Excise movement and control system (EMCS)
The Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS) came into effect on 1 January 2011. The EMCS is an electronic system designed to capture information relating to the movement of excise goods in duty suspension (alcohol, tobacco and oil products) within the EU and replaces the paper Administrative Accompanying Document (AAD).
HMRC have recently published details of the a number of changes to the EMCS which will take effect from 1 January 2012 as well as a notification that the EMCS will be unavailable from 05.00 on Saturday 31 December 2011 until 08.00 on Tuesday 3 January 2012.
Businesses that want to move any duty-suspended goods during this period have the following options:
- Create an electronic Administrative Document (eAD) up to five days in advance of the date of despatch, however to do this the vehicle registration details of the transporter collecting the goods must be known.
- Wait until the new EMCS service is available on 3 January 2012.
- Use the fallback procedures if they cannot wait until 3 January 2012.