The government has just announced in the Autumn statement the Implementation of the Fulfilment House Due Diligence Scheme in 2018 to tackle VAT fraud by overseas businesses selling goods via online marketplaces.

Lets hope Amazon Fulfilment will be held liable of all VAT Fraud being committed from its warehouses. Amazon “Should have known or would have known!!!”

In addition to that the government have given Customs and excise officers new powers to inspect goods.

Full statement here:

4.3 Implementation of the Fulfilment House Due Diligence Scheme

As announced at Budget 2016 and following a consultation on the scope and design of the scheme, the government will legislate in Finance Bill 2017 to introduce a new Fulfilment House Due Diligence Scheme in 2018. This will ensure that fulfilment houses play their part in tackling VAT abuse by some overseas businesses selling goods via online marketplaces. The scheme will open for registration in April 2018.

6. Avoidance and evasion

6.2 A penalty for participating in VAT fraud

As announced at Budget 2016 and following consultation, the government will legislate in Finance Bill 2017 to introduce a new and more effective penalty for participating in VAT fraud. It will be applied to businesses and company officers when they knew or should have known that their transactions were connected with VAT fraud. The penalty will improve the application of penalties to those facilitating orchestrated VAT fraud. The new penalty will be a fixed rate penalty of 30% for participants in VAT fraud. This will be implemented following Royal Assent of the Finance Bill 2017.

6.3 Power to examine and take account of goods at any place

The government will introduce legislation in Finance Bill 2017 to extend the current customs and excise powers of inspection. This will amend the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and enable officers to examine goods away from approved premises such as airports and ports, to search goods liable for forfeiture and open or unpack any container. This will take effect from Royal Assent of the Finance Bill 2017.