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HMRC Support on Transition to CDS

Members will be aware that from 1st October import declarations will need to be done through CDS rather than the existing system CHIEF. We are aware there are concerns about the readiness of suppliers, which we continue to raise with Government.

HMRC is continuing to emphasise the changes and the need for supply chains to ensure they are ready. In order to do this they have set up a number of webinars, details below and are reminding businesses of where they can find support. More details from HMRC below

HMRC Guidance

This week, we’d like you to share the below ‘one month to go’ information with partners (click the link to jump) and please let us know if you have any questions.

HMRC webinars about the Customs Declaration Service

HMRC are running a further series of webinars to support businesses to start using the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) for their import declarations ahead of the 1 October deadline. 

 

Please can you promote these webinars to your members and encourage them to register for them on Eventbrite using the links below.

 

Trader Dress Rehearsal (TDR) – 6 September 2022 at 1.30pm

In this webinar, businesses can find out:

  • how to get access to TDR 
  • what they can do in TDR 
  • what they can’t do in TDR 
  • how long they can use TDR 
  • whether to use TDR before submitting declarations on CDS

 

Finance and payment methods – 9 September 2022 at 12pm

In this webinar, businesses can find out about:

  • customs financial accounts (financial dashboard) 
  • duty deferment accounts and guarantees 
  • cash accounts 
  • immediate payments 
  • standing authorities 
  • Direct Debit Instructions

 

Subscribe to CDS – 13 September 2022 at 3pm

In this webinar, businesses can find out:

  • how to get access to Government Gateway 
  • how to get an EORI number
  • how to subscribe to CDS 
  • how to access CDS from their Business Tax Account 

 

Customs clearance instructions – 15 September 2022 at 12pm

In this webinar, businesses can find out about:

  • error codes
  • valuation methods
  • 999L
  • commodity codes
  • document codes
  • prohibition restriction measures

Payment information for Excise traders with duty deferment accounts

HMRC is replacing the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system with the Customs Declaration Service, representing a significant upgrade by providing businesses with a more user-friendly, streamlined system that offers greater functionality.  From 1 October 2022, CHIEF will close for import declarations.

This will not impact the way you make your payments to HMRC if you use a duty deferment account to pay for one or more of the following domestic excise duties:

  • Registered Excise Dealer and Shipper (REDS)
  • Alcohol and Tobacco Warehouse Duty (ATWD)
  • VAT 908 Mineral Oils: Deferment advice for Value Added Tax due on removal from Warehouse
  • TP7 Tobacco Products for Home Use
  • Wine and Cider Duty
  • Beer Duty
  • Export Tax shop

You should continue to pay these duties in the same way as you do now. It is important that the Direct Debit you currently have against your deferment account remains in place as this pays for your domestic excise liabilities in CHIEF.  If you cancel it, your payments could fail.

You will need to make all other payments on the Customs Declaration Service. You will need to subscribe to the Customs Declaration Service and set up a Direct Debit instruction. If you have already set up a Direct Debit instruction on the Customs Declaration Service, no more action is needed.

If you are also making declarations on the Customs Declaration Service for import transactions, you will have two active HMRC Direct Debit instructions and two payments may be taken on the same day, but please be assured, we will not charge you twice for the same liability.

This will be:

  • one payment will be to settle your Customs Declaration Service liabilities
  • the other payment will settle your CHIEF liabilities, including your excise items.

If this happens, you will receive two statements to confirm the charges due.

We will notify you if you need to take any further action.

Targeted emails to a range of audiences

This week we issued five targeted emails on the topics below, these have been attached to the email for you to share with partners as appropriate.

  1. One month to move to the Customs Declaration Service (Audience: CHIEF declarants that haven't subscribed to CDS)
  2. 3 steps to making successful import declarations (CHIEF declarants that have subscribed but haven't made a declaration)
  3. Importing is changing – one month to move to the Customs Declaration Service (Audience: Traders who use an intermediary or are looking to start making declarations themselves)
  4. Avoid making immediate payments on the Customs Declaration Service (Audience: CDS subscribed duty deferment account holders who haven't set up a Direct Debit Instruction)
  5. Are your import customers ready for the Customs Declaration Service? (Audience: Customs agents)

Press notice and social media: one month to go

On 30 August we published our ‘One month left for importers to move to single customs platform’ press notice. We amplified this messaging on our @hmrcpressoffice and @hmrcgovuk feeds.

To help us amplify this messaging further please share the social media visual we’ve attached with the below post message:

From 1 October you must submit your import declarations using Customs Declaration Service. There’s one month to go, register for the service at gov.uk/hmrc/cds-get-access.

 

Further help and support

If your members are unable to attend the above webinars, please encourage them to use our

If they need help to make the move, here are details of customs agents who can help.

If they have any questions about the Customs Declaration Service, they can contact us, or speak to their Account Manager or Customer Compliance Manager if they have one.