Finance Act 1981

PART I Sections Substituted in Customs and Excise Management Act 1979

53 Entry outwards of goods.

(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 waterbome 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 the pre scribed sum 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 two 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 £500.

(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 £500.

(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.

54 Acceptance of incomplete entry.

(1) The proper officer may, if he thinks fit, accept an entry which does not in every respect comply with section 53 above, but he shall not do so in a case in which the goods have not been presented.

(2) Where an entry is accepted under this section the exporter shall, within such time as the Commissioners may allow, deliver to the proper officer such of the particulars or documents as were required to be, but were not, contained in or delivered with the entry or, if the proper officer so permits, deliver to him a substituted entry complying in all respects with section 53 above.

(3) If any person fails to comply with subsection (2) above he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500.

55 Correction and cancellation of entry.

(1) The exporter may correct any of the particulars contained in an entry of goods under section 53 above after it has been accepted if—

(a) the appropriate authority has not been given for the removal of the goods; and

(b) the exporter has not been notified by an officer that tie goods are to be examined; and

(c) the entry has not been found by an officer to be incorrect;

and in paragraph (a) above " the appropriate authority " means—

(i) in the case of goods which have been presented to the proper officer at a place approved by the Commissioners under section 31(1)(b) above or at a place designated by the proper officer under section 53 above, any authority to remove the goods from the place where they were presented to the proper officer which is required under section 31 above or permission under section 53(6) above, and

(ii) in any other case, the authority to load the goods which is required under section 57(4) or section 66 below.

(2) Particulars in an entry may be corrected after the giving of such authority as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a) above if they relate to a matter which can be established in the absence of the goods.

(3) The proper officer may permit or require any correction allowed by subsection (1) above to be made by the delivery of a substituted entry.

(4) Subject to subsection (5) below, an entry which has been accepted may be cancelled at the request of the exporter if he delivers to the proper officer all copies of the entry and such other documents delivered to him on or in connection with the entry as the Corrunissioners may require and shows to the satisfaction of the Commissioners that—

(a) the goods are in the United Kingdom and the arrangements for exporting them have keen cancelled; and

(b) any payment to which he is entitled from the Commissioners or under a Community instrument by virtue of exporting the goods has been repaid or will not be paid.

(5) An entry shall not be cancelled under subsection (4) above—

(a) in a case where the exporter is informed by an officer that the goods are to be examined, until the examination has taken place ; and

(b) until the exporter has complied with any requirements imposed by the Commissioners as to the movement of the goods in respect of which the entry was made to such places as they may specify.

(6) Where an entry in respect of goods which are not dutiable or restricted goods is cancelled under subsection (4) above, the exporter shall within such period as may be specified by directions given by the Commissioners furnish them with such information and such documents relating to the goods as may be specified in the directions.

(7) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (6) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500.

56 Failure to export.

(1) Where any goods in respect of which an entry has been accepted have not been shipped or exported by land, an officer may by notice given to the exporter require the goods to be exported within such time as is specified in the notice ; and if the notice is not complied with the entry shall be treated as cancelled.

(2) Where, in the case of any such goods as are mentioned in subsection (1) above which are due to be loaded into a ship or aircraft specified in the entry or by the person having charge of them at the port or customs and excise airport of intended shipment, no notice has been served under that subsection and the goods have not been shipped by the time the ship or aircraft departs from the port or airport at which it has been cleared by the proper officer, then—

(a) the entry shall be treated as cancelled at that time ; and

(b) if the goods are dutiable or restricted goods, they shall be liable to forfeiture unless notice of the failure to export them is given to the proper officer immediately after that time.

(3) Where an entry in respect of dutiable or restricted goods is treated as cancelled by virtue of this section—

(a) if the exporter would have been entitled to a payment of any sum from the Commissioners or under a Community instrument by virtue of exporting the goods, he shall take such steps as the Commissioners may direct to ensure that the sum is not paid to him or, if it has already been paid, he shall (unless the Commissioners agree to his retaining it) repay it within seven days or such longer period as the Commissioners may allow;

(b) the exporter shall within such period as may be specified by directions given by the Commissioners furnish them with such information and such documents as may be specified in the directions; and

(c) if the goods have not been forfeited under subsection (2)(W above, they shall be warehoused or, if the Commissioners so require, shall be moved to such place as the Commissioners may specify.

