HMRC has issued a notice to traders warning that the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) will be down for maintenance from 9.30pm on 6 July until 5.30am on 7 July to implement an update to release 4.5.0 of the system.
The changes
The full list of changes incorporated with the update can be found here. Among them is the fact that export declarations will no longer accept Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) import-only locations. This, HMRC notes, is because “the incorrect use of a GVMS import-only location code at export results in the declaration being rejected on arrival”.
There is also an update on excise duty relief on denatured alcohol, with the addition of new AI codes for use when claiming the relief. The notice also states that a host of National Additional Codes in the X500 series have been removed: X525, X545, X560, X590 and X593.
Other changes include those to validation of additional fields and changes to how data is entered into some of the data elements, covering both import and export declarations.
The Chartered Institute perspective
Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade senior trade and customs expert Anna Doherty advises traders:
“As with any CDS release, any pre-lodged declarations made before the change may be rejected by the system once it comes back online so declarants will need to be mindful of ensuring that any declarations are reviewed and potentially may need to be re-submitted.
“This affects both import and export declarations moving through all locations. Declarants should review these upcoming changes to ensure that they review their existing processes, especially if they copy previous declarations on new movements.”
For more updates on changes to CDS and other factors in UK customs, Chartered Institute members can read the Daily Update’s regular ‘Customs Corner’, which features updates, as well as expert insight and analysis from Doherty and other Chartered Institute specialists. The latest edition can be found here.