New GB–Northern Ireland movements handled through TSS belong on the replacement platform. Existing declarations started in the outgoing service may be completed there, but that portal closes on 30 November 2026. Confirm access, permissions, open declaration ownership and retention of essential records; the platform change does not itself change customs rules.
What changed on 20 October
HM Revenue & Customs moved the Trader Support Service to a replacement digital platform on 20 October 2026. The service supports traders, hauliers and intermediaries submitting customs and safety-and-security information for relevant goods movements between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. The switch is specific to users of TSS; it does not mean that every business or parcel moving to Northern Ireland needs a new TSS account.
HMRC says all new goods movements must now be submitted using the new service. The old system stopped accepting new movements from 20 October, although declarations already started there can still be completed. The new platform is free to use, and HMRC states that customs processes and businesses' legal and regulatory obligations remain unchanged. The new technology should therefore not be interpreted as a new tariff, relief or declaration exemption.
The 30 November deadline is a second, different control point
HMRC's outgoing TSS guidance, updated on 22 October 2026, confirms that the old portal remains available until 30 November 2026 for handling declarations already in progress. That date is a shutdown date for the legacy interface, not an extension allowing fresh post-20-October movements to be created there.
Shipping and customs teams should inventory movements and declarations still open in the outgoing portal, identify an owner for each, and confirm that outstanding items can be brought to completion before access ends. Check which transaction history and documents need to be retained for reconciliation or audit and export them while access remains available. Do not assume historical records have automatically appeared in the replacement system.
Which businesses should review access now
The replacement TSS is intended for businesses making declarations themselves or on behalf of others and businesses involved in physical goods movement, such as hauliers. If a business was already registered with the old TSS, HMRC says it has been migrated and does not need to register again. New businesses can register through the official government service, subject to its eligibility rules and EORI requirements.
A migrated company should still check that its account administrator and operational staff can sign in, including the new authentication steps. Verify the business profile, contact details, EORI identifiers, authorisations, and who may submit declarations. If an agent or transport provider acts on the trader's behalf, confirm that the relationship and relevant permissions are correctly assigned. An additional user of an already registered business normally requires an invitation from its administrator; opening a duplicate company registration is not the intended route.
A dispatch checklist for Great Britain–Northern Ireland consignments
Before releasing a movement for collection, identify the actual TSS user or customs intermediary responsible, check whether the movement is new or began before 20 October, and confirm which platform will hold the submission. Make sure the submitting party has the required shipment data, including a correct description of goods, relevant parties, references and any applicable customs authorisations. Cargo movement dates and declaration status matter more to this split than the date a commercial order was placed.
For each live booking, use one visible control record to note the declaration owner, required information, submission status, reference number, whether any supplementary steps remain, and the escalation contact. Confirm with the haulier what evidence needs to accompany or precede the movement. The exact data and process depend on the goods and customs route; the platform switch is not a substitute for checking the relevant Windsor Framework arrangements.
What the replacement platform can do
According to HMRC's service guidance, the new Trader Support Service enables users to draft and submit customs and safety-and-security declarations, view payment balances and pay duties owed, maintain company details and authorisations, and manage other businesses' permissions or invite users. Its guidance and help functions cover both traders and intermediaries.
The official getting-started guide, updated on 21 October, includes instructions for first-time sign-in, multi-factor authentication, updating a business profile, managing authorisations and uploading up to 99 goods records by CSV. These are features of the service, not evidence that every trading organisation must use CSV or that every movement is eligible for the same simplified process. Teams that upload files or connect through an API should verify their actual workflow before the next high-volume dispatch.
Exception handling and the next four weeks
The practical risk is a split workflow: new bookings are sent to the new platform while older declarations, payments or follow-up tasks still sit in the outgoing TSS. Assign a named owner to legacy close-out, keep a separate list of open exceptions and check them regularly ahead of 30 November. Ensure finance, customs and booking teams agree where the source record for each movement is held during the transition.
If a live goods movement is held at a port or cannot progress because of a TSS access or declaration problem, the official support line listed by the new service is 0800 870 8173, operating 7am–10pm every day (verify hours on GOV.UK before calling). Use official GOV.UK entry points rather than an unexpected email link when authenticating. A short pre-dispatch access check is far less disruptive than discovering expired permissions when freight is ready to move.