Customs Administration launches new Automated Import System (AIS)
On 18 May, the Customs Administration launched the Automated Import System (AIS), which will gradually replace the existing eDovoz system. During the transitional period, both systems will operate in parallel, meaning that proceedings initiated before the launch of AIS will continue in the original import system.
Importers and customs representatives will therefore have to work with two environments for a certain period of time and will need to carefully assess which types of submissions still belong in eDovoz and which should already be made through AIS. The Customs Administration has indicated that this modernisation is part of a broader package of changes resulting from EU customs legislation and the EU’s digitisation projects.
One of the main objectives of AIS is a higher degree of automation. Standard type “A” customs declarations are intended, in a large proportion of cases that meet the prescribed conditions (for example, an approved place of presentation of the goods or proper provision of security for the customs debt), to be released automatically without any intervention by a customs officer.
The system operates with a 30-minute time limit for the automatic release of error-free customs declarations during the customs office’s working hours, which end at 2 p.m. Holders of AEO authorisation (Authorised Economic Operator – a special customs authorisation) are expected to benefit from a more flexible regime that will not take working hours into account. At the same time, the structure of the customs declaration is changing: it will now be divided into individual consignments, making it possible to work more effectively with consolidated import declarations as well as with combinations of different types of goods within a single import.
The changes also affect customs debt security
The method of declaring the customs value, taxes and accompanying data is undergoing a significant transformation. The separate field for customs value in its traditional form is being removed, and the customs value will instead be reported as “additional underlying information”. Similarly, information that previously had its own separate box (for example, quota preferences or incidental expenses) is also being moved to this section. The importer’s tax identification number and other tax data will be completed in the “Additional tax information” section. The price per item must now be declared in the invoiced currency, stated to two decimal places. All of these requirements increase the demands for consistency between invoicing, customs documentation and accounting records. Poorly aligned data will show very quickly in AIS in the form of inconsistencies and delays in the release process.
Changes relating to security for the customs debt and the delivery/service of decisions on the release of goods are also important in practice. Providing a guarantee will not always be mandatory, even where a customs debt arises. However, if the declarant does not indicate a guarantee, they will receive payment instructions and the goods will be released only once payment has been made. Traditional delivery confirmations are disappearing entirely: receipt of the decision on the release of goods will no longer require confirmation, while the due date of the customs debt will be calculated from the moment the decision is sent by the system. This places greater emphasis on careful monitoring of electronic communication with the Customs Administration.
Companies should therefore review how their internal processes, information systems and communication with customs representatives are set up so that they can adapt to the Automated Import System without unnecessary risks, delays or penalties.