Fiscal warehousing

Foreword

This notice contains information previously contained in Notice 702/9 Warehouses and Free Zones which has been cancelled and replaced by Notice 702/9 VAT: Import Customs Procedures.

"Paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2 have the force of law under Regulations 145B(1) and 145C of the VAT Regulations 1995."

1.Introduction

1.1 What is this notice about?

This notice gives information on the VAT treatment of goods entered into, supplied within and removed from fiscal warehouses.

1.2 What’s changed?

"This notice has been updated to reflect the legal status of the certificates reproduced at paragraph 5.1 and 5.2.

You can access details of any changes to this notice since January 2011 either on our website, go to hmrc.gov.uk or by phoning our VAT Helpline on 0845 010 9000.

1.3 Who should read this notice?

You should read this notice if you trade in any of the eligible commodities listed in paragraph 2.3 of this notice, or if you provide storage facilities for any of these commodities.

1.4 Fiscal warehouse law

• EC Law - Directive 2006/112 - Article 160(2) and Annex V
• UK Primary Law - Value Added Tax Act 1994 - Sections 18A, B, C, D, E and F
• UK Secondary Law - VAT Regulations 1995 - Regulations 145A to 145J.

1.5 What is a fiscal warehouse?

A fiscal warehouse is a regime where certain commodities in free circulation within the EC can be traded VAT-free, subject to the conditions described in section 2. Goods are in free circulation if they are produced in the EC or, in the case of imported goods, all duties taxes and levies due at importation have been paid.

1.6 Commodities eligible for fiscal warehousing in the UK

Supply VAT is normally paid when the goods are removed from the regime.

1.7 The territory of the EC

The term 'EC' as used in this notice refers to the VAT territory of the European Community, which is different from its customs territory. The countries and territories which make up the VAT territory of the EC are listed in section 3.

1.8 Treatment of transactions with the Isle of Man

Goods removed from the Isle of Man to the UK are not treated as an importation as long as:

• any VAT due has been accounted for in the Isle of Man, or
• if the goods were relieved of VAT in the Isle of Man, the conditions of that relief have not been broken.

1.9 Treatment of transactions with the Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are part of the customs territory of the EC but not part of its VAT territory. The territories which share this status are often called 'special territories' and they are listed in section 3.

Goods you receive from the Channel Islands or other special territories are imports for VAT purposes and are, in principle, treated in the same way as other imports at the time of importation. You will find further information about import procedures (including some simplified procedures) for goods received from the Channel Islands and other special territories in the Customs and Excise Integrated Tariff and Notice 702 VAT Imports.

1.10 Right of appeal

If you disagree with any decision made by HM Revenue & Customs, you can ask for it to be reconsidered by the office where that decision was made. You should certainly do so if you can provide further relevant information, or if there are facts which you think may not have been fully taken into account. If you are still not satisfied, you may be able to appeal to an independent Tribunal. There are time limits for doing this.

If you do not agree with the result of our reconsideration you can appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal to decide the matter. There is more information about what you can do if you disagree with our decision in a HMRC factsheet and customer guidance which can be found on our website.

2. Supplies of goods and services within fiscal warehouses

2.1 What this section covers

Fiscal warehousing provides a regime which enables certain EC goods to be traded VAT free, subject to the conditions described in the rest of this notice. The relevant law is set out in paragraph 1.4.

This section explains in detail what the regime is intended to achieve, and gives guidance on:

• who may use the regime
• what goods are eligible
• the treatment of goods entering, sold within and removed from a fiscal warehouse
• the treatment of services within a fiscal warehouse
• how you can become authorised to operate a fiscal warehouse
• when VAT becomes due on removing goods from a fiscal warehouse and how to account for it.

2.2 The purpose of fiscal warehousing

Fiscal warehousing is a regime under which certain specified commodities may be placed in a notified warehouse and traded by businesses which are not required to be VAT registered if that is their only business activity within the UK.

VAT on the supplies of commodities both:

• entering a fiscal warehouse, and
• made whilst within the warehouse

is relieved and accounted for when the commodities are removed from the regime.

VAT on certain services made within a fiscal warehousing regime are also relieved and accounted for when commodities are removed (see paragraph 2.17).

Both EC origin and non-EC origin commodities in free circulation are eligible for the regime.

