Customs and Excise Management Act 1979

[F1 53 Entry outwards of goods. U.K.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act, before any goods other than Community transit goods are exported or shipped as stores for use on a voyage or flight to an eventual destination outside the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man there shall be delivered by the exporter to the proper officer an entry outwards of the goods in such form and manner, containing such particulars and accompanied by such documents as the Commissioners may direct.

(2) Except with the permission of the Commissioners no entry shall be delivered before the goods have been presented to the proper officer.

(3) Where the Commissioners permit an entry to be delivered before presentation of the goods, the goods must be presented to the proper officer within such time as the Commissioners may allow; and if the goods are not so presented the entry shall be treated as not having been delivered.

(4) Goods may be treated as presented to the proper officer if notice is given, in such form and manner as the Commissioners may direct, to the proper officer of the presence of the goods at a place designated by him.

(5) An entry in respect of dutiable or restricted goods shall not be accepted unless security is given to the satisfaction of the Commissioners that the goods will, within such time as the Commissioners think reasonable, be exported and discharged at the destination for which they are entered or which is otherwise specified by the exporter or, in the case of goods for use as stores, that they will be duly so used or otherwise accounted for to the satisfaction of the Commissioners.

(6) Acceptance of an entry by the proper officer shall be signified in such manner as the Commissioners may direct; and once acceptance of an entry in respect of any goods has been signified, the goods shall not be removed from the place where they were at the time of acceptance without the permission of the proper officer.

(7) The Commissioners may relax all or any of the requirements imposed by this section as they think fit in relation to any goods and, if they do so, may impose substituted requirements.

(8) If any dutiable or restricted goods of which entry is required under this section are shipped for exportation or as stores or are waterborne for such shipment before entry has been delivered and accepted, the goods shall be liable to forfeiture and where the shipping or making waterborne is done with fraudulent intent any person concerned therein with knowledge of that intent shall be guilty of an offence under this subsection and may be detained.

(9) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (8) above shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a penalty of [F2 the prescribed sum][F2 £20,000] or of three times the value of the goods, whichever is the greater, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both; or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a penalty of any amount, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding [F3 seven years] or to both.

(10) If any goods which are not dutiable or restricted goods and of which entry is required under this section are exported or shipped for exportation or as stores before entry has been delivered and accepted, the exporter shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of [F4 level 4 on the standard scale].

(11) Any person who removes any goods in contravention of subsection (6) above or contravenes or fails to comply with any requirement imposed under subsection (7) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of [F4 level 4 on the standard scale].

(12) If any dutiable or restricted goods are found not to correspond with any entry in respect of them delivered under this section, they shall be liable to forfeiture.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 53–58E substituted for ss. 53–58 by Finance Act 1981 (c. 35, SIF 40:1), s. 10(2)(4), Sch. 7 Pt. I (by s. 10(4) it is provided that s. 10(2) does not affect the operation of the 1979 Act in relation to goods exported before 1.10.1981)

F2 S. 53(9)(a): sum substituted for words (E.W.) (12.3.2015) by The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Fines on Summary Conviction) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/664), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 1(4) (with reg. 5(1))

F3 Words substituted by Finance Act 1988 (c. 39, SIF 40:1), s. 12(1)(a)(6)

F4 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46, (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by S.I. 1984/703, (N.I. 3) art. 5

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 53 modified by S.I. 1986/260, regs. 5(f)(i), 18

C2 S. 53 modified (10.1.2012) by The Postal Packets (Revenue and Customs) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/3036), regs. 1, 14 (with reg. 25)

C3 S. 53 amended by S.I. 1990/2167, art. 4, Sch. para. 9