At the time of writing (8th April 2019), the UK will leave the European Union on Friday 12th April 2019. This will have an impact on:
- Importing and exporting goods from the EU to the UK
- Importing and exporting goods from the UK to the EU
Importing and exporting goods from the EU to the UK
An EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number identifies you as the importer of record and allows you to reclaim any import VAT paid to clear your goods through customs. Currently, you can use your UK EORI number to import goods into the UK and the EU. After Brexit, the UK EORI number will no longer be accepted when importing into the EU.
If you are currently VAT registered in the UK, your EORI number will typically be linked to your UK VAT ID. It is formed of your UK VAT number with three additional ‘0’s at the end (Eg. GB123456789000).
With this number, you will be able to continue to import goods into the UK from both EU countries and the rest of world. Post-Brexit, any imports into the UK – including those from EU countries – will be charged with import VAT and duties. The UK government is looking to introduce ‘postponed accounting’ of the import VAT for UK based business.
Importing and exporting goods from the UK to the EU
If you are importing into the EU and only have a UK EORI number (starting with the prefix ‘GB’), you will be required to register for another EU EORI number. This EU EORI number will be used for any imports into the EU, from the UK and rest of world.
You can register for an EU EORI number from any EU country. However, it is important to note that you should apply for an EORI number pre-Brexit in order to continue to import seamlessly.
Checking if your EORI number is valid
If you want to make sure your EORI number is valid, you can check here.
Do you want SimplyVAT.com’s assistance with an EORI registration?
Our team are here to help. If you would like SimplyVAT.com to help with obtaining an EU EORI number, please contact heretohelp@simplyvat.com.
