Economics

After Brexit, Trucks Set to Need Taxman’s Permission to Move

  • Trucks will be barred from ports without HMRC pre-clearance
  • U.K. border plan depends on a new and untested IT system
Lorries arrive from a ferry at the Port of Dover on May 27, 2020.Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

U.K. companies exporting into the European Union will have to wait for permission from tax authorities before they can move their goods under plans being drawn up by the government.

According to a document circulated by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, lorries will only be able to move loads into the EU if they have a valid reference from the so-called Goods Vehicle Movement Service, a new and untested IT platform that is still under development.