We have been contacted by the development team for the new Alcohol Duty return service, which is due to go live in March 2025.
HMRC are seeking volunteers, who hold an alcohol approval, to help test the new service by submitting a duty return during a trial period from November 2024 or December 2024 to February 2025.
Please note volunteers will not be automatically selected as they have limited space for testers during the Private Beta phase and want to engage with as diverse a population of alcoholic product producers as possible, to ensure all aspects of the new service are tested. You will be notified if you have been selected.
Background and Development Process:
Over the past year, HMRC have been gathering feedback from alcohol producers and industry stakeholders to understand the challenges and pain points of the current duty reporting process. Based on this feedback, HMRC have designed and developed a new digital service aimed at simplifying and unifying the alcohol duty reporting process.
The new service has undergone several phases of development, and here are some of the benefits:
- Unified Reporting: Combines all alcohol regimes into one platform. You can report and pay duty for beer, cider, wine, other fermented products, and spirits across all your production premises in one place.
- Efficiency: Streamlined process for submitting returns and making payments.
- Alcoholic Products Producer Approval ID: One ID will replace all existing approvals.
Trial Period Details:
- Duration: November 2024 or December 2024 (exact start date TBC) to February 2025
- Activities: Compile and submit your monthly alcohol duty return using the new digital service with real data. Payments will be made afterwards where applicable. Nil returns are also possible.
- Replacement: Participating in this trial will replace the need to submit the current duty returns (EX46, EX606, W5, W5D).
- Exclusions: Unfortunately HMRC are unable to include those who submit duty for Wine or Other fermented products during this trial period – producers of Wine or Other fermented products will be able to submit returns in the new service from 1st March 2025
- Important dates: If you are selected to take part in the trial phase, each new duty return will need to be submitted by the 15th day of the month after the end of each accounting period, which will be a calendar month. For example, if the first return covers the October period, the new digital return must be completed by November 15th. As mentioned above the date is TBC.
- If the trial starts in November 2024, subsequent accounting periods for November, December and January will also fall within the trial period, due respectively by the 15th of December, January and February.
- Payment is due by the 25th of each month in each case.
- Other reporting obligations: If you are a spirits producer and submit your duty return (currently via W5 or W5D’s) in the new service, you will still be required to submit a W1 within ATWD while you are using an excise warehouse. You will also be required to submit your W21 return as normal until this feature will be available in the new service in March 2025.
Next Steps:
- Confirmation of Participation: If you are interested in participating in the trial, please respond to HMRC, by 16th September 2024, via: ashley.craig@digital.hmrc.gov.uk
- Updates: All volunteers will be kept up to date regarding the starting month and any other pertinent information leading up to the trial period.
- Support: The HMRC team will provide support and guidance throughout the trial to ensure a smooth experience.
Your participation is invaluable in helping to ensure the new service meets the needs of all alcohol producers.
