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What is Customs Clearance?
Why do I need an agent?
How do we Customs clear cargo in other ports?
How long does Customs Clearance take?
What supporting documentation do I require?
Who decides how much import duties and taxes
I have to pay?
How do I pay for import duties and taxes
Where can I find further information on Customs
rules?
Can I use a Customs agent if I use a freight
forwarder for my actual movement?
What are the costs involved in Customs clearance?
What happens after Customs clearance?
How do I check to ensure that my export or import
is acceptable to Customs?
I am importing for the first time – How
can I check the products I will import are allowed into the
EU?
I am a personal importer, how do I find information on whats
involved?
I am moving my home furnishings/ immigrating
/ importing my car, what do I do?
I am importing foodstuffs, is this a problem?
If I use your service can your transport or
store my goods?
I need Customs forms to complete, where do I
get them from?
I am importing from Europe, do I need an agent?
I need to become VAT registered, how do I do
that?
Can I be VAT registered from overseas?
What is Customs
Clearance?
Customs Clearance is required for all products which are entering
or leaving the EU. Customs clearance is the process for HM
Customs & Excise to account for any charges due and to
check for documentation and conformity to EU law. Customs
also provide agency services to various other government departments
for border checks, such as The Forestry Commission for instance.
Why do I need an
agent?
Customs agents exist to provide a professional service between
HM Customs & Excise and the trade, i.e. importers/exporters.
Agents understand the laws applicable, the services and regulations
which govern imports and exports within the EU and therefore
are best placed to assist. Representations can be made without
the need for an agent however it is strongly advised that
you should seek to appoint one due to the complexity of the
system and even the most basic knowledge required to navigate
the government systems.
How do we Customs
clear cargo in other ports?
We are based in Sheerness Docks. Throughout the boom in technology
over the past decade we have been able to change the way we
work, simplifying procedures and lowering costs for the customer.
The biggest contributor to this was the remote access to other
port community systems around the coasts of the UK from one
location. This has been made possible by computer technology,
changes in the Customs procedures and the recognised need
by various port companies to work with government departments
such as Customs and also agents in a step further towards
making business almost universal by simplifying it. If this
transformation had not occurred we would have 10 different
branch offices over the UK having to do the same job.
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How long does Customs
Clearance take?
The time taken for Customs clearance can vary from 10 minutes
to a few days. The length of time taken depends on the type
of product we are handling. Customs recognise that some products
require further documentation checks and in some cases actual
physical examination to ensure that declarations are correct,
on average the service takes 12 hours but most commonly only
a few hours and sometimes minutes.
More information can be found on our customs
page.
What supporting
documentation do I require?
This is dependant on the type of product being shipped. Basic
documentation would be :
- Shipping document ( Bill of Lading )
- Supplier’s commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Certificate of Origin
- Preference Certificates
- Health certificates ( for foodstuffs etc )
Who decides how
much import duties and taxes I have to pay?
VAT in the UK is currently 17.5%.
Duty is set at various rates depending on the type of product
imported. All duty rates are set by Brussels for the EU, and
are payable upon free circulation within the EU. Confirmation
of the duty rate for your products can be obtained from us
and on receipt of specific information we can help classify
your products into a particular ‘ commodity code’.
This code will apply for your product and will determine how
much you will pay in percentage, based on the value of the
product. Imports from some countries can also be subject to
preferential lower rates which are introduced to encourage
trade from that country and at the same time you could be
levied with additional duty rates known as ‘ anti dumping’
duty which exists to stop the influx of cheap products known
to be produced from that country.
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How do I pay for
import duties and taxes?
When we complete a Customs declaration for you we will advise
our calculations and how much money is due for Customs charges.
Customs now encourage the trade to pay these charges by way
of electronic transfer direct to their own bank which is very
easy and less time consuming than say producing an actual
bankers draft (Customs only accept cleared/approved funds).
It is possible to pay by using a company cheque however Customs
wait 21 days for it to clear before we can use the funds for
clearance. The most common way for frequent importers is to
set up a deferment account. Deferment accounts are approved
by your own bankers as a guarantee to Customs that you will
pay the funds due each month to save the time consuming affair
of arranging individual payments each time you have a shipment
to import, for details of how to set up a deferment account,
please contact us as we shall be happy to help.
Where can I find
further information on Customs rules?
Further information on Customs, their rules and regulations,
service standards and details of your local Customs office
can be found on their website : www.hmce.gov.uk
Can I use a Customs
agent if I use a freight forwarder for my actual movement?
