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A couple of thoughts of what's missing in the guidance and why companies might struggle to prepare.
There is a lot of guidance out there. Official guidance on http://gov.uk . Most of it is fairly comprehensive and clear - I mean the stuff that's available.
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There is a lot of guidance out there. Official guidance on http://gov.uk . Most of it is fairly comprehensive and clear - I mean the stuff that's available.
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So when you speak to someone from HMRC or another department they would say that the guidance is available. Cause it kind of is.
But that's not where the problem is.
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But that's not where the problem is.
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Companies don't ask for guidance on transit. That's what specialists and trade professionals look for.
Companies come and ask about specific scenarios - "This is what I do now. What will change? What's the impact?"
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Companies come and ask about specific scenarios - "This is what I do now. What will change? What's the impact?"
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This needs to cover everything - customs, SPS, VAT, excise, product regulation. Literally everything. And that's not in any guidance.
You need someone to go through each scenario and think of implications.
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You need someone to go through each scenario and think of implications.
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This isn't an academic debate, speculations or political commentary.
This is hands-on advice on what that company needs to do.
If you miss an area or forget to mention something, it will have consequences for that company and might lead to non-compliance.
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This is hands-on advice on what that company needs to do.
If you miss an area or forget to mention something, it will have consequences for that company and might lead to non-compliance.
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And every company you work with has a different set of scenarios. Yes, there are some main principles and common scenarios but every single one has at least one odd one.
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So this is where I think the problem is, the discrepancy between's Gov's "guidance is there" and businesses' "we're not ready" - businesses need someone to translate the guidance into practical scenarios.
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Most of the companies I speak to have read the guidance, it's not lack of engagement. It's just that reading the guidance is not enough.
And the majority of companies don't have anyone to help them with that.
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And the majority of companies don't have anyone to help them with that.
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They read the fragmented guidance and are still confused.
No solutions here to propose - just a comment on where this gap comes from.
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No solutions here to propose - just a comment on where this gap comes from.
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It all kind of makes sense when you read through it - but when you start applying it in practice - that's where questions appear.
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