Our Services

File customs declarations

SwiftFile is a full-service customs broker. Our team of customs specialists file import declarations on behalf of our clients on goods arriving from all over the world. We are also partnered with clearance agents in other jurisdictions, and can arrange clearance for goods outside the UK.

When our clients outsource the filing of their customs declarations to SwiftFile, they get the comfort of their declarations being completed by experts. We pride ourselves on our clear communication and quick turnaround time. We liaise with client, supplier and freight company to make sure goods are kept moving.

There are over 20 Customs Special Procedures (CSPs) in place in make trade smoother and to allow traders to save money. We help our clients take advantage of these CSPs, other reliefts and preferential import duty rates.

Examples of these include:

  • Inward / Outward Processing

  • Temporary Admission

  • Returned Goods Relief

Even if a business outsources the filing of their customs declarations to a 3rd party, they remain liable for the accuracy of the information contained in them. The decision of who to outsource to should not be taken lightly.

If you are interested in SwiftFile’s customs specialists filing your declarations

Customs advisory

As a result of Brexit, many British businesses have seen their customs exposure increase significantly. There might be a lack of familiarity with customs concepts and requirements, and this can increase the customs risk of a business. SwiftFile’s customs experts can advise on how to avoid the pitfalls, smooth product flow and even save money while trading in a customs environment.

The following are examples of how we assist clients:

  • By advising on how to save money by availing of a Customs Specials Procedure (there are over 20)

  • By advising on origin and how to correctly claim preferential import duty rates

  • By submitting an application for an Inward/ Outward Processing authorisation

  • By carrying out a pre customs audit review

  • By advising on the use of tariff quotas

  • By assessing a clients risk level by reviewing the customs reports received from HMRC

  • By advising on customs in the product design process

When a client choses us as their dedicated customs partner, they get the benefit of SwiftFile’s in depth customs knowledge to draw upon.

If you have a concern about a customs matter, or you would like to know more about how to gain relief from import duties

Reporting

We provide our customs partners with a monthly summary of their import activity. This unique services gives a complete, instant picture of their import numbers. 

The standard Customs & Excise report traders receive from HMRC does not give a complete picture of an import transaction.

The following key pieces of data might not be included:

  • Supplier name

  • Invoice Number

  • Invoice value

  • Invoice currency

The above gaps means it is not a straight forward process for a CFO to see where the import duty hit is coming from. She might see a import duty hitting the P&L, but there is quite a bit of work for the finance team to show exactly where the duty hit is coming from.

Similarly, postponed accounting for import vat is a fantastic cashflow benefit for an importing company. But any import vat postponed must be properly accounted for in a company’s vat return. Failure to do so could lead to HMRC excluding a business from availing of PVA.

The instant visibility provided by our reports fills in these gaps. They provide a full set of numbers to aid compliance, reporting and decision making. Our customs partners get these reports as part of their overall service package.

We can also advise companies who are having difficulty getting visibility of their customs numbers. Get in touch for a consultation.