(4) Where an entry in respect of goods which are not dutiable or restricted goods is treated as cancelled by virtue of this section, the exporter shall within such period as may be specified by directions given by the Commissioners furnish them with such information and such documents relating to the goods as may be specified in the directions.

(5) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (3) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £1,000 and the goods shall be liable to forfeiture.

(6) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (4) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500.

57 Delivery of entry by owner of exporting ship etc.

(1) The Commissioners may direct that any entry required to be delivered under section 53 above in respect of any goods which are to be shipped or exported in a ship or aircraft and the documents which are required to accompany it shall, instead of being delivered by the exporter be delivered by the loader (that is to say the owner of the ship or aircraft or a person appointed by him) and such delivery shall be treated as delivery by the exporter for the purposes of this Part of this Act.

(2) The proper officer shall not accept an entry which is delivered in pursuance of subsection (1) above unless the goods in respect of which the entry is made are under the control of the loader at the time of the delivery.

(3) Directions under this section may impose on the loader requirements as to—

(a) the place, time and manner in which entries and any documents required by virtue of section 31 above are to be delivered ;

(b) the production to the proper officer of such documents as may be specified in the directions; and

(c) the information to be supplied to the proper officer and the form and manner in which the information is to be supplied.

(4) Directions under this section may also require that the goods in respect of which the entry is to be made shall not be loaded into the ship or aircraft in which they are to be exported without the authority of the proper officer.

(5) Directions under this section may authorise an officer to relax all or any of the requirements imposed by the directions and, if he does so, to impose substituted requirements.

(6) If a person without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any requirement imposed on him under this section he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500 or in the case of a failure to comply with a requirement imposed by virtue of subsection (4) above to a penalty of £1,000.

(7) For the purposes of this section a ship subject to charter by demise shall be treated as owned by the charterer.

58 Simplified clearance procedure.

(1) If the Commissioners think fit so to direct, goods which are not dutiable or restricted goods may be shipped for exportation without entry under section 53 above if—

(a) the exporter is registered in a register of ex porters maintained by the Commissioners for the purposes of this section ; and

(b) before the goods are shipped the conditions mentioned in subsection (3) below are satisfied.

(2) The Commissioners may for the purposes of this section—

(a) enter in a register maintained by them any person applying for registration and appearing to them to be concerned in the exportation of goods and to satisfy such requirements for registration as they may think fit to impose ;

(b) give directions imposing requirements on registered persons including, in particular, requirements as to the keeping of records and accounts and the giving of access to them ;

(c) assign to registered persons numbers for use under this section ; and

(d) suspend or cancel the registration of any person if it appears to them that he has failed to comply with any direction under this section or with section 58B(1) or (2) below or that there is other reasonable cause for suspension or cancellation.

(3) The conditions referred to in subsection (1) above are—

(a) that the goods are presented to the proper officer;

(b) that the exporter delivers to the proper officer and the proper officer accepts such document relating to the goods as the directions may require bearing an endorsement which contains a number assigned to the exporter under this section ; and

(c) that the exporter complies with such other requirements as the directions may impose ;

and 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.

(4) The document referred to in subsection (3)(b) above shall be delivered in such manner as the directions may require and acceptance of that document by the proper officer shall be signified in such manner as the Commissioners may direct; and once acceptance of a document relating to any goods has been signified, the goods shall not be removed from the place they were at the time of acceptance without the permission of the proper officer.

(5) Directions under this section may contain provision enabling the Commissioners to exclude shipments of goods from their operation in such cases as the Commissioners think fit by giving notice to that effect in accordance with the directions.

(6) The Commissioners may relax any requirement imposed under this section as they think fit in relation to any goods and, if they do so, may impose substituted requirements.

(7) Sections 55 and 57 above and section 58D(3) below shall apply in relation to a document required to be delivered under subsection (3)(b) above as they apply in relation to an entry and section 56 above shall apply in relation to goods in respect of which such a document has been accepted under that subsection as it applies to goods in respect of Which an entry has been accepted.

58A Local export control.

(1) If the Commissioners think fit so to direct, goods may be shipped for exportation or exported by land without entry under section 53 above if—

(a) the exporter is registered in a register maintained by the Commissioners for the purposes of this section; and

(b) the conditions mentioned in subsection (3) below are satisfied.

