The Government has extended the deadline for exporters to move across to the new Customs Declaration Service (CDS).
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has announced that the deadline will be extended by eight months to 30 November 2023, following consultation with the border industry and exporters.
As part of the post-Brexit trade arrangements, HMRC has switched from the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) IT system to the new CDS.
Using CDS will be a requirement
Registering for the CDS is a requirement of using the Postponed VAT Accounting system. The CDS will allow you to submit import and export declarations, obtain your postponed import VAT statements or import VAT certificates and pay Customs Duty and import VAT.
The previous deadline for the move was at the end of March 2023.
After 30 November 2023, businesses will need to use CDS to make export declarations for goods they send out of the UK, as they already do for import declarations.
The CDS system for importers came into force in at the end of October 2022.
Time to prepare
Working with industry in delivering and testing critical functionality, as well as the support needed to move to the new system, were among the reasons HMRC moved the deadline.
It gives critical extra time for businesses and stakeholders to prepare their customers and software products for the November deadline.
Significant upgrade
HMRC says that CDS has been running since 2018 and is already being used for making import declarations when moving goods into the UK. The service represents a significant upgrade by providing businesses with a more user-friendly, streamlined system that offers greater functionality.
HMRC will provide further information about the timeline for CDS exports by the end of January 2023. There is more information about using the Customs Declaration Service on GOV.UK.
Need help or advice on post-Brexit international trade? Contact us today.