The government’s free customs data report service is now available to all, leaving businesses with “no excuses” when it comes to ensuring they have paid the correct customs duties.
The new service, which has previously been available for beta users, allows businesses to download data from declarations made under their name into the Customs Declaration Service (CDS).
It replaces the CDS reports (previously known as Management Support System (MSS) reports) that businesses had to pay a subscription for.
Government guidance states that the new customs data reports allow businesses to:
- Check customs declarations are accurate
- Prepare for audits and investigations
- Review declarations submitted on their behalf
- Monitor import and export activity over time
There are now ‘no excuses’
Anna Doherty, Customs Practice director at the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, said the service will make it easier for businesses to ensure they are paying the correct customs duties and complying with rules for cross-border goods movements.
She told Global Trade Today:
“Previously, businesses could blame any non-compliance or incorrect duty payments on not having full access to their declaration data, as the CDS data service required a paid-for subscription.
“Now that their CDS declaration data is available for free, businesses have no excuses left when it comes to checking their declarations are accurate and they have been paying the correct duties for their trade.”
Doherty also said the service will be particularly useful for businesses that are preparing for HMRC audits. She added that the Chartered Institute will be advising on how to make the most of this at the next Global Trade Live webinar on 14 April.
‘Good to go’
The new service has been trailed since the middle of last year, with the government launching the public beta phase for it in November 2025. A private beta had run between August and November last year.
The Chartered Institute ran a LinkedIn poll at the end of last month to gauge awareness and readiness for the launch of the full service. Half of the respondents (50%) said they were ‘very aware and prepared’, 14% said they had ‘heard of it’ and 36% ‘had never heard of it’.
“After getting our finance team to add us into the government gateway account, I’ve managed to request a report and compared it to the previous MSS report received from HMRC,” commented David Abbott, a Chartered Institute member and trade compliance specialist, on the post. “I reckon we are good to go.”
“I have already been using this,” commented another member, Donna Channer.
“I did previously subscribe for the paid-for MSS reports so wanted to compare. All the information is there on the new report.”
Responding to a question about what would happen to an existing CDS subscription, Doherty said that subscriptions will “only last until 31 March or until your contract runs out”.
“From 1 April any new subscribers will be directed to the online self-service portal,” she confirmed.
Compliance focus
The launch of the service comes amid an increased focus on compliance with post-Brexit trade rules from HMRC.
The department’s annual reports and accounts for 2024-25 showed that it had sought to hire 5,500 new officials last year in a bid to better enforce tax compliance.
“The launching of the free declaration data service is not a coincidence,” said Doherty.
“The government is very much putting the onus onto businesses when it comes to ensuring they are complying with the new trade rules that have come in over the last half a decade since Brexit.”
Making sense of the data
Doherty did say, though, that while accessing declaration data for free is a “positive” step for businesses, making sense of this information is another matter.
She said that businesses may still need advice and support in “filtering through and analysing the data”.
“Getting independent customs specialists to assess your declaration data and compliance is always a good idea, particularly if you’re preparing for an upcoming audit”.
Businesses can use CDS data for many purposes, from assessing duty and VAT liability through export licence compliance verification to understanding declaration volume when considering bringing customs in house.
The Chartered Institute’s advisory services are designed to give you access to independent customs expertise and support, whether through compliance health checks or support applying special procedures.
