As part of its plans to modernise the tax and customs systems, the Government has asked HMRC to launch a consultation to seek comments on its plans to introduce new mandatory registration for customs intermediaries who submit customs declarations on behalf of traders.
This comes shortly after the British Standards Institution (BSI) introduced PAS 41201:2026 to support effective and transparent relationships between traders and customs intermediaries (see New standard for customs intermediary relationships).
The Government agrees that this will support traders to find good quality customs intermediaries but wishes to go further by ensuring that these intermediaries, who are critical to the operation of the border, are meeting a set of mandatory minimum requirements.
The HMRC consultation is open for comments until 21 September 2026, with responses to be sent to customsintermediariesconsultation@hmrc.gov.uk .
It explains that a call for evidence in 2022 revealed that, while most intermediaries who submit customs declarations are competent, the quality of service delivery across the sector is mixed, with a variation in standards and instances of poor service which can lead to negative outcomes for traders.
Given the critical role they play in enabling goods to move across borders, and in supporting businesses to meet their customs obligations, the Government wants to ensure that these intermediaries support compliant trade, protect revenue and provide a reliable service to traders.
“There are currently no general deterrents targeted at customs intermediaries to dissuade unscrupulous actors from joining or staying in the market,” the consultation highlights.
