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HMRC losing new distillery applications

Published:  15 April, 2019

The British Distillers Alliance has claimed the HMRC teams dealing with new distillery and excise warehouse applications are either “losing all the paperwork or significant portions” of it.  

Alan Powell, founder and coordinator of the BDA, said “We had been receiving reports from members and other businesses over the past few weeks that HMRC had admitted to losing the application forms between receipt and processing them. 

"The number of applications notified as lost has doubled from a handful initially and there are other delays notified to us in HMRC failing to responded to applications within the service level agreement. We don’t know how many other applications have been lost, we have reported this to HMRC’s Policy units as a matter for urgent attention.”  

“It is possible there is immense pressure on officials due to Brexit, combined with inundation of applications from new distillers or those seeking to expand or alter already-approved sites,” he added.

“In many cases we have given advice to members as to how to make such applications or obtain reports form HMRC on their progress. Since HMRC never acknowledges applications anyway, it is best practice to send hard copy applications by courier or guaranteed delivery”.

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