A CHANGE to the European Union Customs Code Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446, from 1 January 2021, means it will be possible to declare goods up to 150 € (about AU$240) using a customs declaration requiring three times less data than a standard declaration.
According to a EU Customs document, from 1 January 2021 the existing VAT exemption for goods up to 22 € will go. In order to allow levying VAT, 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,” the statement read.
“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 customs dutiable threshold of 150€).”
This legislation is expected to 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,” it was stated in the EU Customs document.
