What is the Advance Import Payment Notification?
The Advance Import Payment (AIP) Notification as part of the Advance Payment Notification (APN) project is one of SARS’ Customs Modernisation Programmes that aims to combat illicit financial flows and customs valuation fraud associated with the misuse of advance foreign exchange payments in respect of goods that are to be imported.
What is the purpose of the APN?
Through this programme, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), SARS and authorised dealers in foreign exchange will collaborate to make it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their obligations, to detect taxpayers and traders who do not comply, and to make non-compliance hard and costly as expressed in SARS’ strategic objectives.
On 3 December 2021, SARS implemented a new functionality on its eFiling platform for importers to notify SARS when they want to apply to an authorised dealer for an advance foreign exchange payment in respect of goods to be imported.
Need more information?
- 9 December 2021 – Updated Frequently Asked Questions
3 December 2021 – Customs & Excise Act, 1964
Amendments to rules under sections 59A and 120 for Advance foreign exchange payments were published: Notice R.1563
- 2 December 2021 – The new AIP Guide and Policy were published:
- 2 December 2021 – The Customs Trader Portal for Registration and Licensing of Customs Clients Guide was updated with AIP information:
- 2 December 2021 – The SF-CF-55 – Clearance Declaration Policy was updated with AIP information. The importer receives a unique APN reference number assigned by SARS and communicates it to the authorised dealer and inserts it on the Customs Clearance Declaration (CCD) in the additional information field as prescribed in SC-CF-55-A01. See the Annexure ‘SC-CF-55-A01 – Completion of Declarations – External Annex.pdf’:
- 26 November 2021 – Letter to Trade
- 2 November 2021 – APN (Imports) Presentation to the Industry
Need help?
For queries and more information, kindly email the Balance of Audit Payment team on [email protected].
