No deal Brexit advice for businesses only trading with the EU

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has written to Northern Ireland businesses that only trade with the EU explaining the situation if the UK leaves the EU without a deal

HMRC has written to 145,000 VAT-registered businesses across the UK, including Northern Ireland, which only trade with the EU. The letters explain changes to customs, excise and VAT in the unlikely event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and what businesses can do to prepare.

Businesses only trading with the EU – actions to take now

Register for a UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number.
Decide whether you want to hire an agent to make import and/or export declarations for you or if you want to make these declarations yourself by buying software that interacts with HMRC systems.
Contact the organisation that moves your goods, such as a haulage firm, to find out if you will need to supply additional information to them so that they can make the safety and security declarations for your goods, or whether you will need to submit these declarations yourself.

Read full details in the HMRC letter to EU-only traders in Northern Ireland – December 2018 (PDF, 2.01MB).

These steps should be undertaken as soon as possible in order that any changes can be quickly implemented in the event of the UK leaving the EU with no deal at the end of March 2019.

Firms who only import or export goods from/to Ireland across the Northern Ireland-Ireland land border do not need to take any of the actions set out in the HMRC letter.

Further Brexit updates

You can stay up-to-date by registering for HMRC’s EU Exit update service – add your email address, select ‘Submit’, select ‘Add subscription’, choose ‘EU Exit’ then ‘Submit’.

See also:

Source: NIBUSINESSINFO