Importing and exporting as a company: EORI, customs and records

Map the goods movement before applying for numbers

Great Britain, Northern Ireland and overseas destinations can involve different customs and VAT rules. Write down where goods start, where they enter, where they are stored and who ultimately buys them. Services supplied internationally are not the same as moving physical goods and should not be forced into a goods-import checklist.

Identify the legal importer and exporter, not merely the person paying a courier. The supplier’s delivery terms affect cost and responsibility but do not replace the legal customs rules. A founder buying inventory personally before incorporation may have a different trail from the company importing it after formation. Agree the contracting entity and evidence before the shipment is dispatched.

Use the right EORI and legal entity details

A business generally needs a GB EORI for relevant goods movements to or from Great Britain. Movements involving Northern Ireland can require an XI EORI or other arrangements depending on the route and circumstances. Check the official eligibility and exemptions rather than assuming one number covers every shipment worldwide.

Apply in the company’s correct legal details and check the relationship with its VAT registration where relevant. An EORI is not a VAT registration number and does not itself permit a regulated import. Keep it with the company’s controlled business references, not with filing passwords. Give the correct number to the customs representative and verify it appears consistently on declarations and shipment records.

• Check the exact route with official EORI guidance.
• Use the company, not the director personally, where the company is the trader.
• Distinguish EORI, VAT number and company number.
• Review licensing and product restrictions separately.
• Keep customs agents informed of company-detail changes.

Classify goods and verify origin

Commodity classification determines important aspects of duty, restrictions and reporting. A supplier’s suggested code is useful evidence but does not remove the importer’s responsibility to check the classification. Detailed product descriptions, material, intended use and technical specifications can matter. Consider official classification guidance or specialist advice where uncertainty is material.

Country of origin is not necessarily the country from which the parcel was posted. Preferential duty treatment depends on the relevant agreement and qualifying origin evidence. Do not assume a free-trade agreement makes every purchase from that country duty-free. Keep the supporting declaration or certification and ensure the goods meet the actual conditions.

Give a customs representative a clear written brief

A customs agent or freight forwarder can prepare declarations, but the company still needs to supply accurate information and understand the representation arrangement. Ask whether the agent acts directly or indirectly and what responsibilities that creates. Agree who supplies classification, origin, value, licences and tax-account details.

Request copies of declarations and acceptance or release evidence, not just a courier invoice. Check errors promptly and use the proper correction process. A company formation agent does not automatically provide customs representation, and a bank account does not create an import deferment arrangement. Choose services on their actual scope and charges.

1. 1

   Confirm representation terms and who is importer/exporter.

2. 2

   Provide company details, EORI and relevant VAT information.

3. 3

   Supply invoice, packing list, classification and origin evidence.

4. 4

   Agree how duty and import VAT will be paid or accounted for.

5. 5

   Receive and reconcile declaration and release records.

Budget landed cost and import VAT cash flow

The supplier price is only one part of landed cost. Add freight, insurance, duty, clearance fees and any irrecoverable tax. VAT recovery depends on entitlement and the correct evidence; paying VAT to a carrier does not by itself establish a claim. Where eligible, postponed VAT accounting has its own statement and VAT-return process.

Agree delivery terms so the company understands which costs it bears. Consider exchange rates, storage, demurrage and returns, particularly for small first shipments where fixed fees are significant. Cash paid at the border can affect the business even where VAT is later recoverable. Forecast timing separately from final cost so a successful sales margin does not conceal a working-capital shortage.

Worked example: supplier price is not landed cost

Illustrative example: a company orders goods for £4,000, pays £500 freight and incurs £120 clearance fees. Before any duty or VAT analysis, cash cost is already £4,620. The customs value and applicable duty require their own calculation; they cannot be inferred solely from this total.

The accountant and customs adviser then establish the duty, import VAT treatment and evidence. The company keeps the supplier invoice, transport records, declaration and relevant VAT documentation. This example deliberately does not apply a made-up duty rate: two shipments at the same purchase price can have different tax results because goods, origin and route differ.

Prepare a first-shipment instruction file

Before a first shipment, the company should assemble a single instruction file for the freight or customs representative. It identifies the company and EORI, route, importer and exporter, delivery terms, commodity description, proposed classification, origin evidence and invoice value. It also records who pays duty and import VAT and who receives the declarations. The supplier’s paperwork is checked for consistency with the order. Missing product descriptions or conflicting entity details are resolved before dispatch rather than left to a courier trying to release goods at the border.

The directors review cash as well as the margin. Freight, handling, duty, tax timing, storage and returns can materially affect a small order. Postponed VAT accounting, where eligible, needs the right declaration and statement process; it should not be treated as a universal exemption from import VAT. The accountant checks entitlement and evidence for any recovery. Product safety, labelling, licences and sanctions checks remain distinct from customs registration. A parcel can clear customs without proving the product may lawfully be marketed in its destination.

Once the goods arrive, the company reconciles quantities, inventory, supplier invoices, agent charges and tax evidence. Corrections are raised promptly using the proper route. It retains the declaration and supporting documents in a place both operations and finance can access appropriately. For exports, it keeps the evidence needed to support the actual VAT treatment and monitors departure or delivery records. The file becomes the template for future shipments, but classification, origin, route and legal requirements are rechecked when the products or countries change.

1. 1

   Gather the records described above before making the decision.

2. 2

   Review the case-specific assumptions with the appropriate adviser.

3. 3

   Record the agreed action, responsible person and relevant dates.

4. 4

   Reconcile the outcome to the company’s actual records.

Keep export evidence and product obligations in view

Exporting can require declarations, licences, destination checks and evidence supporting any VAT zero-rating. A customer’s overseas billing address alone does not prove that goods were exported. Retain transport and departure evidence within the applicable official rules and check the arrangement where the customer collects goods.

Customs clearance also does not establish product safety, labelling or regulatory compliance in the destination market. Review sanctions, controlled goods and product-specific requirements before committing to supply. Reconcile customs, inventory and sales records regularly so quantities and values make sense across the company’s books. For unusual routes or regulated goods, get specialist advice before shipment rather than trying to correct the position at the border.

Common questions

Official sources & further reading

This guide draws on the official guidance below. Rules, fees and individual circumstances can change; check the relevant source before acting.

• GOV.UK: Get an EORI number
• GOV.UK: Import goods into the UK
• GOV.UK: Export goods from the UK
• HMRC: Postponed VAT accounting

General UK information, primarily for private companies limited by shares. This is not personalised legal, tax or financial advice. An accountant or solicitor can help apply the rules to your situation.