Fiscal warehousing creates a trading environment for eligible EC commodities compatible with the VAT-free trading available in excise warehouses and customs warehouses. Excise and customs warehouse premises may also be used for fiscal warehousing, but separate authorisation is needed for the fiscal warehousing regime. Retail sales are not allowed within a fiscal warehousing regime.

2.3 Eligible commodities

Any of the commodities contained in the following table are eligible to be placed in a fiscal warehouse. These commodities are eligible for trading in and transfer between EC fiscal warehousing regimes.

2.4 Principal criteria for eligibility for fiscal warehousing

• The commodity in question should be commonly traded in large quantities on a recognised international market.
• All commodities entered to fiscal warehousing must be in free circulation within the EC. That means all duties, taxes and levies must have been either paid or deferred, including customs duty, import VAT, excise duty and any CAP charges due on the goods.

Non-eligible commodities may be stored in a place which is a fiscal warehouse, but such goods cannot be subject to a fiscal warehousing regime or benefit from the conditions of fiscal warehousing.

2.5 What authorisation is needed?

Before you can operate a fiscal warehouse you must apply to HM Revenue & Customs for authorisation. You will have to be able to satisfy certain criteria to ensure that your revenue record and internal accounting procedures are of a sufficiently high order to guarantee the integrity of the regime. If you currently operate any Departmentally approved warehousing system you must still apply for a separate authorisation for fiscal warehousing, although satisfactory operation of an existing warehouse will be taken into account when assessing your application for fiscal warehousing authorisation.

2.6 Method of application

You must complete a letter of application as described in section 6. You can get the address to send it to from our VAT Helpline - see paragraph 1.2. Once we are satisfied that you can fully comply with fiscal warehousing requirements we will send you a letter of authorisation, which will be conditional on your acceptance of any conditions we believe to be appropriate. The authorisation will be granted without a time limit, except in the case of provisional authorisations (see paragraph 2.9).

Once you are authorised, you may request a change of approval conditions by contacting our VAT Helpline well in advance, explaining the reason for the required change. In particular you should notify Customs of any new premises you intend to use for fiscal warehousing. If we agree to your request we will confirm it in writing. You should keep this confirmation together with your original letter of authorisation. We may also change the authorisation conditions ourselves, if we consider that a change in you circumstances merits this. We will of course notify you in advance of any authorisation changes we may consider appropriate, and you have an automatic right of appeal.

2.7 Basic criteria for authorisation as a fiscal warehousekeeper

Before we can approve any application to operate fiscal warehousing, the following criteria must be met:

• You must be VAT registered in the UK.
• The revenue record of your business must be of a high standard (for example VAT returns and payments must be up to date).
• If you are already authorised to operate any authorised UK duty suspensive regime you must have a proven satisfactory record of operation.
• You must be able to comply with the conditions of authorisation and with such regulations as may be laid down for the operation of the regime. This is particularly important as penalties can be imposed for failure to comply.
• The administration and organisation of your business must be sound and strictly managed.
• You must provide a list of the addresses of all storage sites which will form part of the fiscal warehouse you intend to operate and any other premises where records will be held. Retail premises cannot be used as fiscal warehouse premises. All notified premises should meet the requirements of health and safety legislation. This also applies to any third party premises you intend to use.
• Your accounts and stock control records must be capable of meeting the requirements set out in paragraph 2.22. In particular, they must be able to differentiate between fiscally warehoused goods and other non-fiscally warehoused goods. The records must also be capable of identifying the location and quantity of any given item held within a fiscal warehousing regime at any stage.

2.8 Refusal and appeal against refusal

We may refuse authorisation where any of the required criteria are not met. If we do we will write to you setting out the reasons for our refusal and explaining how you can appeal against our decision. This allows for an initial local review of the decision and then, if necessary, an appeal to a VAT and Duties Tribunal. If you disagree with the decision and wish it to be reviewed locally by a member of staff not connected with the decision, you should apply in writing within 28 days of receiving the letter of refusal. This review does not affect your right to appeal to a VAT and Duties Tribunal.

If you wish to appeal directly to the Tribunal you should phone our VAT Helpline. You also have the right to appeal against any conditions which we may have imposed on your application for authorisation.

