Moving goods between the UK and the EU

If your business is moving goods between the UK and the EU, you’ll need to follow new customs and tax rules.

Your business will be affected by the new rules if it:

buys goods from an EU seller and brings them into the UK
sends goods to a buyer in an EU country
haven’t exchanged money but need to move equipment they use for their business, between the UK and the EU.

This means change for many businesses, and HMRC is offering support

Webinars on moving goods between the UK and the EU

You can sign up for any of the webinars below.

Exporting: what you need to do to keep your goods moving

An overview of the actions to take now when exporting goods from Great Britain to the EU and moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Key processes include – zero-rated VAT, customs declarations, using an intermediary as well as licences, certificates, and authorisations.

Please register to take part if you’re planning to export.

Trader responsibilities when using an intermediary

This webinar explains your client’s responsibilities as a trader, if they choose to use an intermediary to complete import or export declarations for their business. These are complex and an intermediary can save them a lot of time.

Please register to take part if you’re planning to import or export.

Customs Import Declarations: an overview

If a business you represent needs to make customs import declarations on controlled goods and on non-controlled goods by the end of June 2021, this webinar will help you, and your client, to understand what’s needed for simplified declarations, supplementary declarations, and delayed import declarations.

Please register to take part if you’re planning to import.

Importing: what you need to know about staged controls

This webinar takes you through the three stages of the new border controls introduced on 1‌‌ January‌‌ ‌2021, and what actions your client’s business needs to take for each stage.

Please register to take part if you’re planning to import.

Other support for moving goods between the UK and the EU

You can also:

watch videos on HMRC’s YouTube channel to familiarise yourself with the new customs processes
use the trader checklist on GOV‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌.UK to make sure you’re familiar with the new rules
use updated guides to understand the new customs and VAT requirements when your business is moving goods between the UK and EU countries
sign-up to the Trader Support Service if your business is moving goods between GB and Northern Ireland and use their suite of educational products – including online training modules and webinars for support with the Northern Ireland Protocol
ask and get answers to specific questions about HMRC processes for importing or exporting, by visiting customer forums
watch webinars and videos from other government departments
sign up to weekly email updates on ‘News and information about importing and exporting with the EU‘, providing hints and tips for businesses like yours to get used to the new rules for importing and exporting.

Contact HMRC

Call our Customs & International Trade helpline on 0300‌‌ ‌322‌‌ ‌9434, for more help with importing, exporting or customs reliefs. The helpline is open‌‌ ‌from 8am‌‌ ‌to‌‌ ‌10pm‌‌ ‌Monday‌‌ ‌to‌‌ ‌Friday and‌‌ ‌from 8am‌‌ ‌to‌‌ ‌4pm at‌‌ ‌week‌‌ends.

Protect yourself from scams

Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic. Search ‘scams’ on GOV‌‌‌‌‌‌.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.

Access the National Cyber Security Centre’s new guide on how to stay secure online and protect yourself or your business against cyber crime by searching ‘Cyber Aware’ on GOV‌‌‌‌.UK.