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News
‘Technical issues’ delay anti-counterfeiting scheme
A UK scheme to crackdown on the availability of illicit alcohol by conducting rigorous checks on wholesale traders has been delayed due to “technical issues”.
HMRC has delayed plans to introduce its Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme by three months
The Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme will be introduced by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in a bid to tackle the sale of counterfeit alcohol, on which duty has not been paid.
“To be approved under the scheme, traders wanting to wholesale alcohol will have to pass rigorous checks and in 2017, the scheme will also provide a facility for retailers to check whether their suppliers are approved,” said HMRC.
The scheme was slated to launch on 1 October 2015, however this has been delayed until 1 January after pre-launch testing revealed “technical issues”.
“We are committed to giving customers a fully tested, first class system,” said HMRC. “We have chosen a new launch date to make sure the service is right before making it widely available and to avoid putting additional burden on industry, during the busy winter trading period.”
A number of customers will be invited to use the system from 1 October to provide HMRC with feedback on its current form.
Traders wanting approval under the scheme can apply between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2016. In 2017, the scheme will also provide a facility for retailers to check whether their suppliers are approved.
Following a string of raids on independent retailers across the UK between 2012 and 2013, authorities revealed that illegal alcohol products on which UK duty has not been paid is costing the government £1.2 billion in lost revenue each year.