Fiscal warehousing (VAT Notice 702/8)
Find out how to account for VAT on goods entered into, supplied within and removed from fiscal warehouses.
Detail
Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of this notice have the force of law under powers contained in regulations 145B(1), 145C and 145S of the VAT Regulations 1995, (‘the Regulations’) that enable the Commissioners to direct the form of certification.
1. Overview
1.1 Information in this notice
This notice gives information on the VAT treatment of goods entered into, supplied within and removed from fiscal warehouses.
1.2 Changes to this notice
This notice has been updated to reflect changes from the end of transition period.
1.3 Who should read this notice
Fiscal warehouse operators, those seeking to operate a fiscal warehouse and those who make supplies of goods and services entering, inside and on withdrawal from a fiscal warehouse.
1.4 Fiscal warehouse law
The law covering this notice is:
- UK Primary Law — Value Added Tax Act 1994, sections 18A, B, C, D, E, F and Schedule 9ZB, Part 4
- UK Secondary Law — VAT Regulations 1995, Regulations 145A to 145U
1.5 The definition of a ‘fiscal warehouse’
A fiscal warehouse is a regime where certain commodities in free circulation within Great Britain or between Northern Ireland and the EU can be traded VAT-free, subject to the conditions described in section 2. Goods are in free circulation if they’re produced in the EU 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
Specified commodities that are in free circulation (see paragraph 2.3) are eligible for fiscal warehousing in the UK.
What is suspended
Supply VAT is suspended. This is VAT which is charged on the supply of any goods or services that takes place in the UK, made by a taxable person in the course of any business carried out by that person.
Supply VAT is normally paid when the goods are removed from the regime.
1.7 The territory of the EU
The term ‘EU’ as used in this notice refers to the VAT territory of the European Union, which is different from its customs territory. Find out which countries and territories make up the VAT territory of the EU.
1.8 Treatment of transactions with the Isle of Man
Goods removed from the Isle of Man to Great Britain are not treated as an importation as long as either of the following apply:
- any VAT due has been accounted for in the Isle of Man
- if the goods were relieved of VAT in the Isle of Man, the conditions of that relief have not been broken Goods moved between the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland will be subject to standard import and export rules.
1.9 Treatment of transactions with the Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are not part of the UK’s VAT territory. Goods you receive from the Channel Islands are imports for VAT purposes and are, in principle, treated in the same way as other imports at the time of importation. You’ll find further information about import procedures (including some simplified procedures) for goods received from the Channel Islands and other special territories in Imports and VAT (Notice 702).
1.10 Right of appeal
If you disagree with any decision made by HMRC, 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’s more information about what you can do if you disagree with a tax decision.
2. Supplies of goods and services within fiscal warehouses
2.1 What this section covers
Fiscal warehousing provides a regime which enables certain 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’s 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).
Goods must be in free circulation to use fiscal warehousing.
Fiscal warehousing creates a trading environment for eligible 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 table are eligible to be placed in a fiscal warehouse. These commodities are eligible for trading in and transfer between fiscal warehouses in Great Britain or between fiscal warehouses in Northern Ireland and the EU.
| Description of goods | Commodity code |
|---|---|
| Tin | 8001 |
| Copper | 7402, 7403, 7405, 7408 |
| Zinc | 7901 |
| Nickel | 7502 |
| Aluminium | 7601 |
| Lead | 7801 |
| Indium | ex 8112 91ex 8112 99 |
| Cereals | 1001 to 1005 1006: unprocessed rice only 1007 to 1008 |
| Oil seeds and oleaginous fruit, coconuts, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts, other nuts, olives | 1201 to 1207 0801 0502 0711 20 |
| Grains and seeds (including Soya beans) | 1201 to 1207 |
| Coffee, not roasted | 0901 11 00 0901 12 00 |
| Tea | 0902 |
| Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted | 1801 |
| Raw sugar | 1701 11 1701 12 |
| Rubber, in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip | 4001 4002 |
| Wool | 5101 |
| Chemicals in bulk | Chapters 28 and 29 |
| Mineral oils (including propane and butane, also including crude petroleum oils) | 2709 2710 2711 12 2711 13 |
| Silver | 7106 |
| Platinum (Palladium, Rhodium) | 7110 11 00 7110 21 00 7110 31 00 |
| Potatoes | 0701 |
| Vegetable oils and fats and their fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified | 1507 to 1515 |
2.4 Principal criteria for eligibility for fiscal warehousing
The eligibility criteria is that:
- 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
That means all duties, taxes and levies must have been either paid or deferred, on the goods, including customs duty, import VAT, excise duty and any additional import duty payable on specified agricultural 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 Authorisation from HMRC
Before you can operate a fiscal warehouse you must apply to HMRC 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 How to apply
You must complete a letter of application as described in section 4. You can get the address to send it to from the VAT helpline.
Once we’re 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’re authorised, you may request a change of approval conditions well in advance, explaining the reason for the required change. In particular, you should notify HMRC 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’re 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 - you should be aware that:
- 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 the First-tier Tribunal (Tax).
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 Transfer an authorisation
Once you’re 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 Cancel or revoke 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, subject to any review or appeal 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.
