1. IVA in Europa
3. Introduzione all’IVA in Inghilterra
5. VAT returns in UK
7. UK Intrastat returns

UK Intrastat returns

Frequency and due date of UK Intrastat

Like in most EU countries, UK Intrastat returns are filed monthly. They follow the calendar month.

The due date to file these returns is the 21^st day of the following month. If this due date falls on a Sunday or public holiday, the date is shifted to the previous working day.

In case a business is submitting VAT returns with a non-standard VAT period, the reference period for their Intrastat return can be either the month when the goods arrived or the month when the tax point occurs."

UK Intrastat thresholds

The following annual Intrastat thresholds apply in UK (calendar year):

• Type of Intrastat
  Standard Declaration
• Arrivals
  £1,500,000
• Dispatches
  £250,000
• Type of Intrastat
  Detailed Intrastat (delivery terms added)
• Arrivals
  n/a
• Dispatches
  £24,000,000

When the detailed Intrastat threshold is exceeded, businesses should report the Incoterms as an additional data requirement in their Standard Intrastat return.

These thresholds are computed annually according to the calendar year. Once filed, a calendar year needs to be completed by a business in order to stop filing these returns. For example, if a company exceeds the threshold in March 2016 on arrivals, Intrastat returns for arrivals are due until December 2017. These thresholds are calculated according to the invoice value.

Once a business has exceeded the applicable threshold, HMRC should be informed by sending them an email to intrastatenquiries@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. This email should tell HMRC about the flow (dispatches or arrivals) and the month in which the threshold was exceeded.

Specific UK Intrastat scenarios

Very often, the transactions reported in the Intrastat return are standard sales from one taxable person to another. However, a number of less common scenarios have specific reporting requirements.

These scenarios are reported by specific nature of transaction codes. These codes are made up of two digits, the first one providing general information and the second one, if applicable, giving more details about the specific scenario.

HMRC publishes detailed guidelines about your Intrastat return, Section 6. How to complete your Suplementary Declaration provides all possible scenarios for your nature of transaction combinations.

UK nil and corrective Intrastat returns

If no transactions are to be reported, a nil Intrastat return should be filed. UK regulations do not foresee this specific requirement; however, it is recommended to submit nil returns in case no transactions have been made in that reporting period.

Corrective Intrastat returns

Mistakes in your originally submitted Intrastat return need to be corrected using the Intrastat Amendment form.

An amendment form is however not required to update the country from/to, commodity code, value or wrong period if: a) the value of an error on a single line is below £5,000 and b) the total value of the errors in a single return does not exceed £50,000.

More information about corrective Intrastat returns and the applicable form to be used is available in the guidelines published by the authorities about this subject."