Change your details or leave the Spirit Drinks Verification Scheme

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Change your details

Contact the Spirit Drinks Verification Unit at enquiries.sdvs@hmrc.gov.uk to change your details.

You’ll need to tell HMRC about any incorrect details or changes to your:

address
trading name
contact details
legal entity
premises details

Withdrawal from the verification scheme

You’ll need to tell HMRC if you want to withdraw from the scheme, because you no longer:

operate as a verified bulk importer for Scotch Whisky
operate verified production processes for Scotch Whisky, Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream, Irish Poteen, Somerset Cider Brandy or Single Malt Welsh Whisky

To withdraw from the scheme, email enquiries.sdvs@hmrc.gov.uk confirming:

the date that you want to leave
the reasons why you no longer need verification after that date

You will not receive a refund if you withdraw from the Verification Scheme part way through a year. Fees are charged to recover costs in undertaking verification visits, so you’ll not receive a refund for fees already paid.

After you’ve left the scheme

HMRC will remove any production facilities or bulk importers associated with the withdrawn application from the look-up service at the end of the verification cycle.

Once you’ve left:

you’ll no longer be able to produce the relevant spirit drinks with a protected geographical indication legally ― this will also affect any products you process on behalf of your customers after this date
if you do produce spirit drinks with a protected geographical indication after your verification has ended, you or your customers may become liable to enforcement action ― where appropriate, HMRC may pass information on to the designated authorities
you can still place onto the market any products that were produced under the scheme before your withdrawal
any verified brands you’ve produced prior to withdrawal will remain verified ― at the end of the verification cycle, the brand will remain on HMRC’s list of verified brands, but with an end date to show from when it is no longer a verified brand
any supplies of the brand verified prior to withdrawal will remain verified as spirit drinks with a protected geographical indication
any production facilities associated with the withdrawn application will be removed from the look-up service at the end of the verification cycle
any bulk importers associated with the withdrawal will be removed from the list of verified bulk importers on the look-up service at the end of the verification cycle ― as a result bulk importers cannot import further supplies of bulk Scotch Whisky

You should make sure you inform your customers of any changes which may affect them. This is because the status of your production facilities can impact on the status of the products which you process for your customers.

Transferring production facilities to another producer

If the new owner has already been verified

HMRC will contact the new owner to confirm the details of the acquisition, and update the person’s or businesses’ records accordingly to show the acquisition of the production facilities.

The newly acquired production facilities will retain their verified status for the rest of the current verification cycle provided that:

the former operator has informed HMRC of the transfer
at least 6 months remain of the existing verification cycle

If the new owner is not verified

They must apply for verification within 6 months of acquiring the production facilities. If they do not, the processes will lose their assured status.

Change your details or leave the Spirit Drinks Verification Scheme