There are just under 60 days left until the present withdrawal deadline is reached, 29 March 2019.

Leaving aside the fact that there were no violins available, it’s interesting to seek a comparison between the supposed musical antics of Nero in AD64. As Rome burned and our government, preoccupied with important political matters as British industry slips ever closer to the cliff edge of a no-deal Brexit.

HMRC Advice For No-Deal

Last month, HMRC published an update for businesses on what to do before 29 March in the event that we disengage from the EU with no agreement.

They suggest that there are three actions you should be considering now*: 

Registering for EORI 

Register for a UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number at www.gov.uk/hmrc/get-eori. You’ll need an EORI number: to continue to import or export goods with the EU after 29 March 2019, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal; before you can apply for authorisations that will make customs processes easier for you – we’ll tell you more about applying for these early next year.

Software Considerations

Decide if you want to hire an agent to make import and/or export declarations for you or if you want to make these declarations yourself (by buying software that interacts with HMRC’s systems). If you want to: declare through an agent, contact one to find out what information they’ll need from you; use software to make declarations yourself, talk to a software provider to make sure that their product meets your needs, depending on whether you import, export or both.

Transport Communications 

Contact the organisation that moves your goods (for example, a haulage firm) to find out if you will need to supply additional information to them so that they can make the safety and security declarations for your goods, or whether you will need to submit these declarations yourself.

Brexit Video

Learn more tips on how to prepare for Brexit by watching our latest video below. If your business requires assistance, contact us to see how our team of experts can help.

*Readers in Northern Ireland should take note that the instructions are slightly different.