Forwarding, Freight News, IT
BIFA calls for CDS tweaks
[ July 18, 2025 // Chris Lewis ]With funding for HMRC’s Customs Declaration Service (CDS) confirmed for two years, freight forwarders can look forward to a number of improvements and updates to the service, says BIFA policy and compliance adviser, Igor Popovics.
He told an episode of BIFAlink TV on 18 July that one of the first fruits of this is a new VAT checker to protect forwarders from the consequences of a declarant providing an incorrect VAT number. The system also now advises if a VAT number provided is associated with any ongoing fraud investigations.
BIFA has also requested improvements to CDS messaging. At the moment, if Customs queries an entry, it sends a notification by email but without any reference to which entry it relates to, which means that forwarders have to spend time and effort tracking it down. Also, all query notifications come from the CDS Exports team, even if they relate to imports.
Popovics said the issues were currently under discussion and he hoped to hear back within the next two months.
Another BIFA request has been a simpler way of making amendments to rejected declarations. Currently, a new declaration must be submitted including refilling all the data fields; unlike the old Chief system, it is not possible to amend an existing declaration.
Popovics said that some improvements to the system could be expected, though the full extend of these was currently unclear.
Tags: BIFA