Businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland need to prepare to switch to a brand-new Trader Support Service (TSS) platform launching next month.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued an urgent call to the 66,000-plus businesses registered for the service, warning that all goods movements taking place on or after 20 October must be submitted through the new system. The current platform will completely stop accepting new movements on this date.

With just under four weeks to go, businesses are being urged to pre-enrol for the new TSS platform, operated by Netcompany.

TSS is a free-to-use digital platform providing end-to-end support for businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, helping them comply with the Windsor Framework.

While customs processes and businesses’ legal and regulatory obligations remain the same, the new-look platform, hosted on Gov.UK, will provide businesses with improved functionality and enhanced support.

From 1 October, businesses currently using TSS will receive emails with instructions on how to pre-enrol for the new platform. Businesses will need to create a new password on the new platform and ensure their details and permissions are up to date.

They will also receive instructions for accessing a test environment where they can familiarise themselves with how the platform works.

Gill Evans, HMRC’s director of customs services and operations, said: “We’re working with businesses to make the move to the new Trader Support Service as straightforward as possible. Businesses should look out for their invitation email and pre-enrol before 20 October to ensure they can continue submitting declarations as normal.

“Once their details have been updated, they can familiarise themselves with the new platform. Support and guidance is available to help businesses switch.”

Depending on the size of the business and availability of information, updating a profile could take between 5-30 minutes.

The new platform has been running in private beta since July, with hundreds of declarations already submitted successfully. Feedback from participating businesses has informed further improvements.