Businesses Urged To Claim To Avoid VAT Double Payment

Customs are urging importers to apply quickly for repayment, after an issue with the CDS service resulted in VAT and excise charges being duplicated recently.

The Joint Customs Consultative Committee (JCCC) issued a series of letters, with one stating “We are aware of issues with CDS declarations where VAT charges have been duplicated”.

CDS has subsequently been updated and new declarations can be submitted as normal, with the duplicate issue believed to have only occurred on 30 December 2022.

As a result, the government is urging businesses with Deferment Accounts, that have experienced duplicate charges as a result of the error, to submit a C285 form before Thursday 5th January, to avoid being overcharged.

Importers are also advised that if you are now at risk of breaching your Deferment limit, you will need to consider an ‘alternative payment method’.

Details of how to apply for repayment can be found HERE.

Should you require further information regarding the above, then please do not hesitate to contact a member of our specialist customs team.