HMRC RESEARCH EXPLORER · 460 DECLARANTS · SOURCE-FAITHFUL
What 460 declarants said customs processes cost in time.
HMRC’s Wave 2 study found average typical-process time ranging from 19 to 28 minutes and internal cost from £5 to £7. This explorer keeps those published findings separate from Declarix results and the 402-account census.
Process burden was measured in minutes and internal cost—not software outcomes.
HMRC commissioned Ipsos to survey 460 declarants. The published weighted split was 70% customs intermediaries and 30% traders. Fieldwork ran from 21 October 2024 to 17 January 2025.
The endpoints HMRC published.
Percentages and ranges stay as published. Weighted percentages are not converted into respondent counts.
| Finding | Published result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Declarant mix | 70% intermediaries / 30% traders | Published weighted split; n=460 study |
| Typical-process time | 19–28 minutes average | GVMS export low; NCTS import high |
| Internal process cost | £5–£7 | GVMS export low; other process types high |
| Automated data entry | Approximately 70% | Would help across process types |
| No change / already efficient | At most 1 in 5 | Upper bound, not an exact 20% |
Administrative burden across six customs processes. Published 26 February 2026.
A separate public-source market census. It is not survey evidence or a product outcome.
The desk calculator is a scenario, not a result from either research population.
