Oil and gas businesses will benefit from a series of training seminars aimed at preventing firms falling foul of tighter regulations around import and export activities.
A leading provider of international freight forwarding solutions, Petrasco Energy Logistics has announced the line-up of events to help companies survive a customs audit, save money and improve compliance around their existing customs controls and procedures.
Led by Petrasco’s customs compliance manager, George Jenkins, these will be held at the company’s Kirkhill Industrial Estate offices in Dyce between May and November.
Delegates will benefit from George’s 30-plus years’ experience working for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), where he personally conducted more than 500 audits of imports and exports as a customs officer before joining Petrasco.
Each half-day event will help businesses prepare for an audit of specific aspects of their import and export operations, better understand what documentation to provide and which records to keep, and, crucially, help ensure such visits from HMRC are rare.
George Jenkins said: “Most people’s default reaction to receiving an official letter from HMRC telling them to expect an audit of their import and export operations is to panic – especially if it’s something they have never experienced before.
“Often, these visits can be completely random and sometimes take place two to three years after the import was made. Even if your attitude is that an audit will never happen to you or your business, it’s still vitally important to be properly prepared for such an event.
“Failure to comply with HMRC requests for documentation or any breach of authorisation can already result in a civil penalty of up to £25,000 or a financial penalty per individual import so the repercussions can be severe.
“By attending these training seminars, we can provide delegates with useful guidance and assistance on how to do things properly and have the correct processes and procedures in place. Following this advice will ensure that they are fully compliant with all the latest regulations and can plan for the future with complete peace of mind.”
For further information on the full calendar of events, including details on how to book your place, please call 01224 337733 or email customs@petrasco.co.uk.