This has just been posted on the blog by someone who I know to be a retired HMRC VAT specialist:
As an ex Customs and Excise officer, I wonder if anyone realises that with the end of the Single Market, businesses trading with Europe will have to return to the completion of Customs import and export forms — which in my day had up to 64 boxes of data to be completed for each consignement, instead of the EU Intrastat data which was a one line summary of trade per month by customer/supplier. And if the border controls are to be re-introduced where are the staff going to come from and how much is it going to cost ? Hardly the freedom from bureaucracy promised by the “Outers”
One of many shocks coming smaller businesses way.
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I think you mean ‘retired’ Richard.
You are right
Richard,
Your must be stressed ! Retired – no way am I returning to HMRC!
Apologies!
Yep. Also any small business (or large business) trading with the EU is likely to face all sorts of invoicing problems. Also the biggest cost for businesses are employee costs, so assuming there are restrictions to free movement there will be all sorts of admin burdens that this will impose.
*(for recruitment)
Wait until the points-based system applies to EU migrants. Until now tier 3 (unskilled) has been closed as EU migrants provided more than enough unskilled migrants. It will need to be opened as many industries (farming) depend on this unskilled workforce.
Under PBS it is likely that farmers will have to act as ‘sponsors’ and complete a huge amount of paperwork for each labourer. Unlike tier 2 (skilled) these are not high value / long term employments so the admin overhead will be immense.
Oh dear – the old “devil in the detail” – which the Brexit bunch were somewhat light on – still when you are spinning fairy stories why would you go into detail.
Because the people spinning will never have to fill anything in. As millionaires tehy’ll probably never feel the effects of what they’ve done.
Mike, I noticed you comments on Japanese companies on another of Richard’s blogs. I find myself wondering what Toyota (Derby), Nissan (Sunderland) and Honda (Swindon), as well of course as Mini (ie. BMW) are now planning. I know a fair bit about why they located here in the first place as I used to use them as case studies on a course I taught. So it seems to me Brexit strips away their rationale for being located here. Furthermore, we cannot even argue that markets elsewhere can take their production because those export zones are already supplied by plants located in other countries. There must of course be many other companies in a similar position (for example, I assume a fundamental part of the business case for the new British Steel has now been undermined)?
Ivan
You mean you think we’re in the deep proverbial?
I agree….
Thursday was a day we will deeply regret
Richard