CS - Commercial Invoices
Background
It is one of the most important documents in international trade. The Commercial Invoice is a contract and proof of sale issued by the seller to the buyer. This document describes the goods being sold and details the price, value, and quantity of the goods.
The breakdown of costs on a Commercial Invoice is used by Customs to calculate and assess the duties and taxes due for the shipment.
The Commercial invoice should have the following information for exporting outside of the UK:
- Shippers EORI number starting with GB (or XI for Northern Ireland)
- Receivers Tax ID, VAT or EORI number
- Manufactured Country of Origin
- Reason for export (Sale, Return etc)
- Product descriptions, quantities, HS Codes, Net weight, commercial value
- incoterms should be on the invoice as well.
- Declaration Statement on Origin - For all products of UK preferential origin, your Commercial Invoice MUST contain the statement as indicated by the Trade and Cooperation agreement. Should this be missing on the Commercial Invoice, the carriers will presume that the product is NOT of UK origin and duties and taxes may be charged, until proved otherwise via an official Certificate of Origin issued by the Chamber of Commerce. Please note that all Commercial Invoices generated by the Cloudshipping automatically include this statement.
A complete and accurate Commercial Invoice is actually a legal requirement. Failing to do so can result in long Customs delays and potential fees. Furthermore, misinformation on a Customs invoice can lead to underpayment for duties and taxes which could, in turn, result in legal ramifications.
Paper Invoicing
You require 4 copies of the commercial invoices to be printed and signed. 1 copy is to be attached on to the box and 3 copies are to be given to the driver collecting your shipment.
Paperless Invoicing
Paperless invoicing works by submitting invoices to the carrier electronically so there is no need for paper copies. Our portal is currently set up to do paperless trade, however, we still suggest attaching one commercial invoice to your shipment for safety and to avoid delays.
When sending goods, you will need to complete the commercial invoice page on the Cloudshipping Portal, even if you send a hard copy of the commercial invoice.
How To Go Paperless
- Fill out the customs info area with all the details needed
- If you wish to use your own commercial invoice, please send us an email to support@cloudshipping.co.uk and we'll forward the CI to the courier on your behalf.