2.9 Provisional authorisation

Where we cannot approve your request for authorisation immediately, for example because you have not yet secured the necessary premises, we may give you a letter of provisional consent to establish a fiscal warehouse as long as the outstanding criteria are met within a specified period of time. If any condition is not met within the deadline, the application will lapse and a fresh application must be submitted.

2.10 Transferring an authorisation

Once you are authorised to operate a fiscal warehouse, you cannot transfer your authorisation to another person or company. If you sell your business as a going concern, the prospective new owner must apply for authorisation in their own right and we will consider this on its merits. The new owner’s application must be accompanied by a written declaration from you confirming the date on which your authorisation will cease (the date of the transfer of going concern).

2.11 Cancelling or revoking an authorisation

To cancel your authorisation you must give us advance notice in writing, stating the date by which all goods will cease to be traded and removed from the warehousing arrangements. You must ensure that VAT is accounted for on all such removals in accordance with paragraph 2.19.

We can revoke your authorisation at any time for any reasonable cause, for example if you do not comply with any of the conditions of the authorisation. Except in very exceptional circumstances we will notify you in advance of any intended revocation, and you will always have a right to appeal. Where we withdraw your authorisation, any goods held in your regime will be treated as though they had been removed by the proprietor at the time of withdrawal and VAT will be due in accordance with paragraph 2.19.

2.12 Warehousekeepers’ responsibilities

As a fiscal warehousekeeper you:

• must keep a record of all eligible commodities that are entered to your warehousing regime whether you are the depositor or not
• must keep separate records of non-eligible goods entered to the warehouse for storage
• are responsible for the physical security of eligible commodities and may be held liable for VAT on any unexplained stock discrepancies other than through natural wastage or other legitimate causes.
  The amount due on such losses will be assessed on the basis of the VAT due on a sale of those goods at their highest open market value, or at the highest rate of VAT applying during the time the goods were in the fiscal warehouse. There is a right of appeal where such an assessment is made.
• must - before any commodities can be removed from the regime - obtain sufficient evidence to be satisfied that the remover:
  - is the owner of the goods
  - is either VAT registered or has presented form VAT 150 (see paragraph 2.19) and paid any VAT due at the local Entry Processing Unit.
  - Note: Failure to ensure that VAT has been properly accounted for on such removals can render you jointly liable with the owner for any unpaid VAT.

2.13 VAT treatment of goods intended to be entered into fiscal warehouse

Any supply of goods, or acquisition of goods from another Member State, destined for entry to a fiscal warehouse may be relieved from VAT.

If you are the purchaser and wish to obtain the relief, you must provide the seller of the goods with a certificate stating that you intend to place the goods in a fiscal warehouse.

If you are the acquirer you must produce and retain a certificate stating that the acquired goods are to be fiscally warehoused. Section 5 shows examples of what is required.

2.14 Goods entered into a fiscal warehouse

To be eligible for fiscal warehousing, commodities must be of a kind described in paragraph 2.3, and must be in free circulation as set out in paragraph 2.4.

2.15 Goods sold within a fiscal warehouse

Supplies of goods which are in a fiscal warehouse are outside the scope of UK VAT. There is no requirement to account for VAT to Revenue & Customs on such transactions, nor is there any direct Customs control over movements or transfers of goods whilst within the fiscal warehouse regime.

When goods are removed from the regime the amount of VAT payable will correspond:

• to the amount which would have been due on the transaction that caused the goods to be entered to the warehouse, or
• if they have been sold within the warehouse, to the amount which would have been due on the value of the last supply, subject to paragraph 2.17.

Any VAT due must be accounted for in accordance with paragraph 2.19. In order to be eligible for relief, supplies of unallocated goods (commodities warehoused in bulk storage containers that cannot be readily identified to a particular owner) within, or intended to be placed within a fiscal warehousing regime are treated as supplies of goods and not as supplies of services.

2.16 Treatment of services within a fiscal warehouse

Services which may be zero-rated are supplies of allowable physical services within the fiscal warehouse which would otherwise be taxable at the standard rate, for example storage charges.

