, or complete an online enquiry form to request a call back at a time that works for you.

How we can help you

At The Customs People, we offer a full consultancy service to help businesses work around UK customs post-Brexit. We explain how Brexit has affected your business’s customs operations in a clear and straightforward way, allowing you to fully understand your obligations and options. Based on this understanding, we provide tailored advice on the steps you need to take to adapt to the new customs landscape, guiding you through each stage of the process.

This includes both imports into the UK and exploring your options when exporting to the EU and where you wish to/are required to deal with imports into the EU so as to not inconvenience your clients.

Our Brexit customs services

We provide expert guidance on a range of post-Brexit customs matters, including:

• Changes to UK-EU customs processes and border control obligations: explaining how customs formalities have changed under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and what this means for the movement of goods.
• Making customs declarations for EU trade: advising you on what you need to do to ensure customs declarations are accurate.
• New tariffs and rules of origin: explaining how goods classification and rules of origin affect customs duty rates and whether your goods qualify for tariff preferences under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
• Rules on excise goods: advising on compliance with excise regulations and helping with licence applications for transporting specialist goods, such as alcohol or tobacco.

We are finding that 4 ½ years after Brexit, HMRC are now very active in auditing businesses on customs matters and we can assist in preparing you for HMRC audits and representing you during these investigations.

Tailored support for your business

Our experienced consultants stay updated on the latest developments relating to Brexit customs charges and regulatory changes, making us well-placed to provide timely advice tailored to your business needs. We prioritise delivering solutions that align with your commercial goals, minimising disruption to your operations.

Specifically, we can assist your business by:

• Explaining the impact of new duty rates: helping you to understand how customs duty affects your business while analysing the broader implications for your operations.
• Developing strategies to reduce trading impact: working with you to minimise the effect of additional duty costs on your customers, helping you maintain competitive pricing without passing on unnecessary costs to end users.
• Assessing supplier compliance: reviewing whether your suppliers are meeting their obligations under UK customs post-Brexit regulations and advising on next steps to protect your supply chain.
• Analysing potential costs: identifying other costs, such as clearance fees, that may arise and providing recommendations on how to manage these effectively.
• Supply route analysis: evaluating your current supply routes to optimise trading with the EU and reduce the risk of delays or increased costs.

Working in collaboration with our sister company, The VAT People, we will analyse your unique circumstances and provide you with tailored solutions that will unravel the complexities of post-Brexit customs and help you avoid potential delays and additional costs in your import and export activities.

Why choose us for Brexit Customs Advice?

The Customs People is a trusted UK consultancy with almost 30 years of offering specialist advice on all regulations within the customs and excise industry. Many of our staff who are former HMRC officers have much more additional experience in these areas. Our comprehensive understanding of the global import and export system means we are ideally placed to provide the most educated advice on post-Brexit UK customs.

We have provided Brexit customs advice and support for importers and exporters from a broad range of industries. We work closely alongside businesses to help them better understand their responsibilities, submit essential applications and documentation, and revise their processes to maximise efficiency and revenues.

The UK’s post-Brexit customs relationship with the EU is still evolving and remains subject to further change. By working with The Customs People, you can stay a step ahead of those changes and enable smooth movement of your goods between the UK and EU with minimal disruption to your business model and its operations.

FAQs about Brexit Customs

What are the major changes in customs rules for trade with the EU?

Since the UK’s post-Brexit transition period with the EU ended at the beginning of 2021, a number of core changes to the rules regarding exports and imports to the EU have now come into effect. These include:

• Customs declarations are now required when importing or exporting goods between Great Britain and the EU.
• Security and safety data must be provided alongside the customs declaration.
• Businesses must demonstrate the origin of their goods in order to qualify for tariff-free trade.
• Special licences are required to import or export certain goods, such as waste, hazardous chemicals and GMOs.
• Transporting excise goods between the UK and EU is now classified as an export to a third country, meaning declarations and excise taxes are required.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, which is why it is important for businesses that are trading with the EU to seek out Brexit customs advice to find out exactly how their business might be affected by these changes.

Should my business apply for Authorised Economic Operator status? 

In addition to standard HMRC compliance, you could also consider applying for Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status which is in effect proof of your business's dedication to meeting the highest standards of customs compliance.

AEO is an effective means of speeding up the customs process. Registering for AEO status means your business has an internationally recognised quality kitemark, that your role in the international supply chain is secure and that you are efficient and compliant with customs controls.

The Customs People can offer advice and support if you are applying for AEO status. We will guide you every step of the way throughout the application process and explain each stage to you.

Find out more about our AEO support services.