HM Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise is a Government department with responsibility for collecting billions of pounds in revenue each year in VAT, other taxes and customs duties. HM Customs and Excise is one of the oldest Government departments with a heritage some people believe extends back to Roman times. They have consistently adapted to meet the changing rate of Customs duty and accommodate wider political and economic changes like the Common Market and the advent of the Euro.
Despite such radical changes, the traditional roles of the department remain essentially the same:
- to collect a range of duties and taxes accurately, on time and in a courteous and impartial manner.
- to protect UK and business interests through the control of imported and exported goods.
- to prevent the illegal import (and export) of socially unacceptable or politically sensitive materials.
HM Customs and Excise is the UK's first line of defence against some of today's most serious and organised criminals. It is our job to stop banned goods, such as drugs and firearms from entering the country. We play a major role with other Government departments in breaking up and jailing criminal gangs responsible for smuggling. As well as having officers based at all points of entry into the UK, we also use fast boats called Cutters that guard the coast during the day and at night, throughout the year.
All Government departments must ensure that everything they do represents best value for taxpayers' money and that they are fully accountable to the public. This means all Customs and Excise activities, from collecting VAT to working at ports and airports, are planned and prioritised to meet performance measures agreed with Government Ministers. Overall performance is published each year in our annual report.
HM Customs and Excise have offices throughout the UK. You can find contact details for your local office via the Contact Us section of their web site.
Contact details
HM Customs and Excise
Thomas Paine House, Angel Square
Torrens Street
London EC1V 1TA
Tel: 0845 010 9000
enquiries.lon@hmce.gsi.gov.uk
www.hmce.gov.uk