Services which may not be zero-rated are brokerage, agents fees and transport between warehouses. For goods held in a fiscal warehouse, supplies of the usual forms of handling that are available to goods in a customs warehouse, may be relieved from VAT (these are listed in section 4). You will need to obtain written authority by contacting our VAT Helpline if you wish to obtain relief on supplies of services which exceed these specified operations.

2.17 Accounting for VAT on services applied to goods within a fiscal warehouse

On removal of the goods from the warehouse, any VAT relieved on each supply of services relating to those commodities made after the last sale in warehouse of such commodities must be accounted for, together with the VAT due on the relieved supply of the commodities. For example the commodity may be divided up into smaller packages by a simple operation that does not change its nature. The value of the service that is performed whilst the commodity is still relieved from VAT in the warehouse, must be added to the value of the supply when it is finally sold and removed from the warehouse.

Where, as a result of an operation carried out on eligible commodities, the resulting commodities are no longer eligible for fiscal warehousing, they are treated as having been removed and VAT will become due in accordance with paragraph 2.19.

2.18 Registration for VAT

If your only business activity is the supply of goods within a fiscal warehousing regime you have no liability to register for VAT, but you may do so voluntarily if you wish under VAT Act 1994 Schedule 1(10). Your liability to register for other business activities is not affected by either the value of supplies made in a fiscal warehouse or the value of deemed supplies of relieved services accounted for by the remover of the goods.

2.19 Accounting for VAT due on goods removed from a fiscal warehouse

VAT becomes due when commodities finally leave the fiscal warehousing regime. The amount of VAT due corresponds to the amount of tax which would otherwise have been due on the final supply of goods in the warehouse, plus the amount of tax which would have been applied to any of the relieved supplies of services relating to those goods effected after that final supply.

The person liable to pay the VAT on removal is the person who causes the goods to cease to be covered by the regime.

• If you are VAT registered you should account for the VAT on your VAT return covering the period of the removal.
• If you are not registered, you must complete form VAT 150: Advice of removals from fiscal warehouse by persons unregistered for VAT and present it to the local Entry Processing Unit (EPU) even when no VAT is due on removal. Payment of any VAT due on removal must be made in cash or by cheque. For all removals, proof of ownership and either a stamped copy of form VAT 150 or a VAT registration number is required by the warehousekeeper before the goods can be released.

Where goods are acquired from another Member State and subsequently removed from warehouse without being sold within the warehouse, acquisition VAT must be accounted for in the normal way as explained in Notice 725 The Single Market.

2.20 When VAT is not due on removal

If you remove your goods from a fiscal warehouse in any of the following situations, VAT is not due on the removal of the goods.

(a) Removals to home use:

• of zero-rated goods that have not been subject to relieved supplies of services whilst warehoused
• of your own goods (that either you produced or purchased VAT paid) which you entered to the fiscal warehouse and that have not been sold, nor have they been subject to relieved supplies of services whilst warehoused.

(b) Exports

Where goods are exported outside the EC, standard export procedures apply. Such removals must be supported by normal evidence of export. Any associated relieved supplies of services do not become taxable where goods have been exported.

(c) Despatches to other Member States

Where goods are removed in the course of an intra-EC supply, normal Intrastat and intra-EC supply/acquisition rules apply for VAT registered traders. Relieved services are not taxed on removal to another Member State but should be reflected in the value of the supply.

(d) Transfer to another UK fiscal warehouse

Such transfers can only be relieved from VAT where effective control over the goods is exercised by the despatching warehousekeeper. The warehousekeeper must obtain from the receiving warehousekeeper a written undertaking that they will comply with the regulations concerning transfers, and a certificate confirming that those regulations have been complied with (see paragraph 2.22(e)).

(e) Temporary removals

Authorisations (either general or specific) must be obtained through our VAT Helpline. Goods must be returned to the original site or another covered by the authorisation. In order to obtain authorisation, the remover must state the length of time the goods will need to be removed for and for what purpose the removal is required. Such removals must be notified to the warehousekeeper who is responsible for ensuring that any temporary removals meet the prescribed conditions.

(f) VAT free sampling

Small quantities of commodities of a negligible commercial value can be removed for this purpose under a simplified removal scheme. The amount and approximate value of the commodity to be removed must be detailed in the authorisation given by our VAT Helpline. Such removals must be notified to the warehousekeeper, who is responsible for ensuring that they meet the prescribed conditions.

