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Customs software · Fashion and apparel

Customs Declaration Software for Fashion and Apparel

Keep the detail behind each collection clear for customs. A single fashion invoice can hold many styles, materials and variants, and CDUK lets your team turn those documents into GB declarations in-house. You file directly with HMRC, see every line, and pay only for what you submit. One account holds every filing, whether you import seasonal ranges or export collections.

  • Variant checks
  • Composition and origin
  • AI document processing
  • CDS bulk editing
Discuss your clothing and textile shipments
  • Start each season from a saved templateSupplier, parties and goods carry over, so a new collection starts from a reviewed draft.
  • Apply saved settings to a styleReuse composition, origin and commodity settings saved for each style, ready to review.
  • Update many size variants at onceSet the same details across every size in one edit instead of line by line.
  • Check every line, then submit it yourselfMissing fields are listed by section. Fix them, then file directly from your own account.

In a nutshell

Fashion paperwork is organised by style number, colour and size. Customs asks different questions: what the garment is, what it is made from and how, where it originates and what it is worth. The same style in two fabrics can need different treatment, so the detail behind each line matters.

Customs Declarations UK (CDUK) lets your team bring that filing in-house. Our AI document processing turns invoices and packing lists into a reviewable draft, bulk editing applies shared details across selected CDS lines, and saved parties and templates carry your regular suppliers from one season to the next.

You prepare each declaration, check it and submit it directly to HMRC through the Customs Declaration Service, with built-in checks and our UK support team behind you. There is no monthly fee and no minimum volume.

Why fashion data is different

Product detail matters more than the collection name.

A style number or a seasonal range name does not establish the correct classification. These are the details a fashion declaration usually rests on, and CDUK keeps them together so your team can check and correct them before anything is submitted.

  • Fibre composition

    Percentages and fibre types appear on care labels and product specifications. Capture them in the declaration workspace so your reviewer sees the same facts the tariff lookup and commodity requirements depend on.

  • Garment type and construction

    What the item is, and whether it is knitted, woven or otherwise made, can change the treatment. Record both from your tech packs and supplier records, then use UK Tariff lookup to guide the code you choose. Your team makes the decision, and real-time validation catches obvious gaps before submission.

  • Origin versus dispatch country

    Where goods were shipped from and where they originate are different questions. A consolidation hub is not a country of origin. Record origin line by line so every declaration shows what you can support.

  • Evidence for preference claims

    If you intend to claim a preference, the supporting evidence needs to sit with the shipment, line by line where origins differ. Use the audit trail to show what was declared and why.

  • Variants across one invoice

    Sizes, colours and fabrics multiply lines quickly. CDS bulk editing lets you apply shared details across a selection in one action, so your team spends its time on the differences that matter to the declaration. On a large seasonal invoice, that turns hours of repetitive editing into minutes.

  • Seasonal order rhythm

    New collections bring new products on familiar suppliers. Saved parties, templates and declaration cloning give you a fast start each season, and real-time validation prompts you to check what has changed.

Review before grouping

Review variants before grouping lines.

Before similar lines are combined, check whether any of these differences apply. Your team makes the grouping call in CDUK, with every source document alongside the line it supports and a clear history of what was decided.

DifferenceReview before combiningTypical source
Fabric compositionCan change the classification of the garmentProduct specification, care label
Garment construction or typeCan lead to a different code or treatmentTech pack, sample, supplier description
OriginChanges the declared origin and any preference claimSupplier declaration, manufacturer records
Value or supporting documentsCan call for a separate goods itemInvoice, certificates, order records

IDP extracts and groups document information into a draft. You decide whether lines are merged or kept separate.

Illustrative example

Keep separate, or review for grouping.

An anonymised apparel invoice shows how composition and origin sit next to each line in CDUK, so your reviewer can make each grouping decision with the evidence in view. Styles, fabrics and figures are invented for illustration. IDP carries no per-document fee.

Apparel invoice

Spot the variants that do not belong together

IDP extracts and groups document information, including duplicate lines across invoices and packing lists, into a draft your team reviews. Your reviewer then decides which variants belong together.

  • Same style, different fabric: you decide whether to keep the lines apart
  • Same style and fabric in several sizes: group them with bulk editing
  • Different origin on the same style: check the evidence line by line
Beyond the standard sale

Samples, returns and exhibition goods.

Fashion shipments are often not simple sales. Samples, returns and exhibition goods each follow their own procedure, and your team can prepare them in the same account as your normal orders.

Sample shipments

  • Value
  • Procedure
  • Relief conditions

Samples can be liable to customs charges, depending on the facts and any relief conditions. Prepare them yourself in CDUK with a supportable value on the declaration, and save a template for the sample flows you send every season.

  • Record what the sample is, who sends it and why
  • Establish a value you can support from documents
  • Apply any relief with the conditions visible on the declaration

Prepare sample declarations in the same account as your orders.

Talk through your sample flow
Recurring orders

Prepare recurring orders with less retyping.

Reuse established parties and suitable prior entries, then apply common information across selected CDS items and check the differences. Each season starts from what you already have. Regular filers can also move to a custom subscription with volume discounts.

  1. Start from what you have

    Reuse saved parties and clone a suitable previous entry for a regular supplier. Your trader profile and supplier details are already in place.

  2. Extract the invoice

    IDP reads the invoice and packing list, groups the information and handles duplicates across documents, giving you a reviewable draft instead of a blank form. Your team reviews and corrects it.

  3. Apply shared details

    Use bulk editing for what a selection genuinely shares, such as origin or procedure, then check the differences that real-time validation highlights.

  4. Tie evidence to the shipment

    Keep the current invoice, quantities and supporting evidence with this shipment, not the last one. The audit trail records what was declared and when.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions from fashion businesses.

Can one code cover the whole collection?

Not automatically. Classification follows the goods and the tariff rules, not the commercial collection, so different garments, fabrics and constructions in one range may need different codes. CDUK puts UK Tariff lookup and commodity requirements next to each line to guide your team. Your team makes the decision, and the audit trail records it.

Are samples always free of customs charges?

No. Treatment depends on the facts and any applicable relief conditions. Establish a supportable value and procedure before the goods move, then prepare the declaration in CDUK, where a saved template makes repeat sample flows quick.

Does IDP decide whether variants can be merged?

IDP produces a draft that your team reviews. It handles document extraction and duplicate lines, and you decide which goods lines are merged or kept separate. There is no per-document fee. See AI document processing.

Is the country we ship from the country of origin?

Not necessarily. Where goods were shipped from and where they originate are different questions. Record the origin you can evidence line by line in CDUK, so every declaration shows what you can support.

Can we reuse last season's declaration?

Yes, clone it as a starting point. Then check composition, origin, quantities and values against the current invoice, since new season styles often differ from the last. Cloning keeps parties and shared details, so you only retype what changed.

Do you cover fashion accessories as well?

Yes, the same workflow applies: prepare the goods lines, check composition, origin and value for each, and submit directly to HMRC. Our guide to exporting fashion accessories from the UK explains regulations, labelling and customs declarations for that area.

How is pricing handled for seasonal fashion volumes?

Pay as you go with no monthly fee and no minimum volume, up to £25 per CDS declaration. Regular seasonal filers can move to a custom subscription with volume discounts. See our pricing page. IDP has no per-document fee.

Explore related solutions

Keep exploring the workflow.

Show Us an Invoice With Real Variants

Bring a recent invoice with multiple styles and fabrics and we will walk through how it becomes a reviewed draft your team can file itself. Open an account in minutes and pay only for what you submit. Our UK team provides onboarding and training for your first collection.

Book a fashion workflow demoRegister Now