Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason EORI numbers cannot be automatically allocated to intra-EU only traders with registered VAT numbers.

UK traders that only trade with the EU will need an EORI number in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. HMRC estimated that in 2017 there were 144,000 VAT-registered traders that only traded with the EU. A separate estimate indicates there are approximately 100,000 non VAT-registered traders that trade only with the EU. The latest HMRC validated data shows that in the three months to 1 March 2019, which covers the period from the start of the business readiness campaign, there were 53,098 registrations for an EORI number, and numbers are growing each week.

As HMRC only holds information on UK-EU traders that are VAT-registered, a large population of traders would not automatically receive an EORI number if they were automatically generated. Providing numbers for some traders that needed it, but not all, would send mixed messages about whether it was required. Furthermore, the VAT registration details for a trader can be different from the trading entity that needs an EORI number, meaning automated registration could result in registering the wrong entity.

The Government has focused on ensuring the process of applying for an EORI is free and very quick, it currently takes around 10 minutes. The Government has also recently announced temporary simplified procedures to make importing and exporting easier. To register for these simplifications, traders will need a UK EORI number. Therefore, completing the application is a good first step for traders.