(2) The Commissioners may for the purposes of this section—

(a) maintain a register of exporters whose premises are approved by the Commissioners under section 31 above for the examination of goods intended for export;

(b) enter in the register any such persons applying for registration who satisfy such requirements for registration as the Commissioners may think fit to impose ;

(c) give directions imposing requirements on registered persons including, in particular, requirements as to the keeping of records and accounts and the giving of access to them ;

(d) assign to registered persons numbers for use under this section; and

(e) suspend or cancel the registration of any person if it appears to them that he has failed to comply with any direction under this section or with section 58B(1) or (2) below or that there is other reasonable cause for suspension or cancellation.

(3) The conditions referred to in subsection (1) above are—

(a) that before the goods are removed from the approved premises—

(i) the exporter delivers to the proper officer, at such time and place as he may require, a notice of the intention to remove the goods, being a notice in such form and containing such particulars as may be required by the directions; and

(ii) on such day as the proper officer may appoint (not being earlier than the day that notice is delivered or later than the day the goods are removed) the exporter enters such particulars of the goods and of such other matters as may be required by the directions in a record maintained by him at such place as the proper officer may require ; and

(b) that before the goods are shipped, the exporter delivers to the proper officer such document relating to the goods as the directions may require bearing an endorsement which contains a number assigned to the exporter under this section and complies with such other requirements as the directions may impose.

(4) The directions may impose requirements as to—

(a) the manner in which the notice referred to in paragraph (a)(i) of subsection (3) above shall be delivered and the form it should take ;

(b) the manner and form in which the record referred to in paragraph (a)(ii) of that subsection should be maintained; and

(c) the place at which and the manner in which the document referred to in paragraph (b) of that subsection should be delivered ;

and the conditions mentioned in that subsection shall not be treated as satisfied unless any requirements which are so imposed are complied with.

(5) The Commissioners may, in addition to any exporter within subsection (2)(a) above, enter in the register any person who applies to them to be registered and satisfies them—

(a) that the exporter is a company under the applicant's control; or

(b) that the exporter has agreed to the registration of the applicant in addition to the exporter.

(6) Where in pursuance of subsection (5) above both an exporter and another person are registered—

(a) the proper officer shall direct which of them shall do the things mentioned in subsection (3) above and section 58B(1) below ; and

(b) the registration of both of them may be cancelled or suspended under subsection (2)(e) above if it appears to the Commissioners that either of them has failed as mentioned in that subsection.

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

(8) Section 56 above shall apply in relation to goods in respect of which particulars have been entered in a record under subsection (3)(a) above as it applies in relation to goods in respect of which an entry has been accepted.

58B Provisions supplementary to ss. 58 and 58A.

(1) Where by virtue of section 58 or 58A above goods have been shipped for exportation or exported by land without entry under section 53 above, the exporter shall deliver to the proper officer a specification of the goods containing, as the Commissioners may direct, either the particulars that would have been required to be contained in the entry or such other particulars as may be so directed.

(2) The specification referred to in subsection (1) above may, if the Commissioners permit, be a single specification relating to the goods exported during a particular period and shall be delivered at such place and in such manner and by such time as the Commissioners may allow.

(3) If any person fails to deliver a specification in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section or delivers a specification which is incorrect and does not correct it within a period of fourteen days following delivery, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500.

(4) In connection with any arrangements approved by the Commissioners for recording particulars of exported goods by computer they may relax the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) above by suspending the obligation to deliver the specifications there mentioned on condition that—

(a) the particulars which should otherwise be contained in the specifications, or such of those particulars as the Commissioners may specify, are recorded by computer in accordance with the arrangements; and

(b) the particulars so recorded are subsequently delivered to the proper officer within such time as the Commissioners may specify;

but subject to such other conditions as they may impose.

(5) H any person without reasonable excuse fails to comply with a requirement imposed on him by or under section 58 or 58A above he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500.

(6) If any person for the purpose of enabling goods to be shipped in accordance with either of those sections furnishes any document bearing a number assigned under that section which is not one for the time being assigned to him or to another person who has consented to his mrmshing the document bearing that number, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500.

(7) In sections 58 and 58A above references to a person registered under either of those sections do not include references to a person whose registration is for the time being suspended; and for the purposes of subsection (6) above a person whose registration is for the time being suspended shall be regarded as not having any number assigned to him.

58C Pipe-lines and export of ships and aircraft.

(1) For the purposes of this Part of this Act goods which are to be exported by means of a pipe-line shall be treated as having been presented to the proper officer when notice of the goods to be exported has been given to the proper officer and accepted by him.

