Revenue confirms new Customs Import System now being used by all relevant businesses

Today (04/10/2021) Revenue confirmed that all relevant businesses have now completed their transition to its new customs declaration system, the Automated Import System (AIS).

The new modernised system enables businesses that import goods from outside the EU to meet all the legal requirements of the EU Union Customs Code (UCC).  The increased system capacity of AIS means that businesses can be confident that the significantly increased volumes of import declarations, arising mainly as a result of the UK leaving the EU, can be processed efficiently thus minimising the impacts of the very different trading environment that now exists between Ireland and Great Britain.

Acknowledging the positive engagement between Revenue and key stakeholders that has seen the new system now fully adopted, Mr Declan O’Dalaigh, head of National Policy and Operations in Revenue's Customs Division, said:

“As a tax and customs administration, Revenue is focused on facilitating legitimate trade and minimising delays for compliant businesses. In the lead up to the introduction of AIS last November, and in the period since then, we have had a very successful collaboration with almost 40 customs software providers as well as with business representative bodies and individual businesses. By working together, we have helped businesses to transition across to the new system, traders’ in-house systems are able to communicate with Revenue’s new AIS system, and we are confident that the overall system is working effectively. We have now reached the position where the AIS system is being used by all businesses who are required to make customs declarations for goods imported to Ireland. In the 11 months since the system was launched, AIS has successfully processed over 13.5 million import declarations and, on a weekly basis, it is now successfully processing up to 700,000 import declarations.”

As all relevant businesses have now fully transitioned to AIS, Revenue also confirmed that, from today, it is no longer possible to submit new import declarations via the system that predated AIS.

Technical information regarding switchover to AIS can be found in eCustoms Notification 48/21.  

[Ends 04/10/2021]