2.21 Input tax

Subject to the normal rules, you can reclaim as input tax any VAT paid as a result of the removal of goods from the fiscal warehouse, provided those goods are used for the purpose of your business. This claim for input tax is normally made on the same VAT return on which the VAT due on the removal is declared as output tax.

2.22 Other accounting requirements: the fiscal warehousing record

(a) Receipts into a fiscal warehouse

The warehousekeeper must allocate a unique reference number to each consignment received and record the nature and quantity of goods on entry and the date of receipt. The record must also show delivery note details for all goods received in warehouse. Non-eligible goods entered for storage must also be identified in the records.

(b) Stock records

Your system (manual or electronic) must be able to show the location of the goods at any given time. Where fiscally warehoused goods are co-located with other goods held under other warehousing regimes and other goods in free circulation, the stock records must be capable of separately identifying the different regimes.

(c) Removals from warehouse

For all removals from warehouse, stock records must contain details of the owner, quantity and type of commodities, the date of removal and details of either the remover’s VAT registration number or a stamped copy of form VAT 150 (see paragraph 2.12). Before removal, and in order to establish both value and ownership, unregistered proprietors must produce to the local Entry Processing Unit a copy of the invoice or warrant used to purchase the commodities. In the case of a series of purchases, the most recent purchase should be used. They must then produce to the fiscal warehousekeeper, a stamped copy of form VAT 150 and the necessary commercial documentation to establish ownership. Registered removers must also establish ownership but need only give an undertaking to account for the VAT payable on any removal on the appropriate return. In the case of a temporary removal, details must be kept of the approval given by Customs and of the removal and return of goods. Similar details are also needed for removal of goods of negligible value. With the written permission given by Customs, damaged or outdated goods held under fiscal warehousing can be destroyed and the stock record adjusted accordingly. VAT is due on the removal of any scrap or waste which still has an economic use, based on the open market value of the goods removed.

(d) Removal in the course of an export or intra EC supply

The warehousekeeper must obtain proof of ownership and the VAT registration number of the remover in the normal way. The remover is entitled to zero rate the removal in both cases, but must include the value of any relieved supply of services in the value of a removal in the course of an intra EC supply. The warehousekeeper’s records must include documentary evidence to show the goods have been exported.

(e) Transfer of goods from one fiscal warehouse in the UK to another

In order to exercise effective control over goods transferred from one fiscal warehouse in the UK to another, the despatching warehousekeeper remains responsible for the goods until receipted documentation is received from the receiving warehousekeeper acknowledging receipt of, and liability for, the goods. The records must also show the address of the fiscal warehouse to which the goods in question are transferred.

(f) Transfer of goods from a fiscal warehouse in the UK to one in another Member State

Similar controls to those maintained for goods transferred to another fiscal warehouse in the UK must be exercised by warehousekeepers when goods are transferred to a fiscal warehouse in another Member State. Such transfers can only be relieved from VAT where a corresponding regime exists in the Member State of destination. The warehousekeeper’s records must show the address of the place in the other Member State to which the goods in question are transferred.

(g) Failure to provide documentation

Where the proper documentation is either not received by the warehousekeeper:

• within 30 days of a removal of goods from the warehouse in the course of transfer to another fiscal warehouse in the UK, or
• within 60 days in the case of either transfer to corresponding arrangements in another Member State or export to a place outside the EC,

the warehouse record must be adjusted to show the goods as having been removed from the regime on the day they left the fiscal warehouse premises. The record must also show the remover as being the person on whose instructions the warehousekeeper allowed the goods to leave the warehouse.

(h) Deficiencies of goods

Where in any approved warehouse a deficiency is discovered in the stock approved for fiscal warehousing, VAT becomes due on the deficient goods as if they had been removed to home use. This depends on whether the goods were entered VAT paid or not and whether they were subsequently sold in the warehouse or not. See paragraphs 2.19 and 2.20.

3. The Fiscal (VAT) territory of the European Community

The following countries and territories are within the EC fiscal (VAT) area:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• The Czech Republic
• Denmark, excluding the Faroe Islands and Greenland
• Estonia
• Finland
• France including Monaco
• Germany, except Busingen and the Isle of Heligoland
• Greece
• Hungary
• The Republic of Ireland
• Italy, except the communes of Livigno and Campione d’Italia and the Italian waters of Lake Lugano
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• The Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain, including the Balearic Islands, but excluding, Ceuta and Melilla
• Sweden
• United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.