(2) Notice under subsection (1) above shall be given by such person and in such form and manner and shall contain such particulars as the Commissioners may direct.

(3) A ship or aircraft departing from the United Kingdom which—

(a) is within the definition of dutiable or restricted goods in section 52 above ; or

(b) is a ship built, or aircraft manufactured, in the United Kingdom departing for the first time for a voyage or flight to a place outside the United Kingdom for the purpose of its delivery to a consignee outside the United Kingdom,

shall be treated for the purposes of this Part of this Act both as goods shipped for exportation and as the exporting ship or aircraft and, in the case of a ship or aircraft within paragraph (b) above, the owner of the ship or aircraft or, where the owner is outside the United Kingdom, the builder of the ship or the manufacturer of the aircraft shall be deemed to be the exporter.

58D Operative date for Community purposes.

(1) Except as provided by any Community regulation or other instrument having the force of law and subject to subsection (3) below; the operative date for determining whether any, and if so what, levy or other charge provided for under any Community provision governing the exportation of goods is due in respect of the goods and for applying any other such provision including, in particular, any provision whereby any refund or relief is due in respect of the goods shall be such date as is mentioned in subsection (2) below.

(2) The date referred to in subsection (1) above is—

(a) in a case where an entry or a document such as is mentioned in section 58(3)(Z») above is delivered, the date of acceptance of the entry or document;

(b) in the case of goods particulars of which are entered in a record in accordance with section 58A(3)(a)(ii) above, the day appointed for that entry;

(c) in the case of goods in relation to which substituted requirements are imposed under section 53(7) or 58(6) above, such date as the Commissioners may specify;

(d) in any other case, the date on which the goods are shipped or exported by land or, if that date cannot be established to the Commissioners' satisfaction, such date as they may specify.

(3) At the time when the proper officer accepts an entry delivered in pursuance of section 57(1) above he may direct that the operative date for the purposes of this section shall be the date on which the entry was furnished by the exporter to the loader.

(4) Where a substituted entry is delivered under section 54(2) or 55(3) above the entry referred to in subsections (2)(a) and (3) above is the original entry.

58E Authentication of Community customs documents.

(1) In such cases as the Commissioners may direct, an officer shall not authenticate any (immunity customs document unless—

(a) there is presented with the document—

(i) an entry relating to the goods in question and complying with section 53 above ; or

(ii) a document relating to the goods and complying with section 58(3)(a) above; or

(iii) a document to be used instead of an entry or such a document as aforesaid by virtue of substituted requirements imposed under section 53(7) or 58(6) above; and

(b) the officer marks the Community customs document and the entry or other document referred to in paragraph (a) above with a registration number allocated by the Commissioners for that purpose.

(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, a person who has obtained an authenticated Community customs document in respect of any goods shall surrender it at the office at which it was obtained, together with the entry or other document marked under subsection (1)(b) above (" the marked export document"), unless—

(a) the goods are shipped, or cleared by the proper officer for export by land, before the end of such period as may be specified by directions given by the Commissioners ; and

(b) the marked export document is delivered to the proper officer as required by or under the provisions mentioned in subsection (1)(fl) above.

(3) The proper officer may, on an application made to him before the end of the period mentioned in subsection (2) above, permit the retention of the authenticated Community customs document and the marked export document.

(4) The proper officer may at any time require a person who has obtained an authenticated Community customs document in respect of any goods to surrender to him that document and the marked export document.

(5) If a person without reasonable excuse fails to comply with subsection (2) above he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500; and if a person without reasonable excuse fails to comply with a requirement imposed under subsection (4) above be shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £1000.

(6) In this section " Community customs document" means a document which in accordance with any Community instrument or any agreement permitted under such an instrument or in accordance with any arrangements made between the Commissioners and any other customs authority—

(a) is used to indicate whether or not the goods are Community goods or are subject to duty at a preferential rate in any country with which the Community has an agreement of association; and

(b) is required to be authenticated by the customs authorities of the member State from which they are exported.

(7) In subsection (6) above " Community goods" means—

(a) goods which satisfy the conditions laid down in Articles 9 and 10 of the E.E.C. Treaty; and

(b) goods to which the E.C.S.C. Treaty applies and which under the terms of that Treaty are in free circulation within the European Coal and Steel Community.