Import/export: HMRC's new Advance Valuation Ruling Service

24 Mar 2023

HMRC has contacted JVCC stakeholders with information for importers about their new advance valuation ruling service as follows:

Introducing Advance Valuation Ruling Service

HMRC will be introducing an Advance Valuation Ruling Service in spring this year. The new service will provide traders with legal certainty on the valuation method of goods they are importing into the UK, for a period of three years. This will provide reassurance that the valuation method is correct and will assist in the completion of customs declarations.

About Advance Rulings

Advance Valuation Rulings are how traders assess the value of their goods when making customs import declarations. They are legally binding decisions made by customs authorities at the request of a trader. 

We understand that customs valuations are complicated and we are introducing the new service to make things simpler for traders. Traders do not have to use this service, but it will help to facilitate trade by providing certainty on the correct method of valuation.

Currently the UK offers legally binding decisions for the following:

  • Advance Tariff Rulings – these provide legal certainty on the correct commodity code, which can then be used to determine the correct duty and taxes
  • Advance Origin Rulings – these provide certainty on the economic nationality of goods, when importing and exporting. For imports, this provides legal protection against any UK customs authority challenging the country of origin of the product. There are two types of origin: preferential (which feature in the UK’s trade agreements) and non-preferential. To learn more about rules of origin, read 'Check your goods meet the rules of origin' guidance on GOV.UK.

How to prepare

Traders can prepare in advance by obtaining:

To learn more about valuation, visit ‘Working out the customs value of your imported goods’ guidance on GOV.UK which details the six available methods.

HMRC will provide further guidance in advance of the new service going live.