Company Updates
Alexandre Gibson
Chief Product Officer
3
Customs has always been precise work. A single shipment can bring an invoice, a packing list and a bill of lading, dozens of lines of goods, a commodity code for every one of them, and a haulier waiting on the MRN. For years, the tools behind that work have asked people to retype it all, check it twice and chase whatever was missing.
Back in 2024, Josh and André had just launched an innovation lab to build technology for industries that needed it. Logistics had modernised almost everything around it, yet customs still worked the way it always had. DutyDeclared is what came next: a UK customs clearance platform that turns shipment documents into declarations, shows where every detail came from, and files directly with HMRC.
I lead product at DutyDeclared, and in this article I'll walk you through how it works. We'll go feature by feature, looking at what each one does, what it changes for the people using it, and what our customers have found since they switched. Then we'll look at how the platform fits your role, and where we're taking it next.
What we'll cover
How a declaration moves through DutyDeclared
Document extraction
HS and commodity codes
Validation checks
CDS filing and status
Workspaces
How the platform fits your role
Where we're heading
Quick answers
Every declaration moves through six steps, and all six happen in one place:
Upload: add the invoices, packing lists and transport documents you already hold
Extract: DutyDeclared drafts the declaration, with every field linked to its source
Classify: choose commodity codes with HSGenie's suggestions and the detail in view
Check: codes are validated and empty required fields flagged as you go
Submit: file directly with HMRC's Customs Declaration Service
Track: follow your MRN and every HMRC response on the declaration
Here's what each part does, and what it changes for you.
Most declarations start with the same job: reading an invoice and typing it, line by line, into another system. It's slow, it's where errors creep in, and it's the least valuable part of a skilled person's day.
With DutyDeclared, you upload the invoices, packing lists and transport documents you already hold, and the platform reads them and drafts the declaration. Goods, values, weights, quantities and parties are filled in for you. Every field links back to the exact place in the document it came from, so checking a draft means looking at the source, not hunting through a PDF. If something has been misread, you correct it there and then, and you add anything the documents don't hold, such as transport, payment or valuation details.
Before switching, Hillier Hopkins typed in every field of every declaration, and "saved" information often didn't work or overwrote other fields. Now the draft arrives already filled in, and the team's time goes on reviewing it rather than building it from scratch.
A commodity code decides the duty, the VAT and the requirements that apply to your goods, so it's one of the most important choices on any declaration, and one of the easiest to get wrong.
DutyDeclared's HSGenie suggests commodity codes from your goods description, and you research each code alongside the goods it's for, with the requirements that come with it in view. Once a valid code is in place, the duty, VAT and excise for that line appear on the declaration, so you know the charges before anything is filed.
That link between the code and the charges works as a safeguard, too. If a code is wrong, the rates simply don't appear. Mannson Freight's team found that one of the most useful parts of the platform:
"The HS CODES field will not allow you to see DUTY/VAT rates if incorrect and the validation part helps you catch any issues before submission which is paramount." - Charlie Hall, General Manager, Mannson Freight
See it On Your Own Documents
Upload a real invoice and watch the draft take shape
Try it on a real declaration
The usual way to find a problem with a declaration is after it's gone in, when HMRC comes back with a query and the goods are waiting.
DutyDeclared moves that moment earlier. Commodity codes are validated, and any required field left empty is flagged as you build the draft, not after you've submitted it, so you catch the gaps before HMRC does. If a detail is missing, you know exactly what to ask your supplier, forwarder or client for. The decisions stay with you throughout: you review and approve every declaration before it's filed.
Mannson Freight started filing its own entries with DutyDeclared at the beginning of August, after testing a few entries with different parameters. A month in, the team reported:
"We have been using DutyDeclared for 1 month and not had any HMRC Queries to date." - Charlie Hall, General Manager, Mannson Freight
Hillier Hopkins describes the same effect: the team feels more confident about HMRC compliance than it did with its previous supplier.
Submitting a declaration is rarely the end of it. There's the MRN to record, HMRC's responses to follow and customers asking where their goods are, often across emails, portals and spreadsheets.
In DutyDeclared, the declaration goes straight to HMRC's Customs Declaration Service, and your MRN and every HMRC response are recorded against it. Submission, acceptance and clearance are different states, and each one shows in the same place. Your consignments are sorted into draft, in progress, action needed and completed, so you can see what needs attention without chasing anyone for an update.
For Hillier Hopkins, that meant quicker clearance and something its previous supplier couldn't give it: a view of every declaration's progress. It also meant a clear record when it mattered most. When one of the firm's clients faced a customs audit, the officer was looking at declarations that appeared not to have cleared. The answer was already on the platform:
"One of our clients had a customs audit where the officer was looking at uncleared declarations. DD provided us with a full audit trail of two declarations that had been replaced to show that the goods had cleared on the replacement declaration. We've never had that visibility before and it is useful for the client." - Ruth Corkin, Partner (VAT and Indirect Tax Advisory), Hillier Hopkins
When customs work is spread across inboxes and personal folders, people end up working from old versions and asking each other where things are.
