The Trader Support Service (TSS) is changing on the 20th October. TSS is the UK government platform that helps businesses handle customs declarations when moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
What you need to know
HMRC has confirmed that the Trader Support Service (TSS) is moving to a new platform. The switchover affects every business currently registered with TSS.
From the 1st October, businesses using TSS will start receiving invitation emails from HMRC with instructions on how to pre-enrol for the new platform. A test environment will also be made available so businesses can get familiar with how it works before going live.
The key date is 20 October
From that point, all goods movements must be submitted through the new platform. The existing TSS system will stop accepting new movements, so any business that hasn't pre-enrolled by then risks being unable to move goods without interruption.
HMRC has said updating a business profile on the new platform could take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the business and how much information needs to be carried across. Businesses will also need to set a new password and check that their details and permissions are up to date.
TSS has been in place for several years as the free method for businesses to comply with Windsor Framework requirements when moving goods between GB and NI. The new platform is meant to keep the same core process but with improved functionality, and it will now be hosted on GOV.UK rather than as a standalone service.
TSS still requires supplementary declarations as part of the compliance process. For businesses managing a high volume of movements or without dedicated customs resource in-house, the ongoing declaration requirement can be a real administrative burden.
There is a simpler way
TSS is free to use, which makes it the default choice for many businesses. But free doesn't necessarily mean simplest. The supplementary declaration requirement means someone in the business still needs to manage that goods movement process on an ongoing basis.
At CustomsLink, we offer a full alternative to TSS that removes the supplementary declaration step entirely. There's no new system to switch to or learn. We handle the Windsor Framework compliance on your behalf, so your goods keep moving without the paperwork sitting on your desk.
Whether you plan to stay with TSS or explore an alternative, the priority right now is not missing the 20th October deadline. Look out for your invitation email from HMRC from the 1st October and pre-enrol in good time rather than leaving it to the last minute.
If you'd like to talk through what these changes mean for your business or want to understand how CustomsLink's alternative works, get in touch with our team.
