Importers and exporters will need to complete customs declarations next year, regardless of whether the UK agrees a free trade deal with the EU. To complete declarations you will need to:

• Have a GB economic Operator Registration and Identification number (EORI number).
• Decide if you will use a customs intermediary.

If you choose to complete the customs declarations yourself, you will need to:

• Have access to the relevant IT systems to complete declarations.
• Know the customs value and commodity code for goods traded.
• Consider simplifications and facilitations such as customs freight simplified procedures (CFSPs), warehousing, inward processing, and transit.

For further information about preparing for custom declarations, please click here.

GOVERNMENT GRANT FOR CUSTOMS TRAINING FUNDING

HMRC has extended the deadline for customs training funding. Applications are open until the 30^th of June 2021 (or until all funding is allocated). The funding can be used towards helping businesses train staff in making customs declarations.

The funding is open to businesses that are established in or have a branch in the UK when the grant is paid to you, and for those that have not previously failed to meet tax obligations. To apply for the grants, your business must either complete customs declarations for yourself or someone else (or intend to in the future) and you must import from or export to the EU.

The grant will give you up to 100% of the cost of training for your employees, up to a limit of £1,500 per trainee. Please click here to apply for and access further information about the customs training grant.

OTHER GRANTS IF YOUR BUSINESS COMPLETES CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS

If your business completes customs declarations, you can apply for 3 grants to help your business complete customs declarations for recruitment, training and IT improvements.

You can apply to get funding for:

• Training that helps your business to complete customs declarations and processes (see above).
• Hiring new staff to help your business complete customs declarations.
• IT improvements to help your business complete customs declarations more efficiently.

Your business must:

• Have been established in the UK for at least 12 months before the submission of your application and when the grant is paid.
• Not have previously failed to meet its tax obligations.

In addition, your businesses must meet one of the descriptions below:

• Complete or intend to complete customs declarations on behalf of your clients.
• Be an importer or exporter and complete or intend to complete declarations internally for your own goods.
• Be an organisation which recruits, trains and places apprentices in businesses to undertake customs declarations.

Please see the Government website for further information about grants for businesses that complete customs declarations.