Tuesday evening saw the House of Commons vote against the government’s Brexit plan with a majority of 230.

On Thursday, 17 January, HMRC released the following statement:

‘The UK will be leaving the EU on 29 March 2019. Leaving the EU with a deal remains the government’s top priority, however the government and businesses should continue to plan for every possible outcome including no deal.

‘In December, HMRC wrote to VAT-registered businesses that trade only with the EU advising them to take three actions to prepare for a no deal EU exit, including registering for a UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number. You can read the full letter here.

‘Businesses that only trade with the EU will need an EORI number:

• 
  to continue to import or export goods with the EU after 29 March 2019, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and
• 
  before they can apply for authorisations that will make customs processes easier.

‘If you are a UK business that trades with the EU and do not already have an EORI number then you should register for an EORI number at GOV.UK now. It only takes ten minutes to apply. These businesses should also decide if they want to hire an agent to make import and/or export declarations …