Surviving a Customs Audit

An essential guide to preparing your organisation for customs audits with practical tips and case studies through-out and looking at AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) requirements.

Customs compliance is checked by HMRC under an audit system. HMRC are putting more responsibility on traders and intend to run stricter audits with the hope of rating companies as “compliant” so they can concentrate on non-compliant companies.

With the introduction of the Finance Act provisions for senior accounting officers and the upcoming integration of the AEO system, the customs audit takes on even more significance than it did before.

This is a course aimed at assisting traders in preparing and planning for Customs Audits

Even without the new introduction of civil penalties and fines on both import and export errors, a company should be able to self-audit rather than wait for a visit from Customs. The aim of the day is to run through standard procedural requirements, documents to be retained, tools to assist your organisation as well as looking at special responsibilities for duty relief regimes, valuation issues, preference and Intrastat.

The course programme includes:

Customs Audits: What are they? Confirming to AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) criteria.
Understanding your compliance responsibilities.
Record keeping requirements: imports, export and EU trade, special customs procedures and understanding what information HMRC have on your company’s international trade.
Writing procedures, internal guidelines and self-auditing.
Planning for an audit: providing company information to the auditor. Who should lead the audit; management support. The responsibilities of freight companies.
Customs Audit Topics reviewed; VAT evidence of export, classification of goods, valuation issues, preference of export and import. Intrastat (Intra-community Trade Statistics) linking physical movement of goods within the EU to VAT returns, duty relief procedures e.g. IP, OPR and AEO conditions.

To find out more about this service and to check availability

Please contact the International Trade Team



Call today

01905 673600



Click here to contact us

We offer discounted export documentation to our Chamber Members

Become a Member today

starting from £20 / month

Join Now

Or Contact our Membership Team
goodbusiness@hwchamber.co.uk 01905 673611

Terms and Conditions

Upon application to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, members are bound by the Articles of Association. The following sections pertaining to application, renewal, resignation and payments are highlighted as follows:

Persons eligible for membership are noted in section 5.1 and 5.2 of the Articles of Association.

The annual subscriptions payable by members shall be such sums as may, from time to time be determined by the Board, and shall become due and payable in each year on the last day of the month in which application was made or on such other date or dates as may be determined by the Board, from time to time (Articles of Association section 9).

No member whose subscription is in arrears shall be entitled to exercise the rights of membership and unless the Board otherwise determines, any member whose subscription shall be more than 3 months in arrears shall ipso facto cease to be a member and his name shall be struck off the register of members (Articles of Association section 12).

Resignation of members. Section 13 of the Articles of Association notes that any member wishing to resign from Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce must give written notice to that effect to the Secretary at least one month before the date upon which the subscription for the following year shall become due. If no such notice is received, the member shall be liable for the ensuing years annual membership sum, and the debt will be legally recoverable by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Once resigned from membership of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, all stationery displaying the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce logo must be destroyed.

Application Declaration

I, the undersigned, have completed this form to the best of my knowledge and ability and confirm the information supplied is accurate at the date of completion.

I hereby make an application for Membership of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce. I agree to be bound by the Articles of Association and the Terms and Conditions as stated overleaf.

I have completed the ‘payment details’ form and understand that payment is due for an annual period, commencing on the first day of the month of application. Payments are non-refundable upon cancellation within a membership year. I understand that if I pay by Direct Debit, my account will be debited on or around the 24th of the month of application and subsequent months as applicable.

I understand that I am not eligible for Membership benefits until my payment has been received by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce take part in surveys which inform local, regional and national policy. I understand that from time to time, I may be asked for my contribution in completion of these surveys.

DATA PROTECTION NOTICE

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce [the Chamber] is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 and takes the processing of your personal data very seriously. Please take your time to read this notice so that you are fully aware of what you are consenting to. Please contact us if you are unsure about any part of this notice by telephone 01905 673611 or e-mail [email protected]. The Chamber’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at the registered address at the foot of this form. The Chamber’s privacy policy can be viewed on the Chamber website at www.hwchamber.co.uk.

The Chamber is responsible for the protection of all personal data supplied on this form. I understand and consent that the data here supplied will be held on the Chamber’s database. The details provided on this form will be used by the Chamber to inform me of associated Membership services and will be included in both local and regional directories and shown on Chamber event delegate lists as appropriate.

The Chamber operates in a broad business network and can offer its members beneficial connections with additional partners and fellow members. The list of Chamber partner organisations can be viewed on the Chamber website at www.hwchamber.co.uk.

Select Attendees

Member Login

If this is the fist time you are logging on to the new Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce website, you will need to set a new password.

Click Here to set a new password