CUSTOMS DECLARATION SERVICE
Your customs declarations handled. Your compliance protected.
Every shipment crossing the UK border needs an accurate customs declaration, filed on time, with up to 91 pieces of information being needed. Readyset is a registered UK customs agent, and we handle your import and export entries on CDS from classification right through to clearance.
Most businesses don't realise who is liable when a declaration is wrong.
Your freight forwarder or customs broker submits the entry, but under HMRC's rules it's you, the importer of record, who's legally responsible for its accuracy. Every incorrect commodity code, every underdeclared value and every underpaid duty comes back to you, not them.
WHY IT MATTERS
Getting customs declarations right pays dividends in more ways than one.
Accurate declarations protect you from HMRC penalties, but they also unlock savings your current agent is likely missing. Here is what changes when you work with a specialist.
Every entry reviewed before submission, so there's no scramble the day HMRC comes calling.
We check every entry for reliefs you might qualify for. Plenty of businesses are overpaying without realising it.
Accurate declarations mean fewer queries at the border and lead times you can actually plan around.
Every declaration kept in HMRC compliant format, ready to hand over the moment you need it.
IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?
A few of the situations we're asked to step in for most often.
International trade throws up the same handful of pressure points, whatever size you are. These are common starting points, but if shipping across a border is part of your business at all, there's usually a way we can help.
Switching your entries to a specialist doesn't change your logistics. It just adds an independent compliance check.
We take over your ongoing entries immediately and review historical declarations before HMRC finds the gaps first.
We build a customs profile for your business so every new shipment is processed against an established framework.
Filing is the baseline. We also handle special procedure and AEO applications routinely, so any relief that could lower your duty bill gets flagged and actioned.
TRANSPARENT PRICING
Pricing built around your business
If you're shipping regularly, we can agree a monthly arrangement built around your actual volume, rather than charging per entry, and it works out considerably more cost effective the more you ship with us. For an occasional declaration, £65 is our starting point for a straightforward, single line entry. We do need to see your paperwork before confirming the final fee.
Whichever applies to you, the fee is agreed and confirmed in writing before we start. We don't bill by the hour.
PROVEN IN PRACTICE
This is what a C18 demand actually looks like, and how we resolved it.
One of our clients, a UK manufacturer, had been claiming preferential duty rates on its declarations for years, in good faith, through a previous customs agent. When HMRC opened a preference audit, the proof of origin behind those claims turned out to be missing or invalid. They came to us to help resolve it. Here's what we found, and how it played out.
Preference claimed on declarations, but the supporting statements were missing, unsigned, or incorrectly worded.
HMRC's right to be heard letter, ahead of a C18 post clearance demand for the full period.
We separated the documentary gap from the substantive one, and recovered valid statements of origin from EU suppliers.
No duty paid, no penalty issued. The client paid our fee and nothing else.
Want to talk through a case like this for your business? Book a free consultation →
WHAT’S INCLUDED
A complete UK customs service, not just submission.
Most agents file what you give them. We review, classify, calculate, and advise before anything is declared to HMRC.
HOW IT WORKS
From documents to clearance: our process.
We've kept this as low-friction as possible for your team. You send us the documents. We handle everything from there.
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or airway bill, and any certificates of origin or licences.
Commodity codes verified, duty rate and relief confirmed. Queries raised with you before we proceed, not after.
As your registered customs agent, filed under your EORI number, with confirmation of submission and clearance.
Every entry stored audit ready, plus a monthly summary covering duty paid and reliefs applied.
ENTRY TYPES
All customs entry types handled.
Whether you're importing finished goods, exporting to international buyers, or operating under a special procedure, we handle the entry correctly.
Standard import declarations (H1)
Simplified frontier declarations
Supplementary declarations
Low value consignment entries
Customs warehouse releases
Inward processing entries
Temporary admission entries
End use relief entries
Standard export declarations (B1)
Outward processing entries
Re-export declarations
Customs warehouse export entries
Temporary export entries
ATA Carnet support
Proof of export documentation
Inward Processing Relief (IPR)
Customs Warehousing (CW)
Temporary Admission (TA)
Outward Processing (OP)
End use relief
Freeport entries
CPC management
Your freight forwarder files declarations. We protect your compliance.
THE GAP
There are hundreds of customs agents in the UK. Here's what's actually different about a consultancy layer built into every entry.
Moves your freight. May submit entries as a byproduct, without ever reviewing them for errors or reliefs.
Files what you give them, at volume. Rarely checks your commodity codes or flags a relief you're missing.
We verify, not just submit. You get a named contact on every shipment, and we work independently of your existing freight arrangements. As a registered direct representative on CDS, we keep a full audit trail on every declaration we file.
Whether you're filing five declarations a month or fifty a week, the process holds up.
BUILT FOR GROWING OPERATIONS
As your shipment volumes grow, the risk isn't just one bad declaration, it's the same mistake repeating at scale. We build a customs profile for your business once, covering your regular commodity codes, suppliers and authorisations, so every new entry is processed against something established rather than started from scratch.
You still get a named contact for your account, backed by a team already managing high volume import and export schedules for manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace and animal health clients across the UK. Nobody is starting from zero when your shipment lands.
RELATED SERVICES
Customs Declarations work alongside these procedures.
The right declaration is just the start. Many of our customs declarations clients also benefit from the following authorisations, which we can apply for and manage on your behalf.
Before you ask
Frequently asked questions about Customs Declarations
Have a question not covered here? Book a free consultation and we'll give you a straight answer, no sales pitch, no commitment required.
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One-off standard entries start from £65. Special procedures or multi-line entries are quoted upfront once we've seen your paperwork. Either way it's always a fixed fee, confirmed before we submit, and we never bill by the hour.
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Yes. The earlier we're involved, the more options stay open. We've had a £50,000 preference audit demand withdrawn in full for a client (see the case study above), so if you've received a right to be heard letter or a C18, get in touch before you respond.
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No. We work independently of your freight arrangements, so you keep whoever moves your goods and we take over the customs declaration function on its own. Plenty of our clients run us alongside a forwarder that never touches the entry itself.
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CDS is HMRC's platform for import and export declarations, and it's now the only system UK businesses can use. Every entry we file goes through CDS under your EORI number, with the reference and clearance confirmation sent straight back to you.
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A C18 is HMRC's demand for underpaid duty or VAT, issued after your goods have already cleared. It can cover up to four years of entries, so it's worth taking seriously and getting advice quickly rather than responding on your own.
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Depends which service you need. One-off declarations can start as soon as you send us the paperwork, there's no onboarding involved. Monthly accounts are usually up and running within a couple of weeks, once we've built your customs profile of commodity codes, suppliers and authorisations. If you need cover more urgently, tell us on the call and we'll work out what's realistic.
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Yes, both, including special procedure entries such as Inward Processing Relief, Customs Warehousing and Temporary Admission. Most clients use us for one side of their trade to start with and add the other once they see how it works.
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Most agents file whatever you send them. We check the classification, duty rate and any relief before an entry goes anywhere near HMRC, and you deal with a named contact who already knows your account rather than a shared queue.
GET STARTED
Ready to get your customs declarations right?
Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll review your current setup, identify compliance gaps, and give you a clear picture of how we'd work together, with no obligation.