Intrastat thresholds
HMRC have confirmed significant changes in Intrastat thresholds from 1 January 2010. The exemption threshold for arrivals will increase to £600,000 (from £270,000) and the exemption threshold for dispatches will reduce to £250,000 (from £270,000).
These changes follow an amendment to the relevant EC regulation which was adopted in March 2009 and which reduced the percentage of arrivals information that is required to be captured by HMRC from 97% to 95%. HMRC have decided to mirror this change in the UK. It is expected that this will result in approximately 6,900 mainly small and medium sized UK businesses no longer being required to submit Intrastat arrivals declarations. This is out of a current total pool of approximately 33,500 businesses that are currently required to submit this information.
Intrastat declarations are used to collect information on the movement of goods from the UK to other EU countries and vice versa. Any business that exceeds the exemption threshold for either arrivals or dispatches of goods is obliged to submit monthly returns.