There are some special territories which are within the EC customs area but outside the EC fiscal (VAT) area:

• Andorra
• Channel Islands
• Gibraltar
• Mount Athos (Greece)
• San Marino
• The Åland Islands (Finland)
• The Canary Islands (Spain)
• The overseas departments of France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, St Pierre and Miquelon, and French Guiana)
• The Vatican City.

Goods entering the UK from these places are treated for VAT purposes as imported goods (paragraph 1.9).

4. Usual forms of handling that may be carried out in a fiscal warehouse

Unless otherwise specified, none of the following forms of handling may give rise to a different eight-digit tariff commodity code (that means they must not produce new product).

4.1 Simple operations to ensure the preservation of the commodities in good condition during storage

(a) Ventilation, spreading out, drying, removal of dust, simple cleaning operations, repair of packing, elementary repairs of damage incurred during transport or storage insofar as it concerns simple operations, application and removal of protective coating for transport.

(b) Stocktaking, sampling and weighing of the goods.

(c) Removal of damaged or contaminated components.

(d) Conservation by means of irradiation or the addition of preservatives.

(e) Treatment against parasites.

(f) Any treatment by lowering the temperature, even if this results in a different eight-digit tariff commodity code.

4.2 Operations improving the presentation or marketability of the commodities

(a) Stemming and/or pitting of fruit.

(b) Assembly and mounting of goods, only if this concerns the mounting onto a complete product of accessories which do not play an essential role in the manufacture of the product, even if this results in a different eight-digit tariff commodity code for the mounted goods or accessories.

(c) Desalination, cleaning and butting of hides.

(d) Addition of goods, of one or more different types of goods, in as long as this addition is relatively small and does not change the nature of the original goods, even if this results in a different eight-digit tariff commodity code for the added goods, the added goods could also be products which were placed under the warehousing regime, or which were placed in the free zone or free warehouse.

(e) The dilution of fluids, even if the result is a different eight-digit tariff commodity code.

(f) The mixing between them of the same kind of goods, with a different quality, in order to obtain a constant quality or a quality which is requested by the customer, without changing the nature of the goods.

(g) Dividing the goods if only simple operations are involved.

4.3 Operations preparing the commodities for distribution or resale

(a) Sorting, mechanical filtering, classification and shifting.

(b) Adjusting and regulation.

(c) Packing, unpacking, change of packing, decanting and simple transfer into containers, even if this results in a different eight-digit tariff commodity code.

(d) The affixing and altering of marks including seals, labels, price tags or other similar distinguishing signs – however this operation must not change the apparent origin of the goods.

(e) Testing, adjusting and putting into working order of machines, apparatus and vehicles, if only simple operations are involved.

(f) Testing in order to control the compliance with European technical standards.

(g) Cutting up and breaking down of dried fruits or vegetables.

(h) Anti-rust treatment.

(i) Reconstruction of the goods after transport.

(j) The raising of temperature in order to allow the goods to be transported.

(k) The ironing of textiles.

(l) Electrostatic treatment of textiles.

5. Certificates

5.1 Certificate required to secure relief from VAT on goods intended to be placed within a fiscal warehousing regime

"THE FOLLOWING TEXT HAS THE FORCE OF LAW"

Information to be indicated:

I…………………………………………………………...…….. (full name) …………………………………………………..…(status in company) of ……………………………………………………..(name and address of company) declare that ……………………………...(name of company) intends to enter to the fiscal warehousing regime at the fiscal warehouse shown below on (date), or within days commencing today, the goods indicated below:

• name and address of fiscal warehouse
• authorisation number of the fiscal warehousekeeper
• description of goods
• quantity of goods.

I certify that the supply of goods/acquisition is eligible to be relieved from VAT under the following provisions of the VAT Act 1994 [delete as appropriate]:

sections 18 B(2)(d)/18B(3) (purchases) or sections 18B(1)(d)/18B(3) (acquisitions).

