JOINT CUSTOMS CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE JCCC

 

                                        INFORMATION PAPER (07) 34

 

SAD Harmonisation (SAD H)  – Revised Implementation Timetable

 

Who should read:

JCCC members and anyone involved in completing Customs declarations (e.g. Community/Common Transit, Community Status, import, export, placing goods in and removing from customs warehouses etc).

What is it about:

Important details about the revised implementation timetable for SAD Harmonisation.

When effective:

Key dates are given in the paper.

 

1. Background

JCCC Paper (07) 07; JCCC Paper (07) 15; JCCC Paper (07) 19 and JCCC Paper (07) 22 provide the background to previous announcements regarding the SAD Harmonisation delivery and implementation timetable.

 

Following the delivery of the main SAD Harmonised data sets to HMUT in early July 07, HMRC and the Trade have been actively testing to enable us to ascertain the robustness of the service. 

 

It was agreed at the last JCCC Sub Group meeting that, following a continuous period of HMUT availability and successful testing, a further JCCC Sub Group meeting would be held to determine the robustness of the service and viability of meeting the target implementation date. 

 

 

2. Current Position

 

The SAD Harmonisation JCCC Sub group met on 8th August 2007.  After careful consideration of all the feedback received from the trade, our Software Suppliers and HMRC experts, it was agreed that the proposed target implementation date would be achievable.

 

As such, the implementation date for SAD Harmonisation in the UK (SAD H Day) will be 1st October 2007.

 

 

3. Implementation Strategy

As detailed in previous JCCC information papers, all declarants who are ready to make declarations in the new format will be expected to do so from this date. Full completion instructions for the new harmonised declarations are provided in the UK SAD Harmonised version of the Tariff.  Further details are provided at item 4. below.

Those declarants who are not ready to submit declarations in the new format will be given an additional period of time to become SAD H-compliant. This will run from 1st October 2007 to midnight on the 20th January 2008, during which time declarants will be able to continue to use old messages and old data. After the 20th January CHIEF will no longer accept old style declarations and they will be rejected.

Please Note - old formats must use entirely old data; new formats must use entirely new data.  Data mixing is not permitted.  The Tariff will make clear which is appropriate for which type of declaration. CPC’s, quota numbers and tax types will also change over at the same time as you change to the new declarations. There are no longer any exceptions to the new data set.

In the event that you are unable to process new declarations through CHIEF, or if your own system is unable to process them, you will be able to revert to use of the old message as a fallback measure until the end of dual running.  After this date, no old declarations will be permitted.

4.  SAD Harmonised Tariff (Paper only)

 

Version 1. of the SAD Harmonised Tariff has now been sent to our publishers (TSO) for printing and distribution to subscribers in readiness for October.  This will be the only printed version made available to the trade and will be in a bound format. 

 

Version 1. is also now available on the HMRC website, including all relevant appendices.

 

Revisions to the SAD Harmonised Tariff will undoubtedly continue throughout the dual running period and up to, and including, its merger into the full ‘business as usual’ UK Tariff, expected for release in February 2008 after dual running has ceased. 

 

It is therefore planned that updated versions will only be placed onto the HMRC SAD H website, along with a version changes document, for the trade to download. 

 

Internet ‘what’s new’ and JCCC Information paper announcements will be made to publicise availability of these later versions and a “Tariff stop press” notice of the changes will also be distributed with the usual monthly Tariff updates.

 

It will be the responsibility of the trade and Tariff subscribers to ensure that they are using the correct version of the Tariff to make their declarations and to amend their hard bound copies accordingly.

 

5. SAD Harmonised Tariff (Electronic or E-Tariff)

 

The Electronic Tariff will appear in harmonised format in October. All subsequent versions will be fully harmonised also. Therefore, if you have not cut across to harmonised declarations and continue to use the pre-harmonised version, you must continue to refer to the September 2007 version. Please note that it is normal for Commodity Codes to change on 1 January each year, and 2008 is likely to be no exception.

 

Therefore, if you still haven’t adopted harmonised declarations after 1st January 2008, you must refer to the January 08 version of the printed Tariff for full details of the new codes.

 

Please note that the October 07 (and subsequent) version(s) of the Electronic Tariff will contain both pre-harmonised and harmonised Customs Union Agreement (CUA) measures. Your software must have the ability to select the correct measure, depending on whether you are submitting a pre-harmonised or harmonised declaration.     

 

 

6.  Further Information

 

Further information on the SAD Harmonisation Project, including details of the changes, CHIEF release notes for SAD H, the SAD H Tariff and CPC’s can be found on the HMRC Website at: www.hmrc.gov.uk > Imports & exports > SAD Harmonisation.

 

Or (until 30th September only) contact the SAD H project team by e-mail at: SADHarmonisationTeam@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issued on the 09 August 2007 by the JCCC Secretary, HM Revenue and Customs, Customs & International Directorate CPM Team, 6th Floor South, Portcullis House, Southend-on-Sea, Essex.  SS2 6AL.    E Mail @  JCCC Secretariat

 

For general HMRC queries speak to the National Advice Service on 0845 010 9000 or follow this crumb trail which details how to contact us by phone, e-mail or post:  HMRC home (www.hmrc.gov.uk) >Contact Us.