HMRC internal manual

Customs Special Procedures Manual

SPE05040 - Authorising a Special Procedure: negative decision – process for rejecting an authorisation

Right to be Heard (RTBH) letter

For all adverse decisions (including the refusal to issue an authorisation) a Right to be Heard (RTBH) period is required to be granter prior to the issue of the adverse decision.

An explanation of RTBH and its legal basis can be found in Right to be heard

Before issuing an adverse decision the following RTBH letter should be issued: RTbH Authorisation template letters can be found in SEES

Where the original decision is unchanged following RTBH, an adverse decision letter must be issued, see section CAA02120 for details on making an adverse decision.

The adverse decision letter must include the right to review and appeal: RTbH Authorisation template letters can be found in SEES

Example of decision letter including review and appeal text: authorisation rejected template letters can be found in SEES

Note: Northern Ireland (NI) customs authorisations will continue to fall within the provisions of the Union Customs Code (UCC), as retained by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and CEMA 1979.