How to use a customs warehouse
Find out what you need to do when importing goods from outside the UK to a customs warehouse.
If you import goods from outside the UK and want to store the goods to delay duty payments, you can do this in a customs warehouse.
Find out more about operating a customs warehouse.
Types of customs warehouse
There are 2 types of customs warehouse where you can store your goods.
Public warehouse
This is a warehouse operated by a business whose purpose is to store other people’s goods. They are the warehousekeeper and you’re the depositor.
Private warehouse
This is a warehouse operated by you to store your own goods. You’re the warehousekeeper and the depositor.
You do not need to be authorised by HMRC to be a depositor in a public or private customs warehouse but, if you operate a private customs warehouse, you’ll need to be authorised as the warehousekeeper.
Placing your goods in a customs warehouse
You’ll be responsible for:
- declaring your goods correctly — if you use an agent, you must give them clear written instructions about declaring your goods
- making sure that your goods are sent directly to the warehouse named on your declaration, within 5 days of them being cleared by customs
- providing the warehousekeeper with all the details of the import declaration
- making sure the warehouse is approved for the type of goods you want to deposit — this includes ensuring that the warehouse can accept goods that are chilled, frozen or have special storage needs (such as chemicals)
- declaring your goods correctly on removal from the warehouse
Removing your goods from a customs warehouse
Releasing goods to free circulation
When you release warehouse goods to free circulation, you’re ‘discharging’ or removing them from customs warehousing and will have to pay any duty due.
To remove the goods or declare them to another procedure, you’ll need to make either:
- a full import or export declaration
- an entry in the declarant’s records
- a simplified declaration
You’ll get your entry number electronically through an acceptance message. You must not remove the goods until you have received a second message confirming the goods have cleared.
Releasing goods to another customs procedure
No charges will be due if you move your goods to another customs procedure, such as inward processing, or if you re-export the goods directly from the customs warehouse.
Moving goods to another customs warehouse
You can move goods:
- within the same authorisation where it covers different sites (for example, London and Birmingham)
- between different authorisation holders
You’ll not need to complete a declaration when you move goods between warehouses covered by the same authorisation. You’ll still have to keep records on the movement of the goods and their location.
You’ll need to complete a declaration when you move goods between different authorisation holders.
Your authorisation letter will say which methods you can use to move goods.
Removing goods as a new finished product
You can classify goods that enter a warehouse as individual items or parts of a finished product when you remove them. The parts must be presented together in quantities that make a specific number of the finished products.
The goods must have parts so far advanced that they have the essential features of the finished product.
Where the finished product contains UK and non-UK parts, the non-UK goods must form the essential character of the finished product before the addition of the UK parts.
For example, if you’re removing parts A, B, C, D and E that make up product F, and you have 12 sets of each (60 parts in total), you can remove the goods as 12 items under the classification that applies to product F.
Moving goods to duty free stores, ships or aircraft
You can move goods out of customs warehousing to:
- duty free stores — for passengers on a ship or aircraft leaving the UK
- ships and aircraft stores — for crews of these vessels leaving the UK
You do this by using commercial documents. The data elements that are required and need to be completed in these documents are included in your authorisation letter.
Retail sales in a customs warehouse
You can only make retail sales in a customs warehouse to:
- individuals travelling outside the UK
- members of international organisations
- members of NATO forces
- individuals covered by diplomatic and consular arrangements
- remote and online customers, where goods are picked and dispatched to order
Paying duty and import VAT
You’ll need to pay any Customs Duty due and import VAT when you remove your goods from a customs warehouse to free circulation.
To work out how much duty you need to pay, you’ll need the:
- quantity of goods being removed
- value of the goods
- tariff classification of the goods — this will give you the duty rate
If there has been a sale for export to the UK or EU before your goods enter a warehouse, the value is based on that sale. If there has been no sale for export, then you can make a sale in customs warehousing. Use the duty and exchange rates at the time of removal from the warehouse.
When you release goods to free circulation, you may be entitled to claim a reduced or zero duty rate under a ‘tariff preference’ or a ‘tariff quota’ or if the goods are entitled to an import duty relief.
Import VAT is due when the goods are removed from the warehouse and put in free circulation.
Import VAT might not be due if the goods qualify for import VAT relief.
VAT on sales in a customs warehouse
If you sell goods while they are in the customs warehouse, they will not be charged supply VAT unless they are retail sales.
Last updated 4 December 2023 + show all updates
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Information about removing goods from a customs warehouse after you get a clearance message has been added.
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This page has been updated because the Brexit transition period has ended.
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We have updated a section under Paying duty and import VAT about what to do if you have or have not made a sale for export to the UK or EU before your goods enter a warehouse.
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First published.