Customs agents can be used at any time for your movement.
Customs procedures are not restricted by the company actually
carrying out your entire transport movement. An example of
this is if you use a transport company for your goods but
their Customs clearance takes a long time or is inefficient,
you can use an outside company to arrange this for you, such
as our selves.
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What are the costs
involved in Customs clearance?
Considering the time and expertise involved to successfully
and professionally carry out the service, Customs clearance
is a relatively cost effective service. It is dependant heavily
on the type of products and frequency at which they are imported
as some products are more time consuming than others. There
are direct costs which are invoiced to us from third parties
which we have to pay on your behalf and generally these charges
are also included in our actual service fee.
What happens after Customs clearance?
Once we have advised you of Customs clearance we are then
in a position to give you copies of all documentation raised
on your behalf in the form of official documents and we shall
also return any original documentation used that Customs did
not require and forward our invoice for payment. After the
clearance it is then time to arrange the delivery of your
products, a service which we also provide. If you are a VAT
registered company, Customs will automatically produce a form
C79 each month detailing your monthly VAT spend. This for
is then used in your accounts to reclaim any VAT back from
Customs in your VAT returns, the C79 will be sent to the importer
directly, not to us.
How do I check
to ensure that my export or import is acceptable to Customs?
There are certain commodities which cannot be legally imported
into the EU by unauthorised persons, such as firearms and
explosives for example. There is generally no problem with
regular everyday items however some items which may seem normal
to you on a daily basis may have very strict rules for import
and export, foodstuffs being one of the most popular which
is regulated in this fashion. If in any doubt about whether
your products are allowed into the EU then you should check
with us for confirmation or clarification prior to shipment.
One other important issue here is to also check that there
are no further financial penalties for importing a product,
ie additional duties etc which would deem your products unviable
commercially.
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I am importing
for the first time – How can I check the products I
will import are allowed into the EU?
Details of restricted products and commodities can be found
on the Customs website : www.hmce.gov.uk
or alternatively, please check with us.
I am moving my
home furnishings/ immigrating / importing my car, what do
I do?
In the EU we have specific rules for persons transferring
residence from outside . There are certain conditions which
should be met to obtain VAT and duty relief at import which
applies to personal effects and possessions. There are also
specific forms which require completion with original signatures
so if you are planning a move you should check with us regarding
the documents and information required before making any plans
to import items which belong to you. Imports of motor cars
also attract rules and regulations which again are dependant
on how long you have owned the vehicle for and what your intentions
are for it when you arrive. Also other regulations which are
not Customs related need to be addressed and checked for road
compliance and registration for example, these things can
be extremely costly.
I am importing
foodstuffs, is this a problem?
Commercially most foodstuffs are not a problem as long as
they have satisfactory official documentation. Not all foodstuffs
require back up documents but most do. The most common is
the Phytosanitary Certificate which is issued to international
food departments to show that foodstuffs are of good quality
and fit for human consumption and distribution within the
EU for later resale which meets our standards. These rules
also strictly apply to very small amounts which are imported
personally along with your personal belongings for instance,
if in doubt, check prior to shipment.
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If I use your
service can you transport or store my goods?
Yes. We have storage facilities at various locations in the
UK as well as our own warehouse based in Sheerness. This warehouse
is also classed as a Freezone bonded area and as such we can
store products for any length of time without having to make
VAT and duty payments to Customs until such time as you require
the goods. We can store complete container loads of products
down to single pallets where required. As for transportation
we can carryout varying forms of transport from small part
loads to full truck loads, oversize items and temperature
controlled distribution, if it can be carried by truck ship
or rail, we can help.
I need Customs
forms to complete, where do I get them from?
You can download copies of any documentation you require for
import and export from the Custom
Forms page. We have listed the most common forms however
should you not find what you are looking for there is a link
to the full catalogue of forms and publications.
I am importing
from Europe, do I need an agent?
Agents are generally not required for imports from within
the EU. VAT is accounted for under the intra-stat scheme which
is generally carried out by importers directly. For further
information on intra-stat, please visit www.hmce.gov.uk
I need to become
VAT registered, how do I do that?
If you intend to import or export on a regular basis you will
need to become VAT registered. Details of how to become registered
can be obtained from your local VAT office and details of
your local office can be found in your phonebook under ‘
VAT’.
Can I be VAT registered
from overseas?
If you are an international company yet wish to become VAT
registered to make imports into the UK/EU you can apply for
overseas registration, for details of how to do this, please
contact us directly for information on how to do this.
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