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 either:
- on the basis of the VAT due on a sale of those goods at their highest open market value
- at the highest rate of VAT applying during the time the goods were in the fiscal warehouse ( there’s 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
- either VAT registered or has presented form VAT150 (see paragraph 2.19) and paid any VAT due at the local EPU
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 in Northern Ireland from an EU member state, destined for entry to a fiscal warehouse may be relieved from VAT.
If you’re 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’re the acquirer in Northern Ireland you must produce and retain a certificate stating that the acquired goods are to be fiscally warehoused. Section 4 shows examples of what’s 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 HMRC 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 either the amount which would have been due on the:
- transaction that caused the goods to be entered to the warehouse
- value of the last supply, subject to paragraph 2.17, if they have been sold within the warehouse
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’ll need to obtain written authority 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.
For example:
Value of re-packaging service £50
Value of final supply of commodity on removal from warehouse £100
Value of total final supply £150
VAT due on total final supply £150 × 20% = £30
Where, as a result of an operation carried out on eligible commodities, the resulting commodities are no longer eligible for fiscal warehousing, they’re treated as having been removed and VAT will become due in accordance with paragraph 2.19.
2.18 VAT registration
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 affected 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
- not registered, you must complete form VAT150 Advice of removals from fiscal warehouse by persons unregistered for VAT and present it to the local 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 VAT150 or a VAT registration number is required by the warehousekeeper before the goods can be released
Where goods are acquired into Northern Ireland from an EU 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 VAT Notice 725: VAT on movements of goods between Northern Ireland and the EU.
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
Removal of:
- zero-rated goods that have not been subject to relieved supplies of services whilst warehoused
- 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 from Great Britain outside the UK or from Northern Ireland to Great Britain and outside the EU, 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) Dispatches to EU member states from Northern Ireland
Where goods are removed in the course of an intra-EU supply, normal Intrastat and intra-EU supply or acquisition rules apply for VAT-registered traders. Relieved services are not taxed on removal to an EU member state but should be reflected in the value of the supply.
d) Fiscal warehouse transfers (Great Britain to Great Britain or Northern Ireland to Northern Ireland)
Such transfers can only be relieved from VAT where effective control over the goods is exercised by the dispatching 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 the approving office. 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’s 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 the VAT helpline. Such removals must be notified to the warehousekeeper, who’s 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 VAT150 (see paragraph 2.12).
Before removal, and in order to establish both value and ownership, unregistered proprietors must produce to the local EPU 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 VAT150 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 HMRC 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 HMRC, 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 despatch
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 any supply. The warehousekeeper’s records must include documentary evidence to show the goods have been removed/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 Great Britain to another, the dispatching 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. Separate fiscal warehousing regimes will operate in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Movements of goods between fiscal warehouses in GB and NI will be treated under standard export and import rules.
(f) Transfer of goods from a fiscal warehouse in Northern Ireland to one in an EU member state
Similar controls to those set out above must be exercised by warehousekeepers when goods are transferred from Northern Ireland to a fiscal warehouse in an EU member state. Such transfers can only be relieved from VAT where a corresponding regime exists in the EU member state of destination. The warehousekeeper’s records must show the address of the place in the other EU member state to which the goods in question are transferred.
(g) Failure to provide documentation
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, 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
- 60 days in the case of either transfer to corresponding arrangements in an EU member state from Northern Ireland or export from Great Britain or from Northern Ireland to a place outside the EU.
(h) Deficiency 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. 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 8-digit tariff commodity code (that means they must not produce new product).
3.1 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 8-digit tariff commodity code.
3.2 Operations that improve the presentation or marketability of the commodities
(a) Stemming 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 8-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 8-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 8-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.
3.3 Operations that prepare 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 8-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 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.
4. Certificates
4.1 Certificate required to secure relief from VAT on goods intended to be placed within a fiscal warehousing regime
This section has 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):
Sections18 B(2)(d)/18B(3) (purchases), or Schedule 9ZB, paragraph 19(1)(d)/19(5) (acquisitions into Northern Ireland from the EU).
………………………………………………………(signature)
………………………………………(date)
Note: you should be aware that there are severe penalties for making a false declaration. If there’s any doubt about the eligibility of the goods or about the fiscal warehouse to which they are being sent, you should contact the VAT helpline.
A copy of the declaration should be filed with the supplier’s invoice and a copy of the delivery note.
4.2 Certificate required to secure zero rating of services (other than the supply of warehousing) performed within a fiscal warehouse
This section has 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 18C(1)(c) 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 the VAT helpline 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)(c) of the VAT Act 1994 to be eligible for zero rating.
5. Application for authorisation to operate a fiscal warehouse
You must provide the following details where appropriate:
(a) Name or business name, address and VAT number (see Note 1).
(b) Addresses and description 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
- Not required if application is on company headed notepaper giving these particulars.
- 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 GB/NI fiscal warehouse.
(e) Documentation to be used to transfer goods from an Northern Ireland fiscal warehouse to a fiscal warehouse in an EU Member State.
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Updates to this page
Last updated 19 August 2021 + show all updates
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The Fiscal warehouse law section has been updated.
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This page has been updated because the Brexit transition period has ended.
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First published.