A DutyDeclared workspace brings your team's entries into one organised space, so everyone can see what's done, what's next and who's on it. There's no limit on the number of colleagues you can invite, and the company and party details you use often are saved, so you reuse them rather than re-enter them. When a declaration is finished, you can export it as a PDF for your records or your client's.
Workspaces also grow with the teams using them. Hillier Hopkins asked for changes to suit the way the firm works, and they followed, including a view of goods that are over their ETA. In their own words:
"The key advantage for us is the agility of the DD team and their willingness to add function to our workspace to suit us. The "can-do" attitude and the impression that nothing is too much trouble is so refreshing." - Ruth Corkin, Partner (VAT and Indirect Tax Advisory), Hillier Hopkins
Brokers and advisory practices
Your clients come to you for your expertise, and yet, too much of the day goes on the work before it: documents scattered across inboxes, invoices re-keyed line by line, and a wrong code or missing detail found after the entry has gone in.
DutyDeclared takes care of the preparation, so your time goes on the work only you can do. Every client's documents and declarations sit together in one workspace, drafts arrive ready for your review, and every field is linked to its source, so you can stand behind each entry you file. When a client or HMRC asks how a figure was reached, you can show them.
Read how Hillier Hopkins made the switch.
Freight forwarders
For a forwarder, customs sits in the middle of everything else it takes to move goods. The freight is ready to go while the declaration is still being typed up, details are being chased while the goods wait, and customers are asking for updates.
DutyDeclared drafts declarations from the documents you already hold, flags what's missing early so you know what to chase, and puts every HMRC response and anything needing action in one overview. That means you can give customers a clear answer straight away.
For Mannson Freight, it also meant taking customs back in-house. The team used to hand the information for every entry to a broker, pay for each one and work to the broker's timetable. Now it files its own entries:
"As we were using a broker this has helped with cost savings and we can now work with our own timelines instead of being restricted by how busy the broker was." - Charlie Hall, General Manager, Mannson Freight
Read how Mannson Freight took customs in-house
Importers and exporters
If declarations are made in your name, you carry the responsibility for them, whether you file in-house or use a broker. Filing yourself can mean guessing at codes, not knowing what duty and VAT you'll owe, and checking your own work with no expert to hand.
With DutyDeclared, you file your own customs with a safety net built in. Declarations are drafted from your shipment documents, HSGenie suggests codes that are validated before you file, empty required fields tell you exactly what to ask your supplier or forwarder for, and the duty, VAT and excise are shown before you approve.
If you use a broker or forwarder and they file with DutyDeclared, every detail on your declaration links back to the document it came from, so it's easier for them to show you exactly what was declared in your name.
We started with the declaration because that's where the friction in customs is at its worst. However, a declaration is one moment in a much longer journey, and the people who move goods deserve tools that follow it all the way.
Our ambition is to bring customs the change it's long overdue: one shared picture of every shipment, where the importer, the forwarder and the broker see the same information, from the opening invoice to the final audit. No more emailing documents back and forth, no more wondering who has the latest version, and no more chasing for an update that should already be in front of you.
The next step is shared preparation. An importer adds the invoice and goods details, and their forwarder adds the transport details and submits, with both able to see the declaration as it comes together. Beyond that, we're exploring audit, tracking and tax visibility, connecting what was declared with where the goods are and what was paid.
In the words of our Co-Founder,
"The people clearing customs are specialists. Their tools should treat them that way." - Joshua Oliver, CEO and Co-founder
We'll build it the way we've built everything so far: with our customers. Mannson Freight partnered with us to make the platform work for sea freight, and Hillier Hopkins helped test it while it was being developed. What they, and other customers like them, tell us, helps shape what comes next.
Try it on a real declaration
The quickest way to judge DutyDeclared is to upload a real invoice and watch the draft take shape.
Want to know more about why we started DutyDeclared? Read Introducing DutyDeclared.
Quick answers
Does DutyDeclared file directly to HMRC?
Yes. Submit supported declarations directly to HMRC's Customs Declaration Service (CDS), then follow the MRN and CDS responses in the declaration record. Complete the required HMRC setup before submitting.
Which documents can I upload?
Commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents. DutyDeclared extracts the goods, values and parties into a draft declaration for you to review.
Does DutyDeclared check that my declaration is correct?
It checks for invalid commodity codes and missing required fields. Review the extracted details against the source documents and confirm the classification is suitable for your goods. You or your representative remain responsible for what's declared.
How long does it take to get started?
Create an account and upload your shipment documents to start preparing a draft. Before filing, complete the HMRC setup required for your business. Contact the DutyDeclared team for help with onboarding and your expected setup time.
What does it cost?
DutyDeclared offers free and paid plans. Check the current plans and pricing for included declaration allowances, usage limits and any applicable fees.
Customs, built around you