New form of customs declaration for low value consignments
Following an amendment to the Union Customs Code Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446, it will be possible from 1 January 2021 to declare goods up to 150 € using a customs declaration that requires 3 times less data than a standard declaration.
From 1 January 2021 the existing VAT exemption for goods up to 22 € will disappear. In order to allow VAT to be levied, all imports into the EU will have to be declared at the border using an electronic customs declaration.
Considering the enormous volume of low-value consignments imported into the EU, neither declarants nor customs IT systems can handle the production and processing of a standard customs declaration per consignment and in any event a standard customs declaration is not necessary in most of the cases because there is no customs liability for goods of a value below 150€.
Therefore, the Commission has amended the UCC Delegated Regulation to provide for a lower, more manageable but still adequate level of data (a “super-reduced data set”) in customs declarations on imports of low-value consignments (those below the threshold for application of customs duties of 150€). This legislation should mitigate, for both customs and traders, the impact of the sharp increase in the number of customs declarations.
This is an important step forward and allows Member States and economic operators to go ahead with their IT developments.
The amending Delegated Regulation, entering into force on 25 July 2019, can be found here.
‘Article 143a Customs declaration for consignments of low value (Article 6(2) of the Code) (1) From the date set out in the fourth subparagraph of Article 4(1) of Directive (EU) 2017/2455, a person may lodge a customs declaration for release for free circulation containing the specific dataset referred to in Annex B in respect of a consignment which benefits from a relief from import duty in accordance with Article 23(1) or Article 25(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009, under the condition that the goods in that consignment are not subject to prohibitions and restrictions. (2) By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the specific dataset for consignments of low value shall not be used for the following:
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(3) |
Annex B is amended as set out in the Annex to this Regulation. |
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 14 March 2019.
For the Commission
The President
Jean-Claude JUNCKER
(1) OJ L 269, 10.10.2013, p. 1.
(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446 of 28 July 2015 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards detailed rules concerning certain provisions of the Union Customs Code (OJ L 343, 29.12.2015, p. 1).
(3) Council Directive 2009/132/EC of 19 October 2009 determining the scope of Article 143(b) and (c) of Directive 2006/112/EC as regards exemption from value added tax on the final importation of certain goods (OJ L 292, 10.11.2009, p. 5).
(4) Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 of 16 November 2009 setting up a Community system of reliefs from customs duty (OJ L 324, 10.12.2009, p. 23).
(5) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/578 of 11 April 2016 establishing the Work Programme relating to the development and deployment of the electronic systems provided for in the Union Customs Code (OJ L 99, 15.4.2016, p. 6).
(6) Council Directive (EU) 2017/2455 of 5 December 2017 amending Directive 2006/112/EC and Directive 2009/132/EC as regards certain value added tax obligations for supplies of services and distance sales of goods (OJ L 348, 29.12.2017, p. 7).
(7) Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax (OJ L 347, 11.12.2006, p. 1).
ANNEX
Annex B to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446 is amended as follows:
(1) |
Title I is amended as follows:
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(2) |
Title II is amended as follows:
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(*1) Council Directive 2006/79/EC of 5 October 2006 on the exemption from taxes of imports of small consignments of goods of a non-commercial character from third countries (OJ L 286, 17.10.2006, p. 15-18).’;