………………………………………………………(signature)

………………………………………(date)

Note: You should be aware that there are severe penalties for making a false declaration. If there is any doubt about the eligibility of the goods or about the fiscal warehouse to which they are being sent, you should contact our VAT Helpline on 0845 010 9000.

A copy of the. above declaration should be filed with the supplier’s invoice and a copy of the delivery note

5.2 Certificate required to secure zero-rating of services (other than the supply of warehousing) performed within a fiscal warehouse

"THE FOLLOWING TEXT HAS THE FORCE OF LAW"

Information to be indicated:

I ………………………………………………………………….(full name) ……………………………………………………..(status in company) of ………………………………………….(name and address of company) declare that the goods shown below are subject to a fiscal warehousing regime at the place indicated below:

• description of goods
• quantity of goods
• warehouse stock number
• name and address of fiscal or other warehouse
• authorisation number of the relevant warehousekeeper/ warehouse.

and that the following services are to be performed on the goods in the fiscal warehouse:

• description of services.

I certify that the supply of services is eligible to be zero-rated for VAT purposes under section 18 C (1) of the VAT Act 1994.

………………………………………….(signature)

………………………………………..(date)

Note: You should be aware that there are severe penalties for making a false declaration. If there is any doubt about a supply being entitled to zero-rating you should contact our VAT Helpline on 0845 010 9000 before signing and sending in the certificate to Customs.

A copy of the certificate should be filed with the supplier’s invoice which should refer to s18C(1) of the VAT Act 1994 to be eligible for zero-rating.

6. Specimen application for authorisation to operate a fiscal warehouse

You must provide the following details where appropriate:

(a) Name or Business Name, Address & VAT Number (see Note 1).

(b) Address(es) & Description(s) of storage facilities. The Commissioners may, in considering your application, take into account the suitability of notified premises.

(c) Details of any authorised UK duty suspensive regime which you operate.

(d) Brief description of stock records and accounting system and place where stock records will be kept (see Note 2).

(e) Nature of the goods to be stored, either specific goods or “all eligible goods”. Details of eligible goods are set out in paragraph 2.3.

(f) Details of common storage of different categories of goods which may be in free circulation or under other customs procedures.

(g) Details of temporary removals or possible VAT free sampling. You must also indicate whether general authorisation will be required or whether an application will be made each time goods are to be temporarily removed.

(h) Details of documents you are attaching, for example, supplementary papers detailing records that will be kept.

(i) The application must be signed by a director, proprietor, partner or duly authorised person.

Notes

1. Not required if application is on company headed notepaper giving these particulars.

2. Please give details of:

(a) Documentation to be used to enter goods to the regime.

(b) Stock control system.

(c) Point at which goods will be deemed to have left the fiscal warehousing regime and are therefore liable to VAT on removal.

(d) Documentation to be used to transfer goods to another UK fiscal warehouse.

(e) Documentation to be used to transfer goods to a fiscal warehouse in another EC Member State.

Your rights and obligations

Your Charter explains what you can expect from us and what we expect from you. For more information go to www.hmrc.gov.uk/charter

Do you have any comments or suggestions?

If you have any comments or suggestions to make about this notice, please write to:

HM Revenue and Customs
Subject Matter Expert team
VAT Process Owner Team
1st Floor Regian House
Liverpool
L75 1AD

Please note this address is not for general enquiries.

For your general enquiries please phone our Helpline 0845 010 9000.

Putting things right

If you are unhappy with our service, please contact the person or office you have been dealing with. They will try to put things right. If you are still unhappy, they will tell you how to complain.

If you want to know more about making a complaint go to hmrc.gov.uk and under quick links, select Complaints and appeals.

How we use your information

HM Revenue & Customs is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 1998. We hold information for the purposes specified in our notification to the Information Commissioner, including the assessment and collection of tax and duties, the payment of benefits and the prevention and detection of crime, and may use this information for any of them.

We may get information about you from others, or we may give information to them. If we do, it will only be as the law permits to:

• check the accuracy of information
• prevent or detect crime
• protect public funds.

We may check information we receive about you with what is already in our records. This can include information provided by you, as well as by others, such as other government departments or agencies and overseas tax and customs authorities. We will not give information to anyone outside HM Revenue & Customs unless the law permits us to do so. For more information go to hmrc.gov.uk and look for Data Protection Act within the Search facility.

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