When You Need to Register for Intrastat UK

The UK’s economic performance is based on information collected by the Intrastat system (e.g. a component for BOP and NA data).

Furthermore, the Office for National Statistics uses the statistics from goods trading collected by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

As a result, the Bank of England (BoE) uses the figures as a key indicator for setting interest rates each month.

Anyone running a VAT-registered business needs to register to submit Intrastat declarations if, in the previous or current calendar year (e.g. 1st of January to the 31st of December), it (either):

• Receives more than £1.5 million worth of goods from any of the countries in the EU.
• Moves goods from Northern Ireland to the European Union valued at more than £250,000.

Registering for, and using, Intrastat is not a requirement for businesses that move goods to the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales).

Note: Once you have completed the registration process, you would then need to submit an Intrastat declaration every month.

---

What counts towards the £250,000 or £1.5 million total

When counting the value of goods imported into the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the value of goods exported from Northern Ireland to the EU, you should include all goods that are:

• Bought or sold
• Hired, leased, or loaned
• Moved:
  • In or out of the UK for construction purposes
  • Out of Northern Ireland (then lost or destroyed)
• Processed
• Supplied:
  • Free of charge
  • As part of a contract for services
• Transferred between two or more branches of the business

Note: Further guidance from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) contains details about completing an Intrastat declaration and the rules that apply to Notice 60.

You should not count the value of any of the following towards the £250,000 or £1.5 million total:

• Services
• Goods taken out of the UK ‘temporarily’

---

How to Submit an Intrastat Declaration

You can make your monthly Intrastat declaration online or using software specifically designed for this purpose, such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

You may need to look up commodity codes for each item that you trade to help you complete the declaration. In simple terms, you will get a numeric description to classify the goods.

---

Changing or Correcting a Declaration

Use the amendment form to correct errors in an Intrastat declaration (e.g. to a previous entry for a commodity code, country, value, or declared goods in an incorrect period).

Intrastat
Email: [email protected]

UK Trade Info Customer Services (Intrastat)
3rd floor
Alexander House
21 Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS99 1AA

HM Revenue and Customs Excise Enquiries

Telephone: 0300 200 3700
Textphone: 0300 200 3719
Outside UK: +44 2920 501 261

United Kingdom call rates

---

Keeping Accurate Records

The records that you need to keep for a minimum of six (6) years, include:

• Copies of Intrastat declarations.
• Documents used to complete Intrastat declarations.

---

---