Commissioner of excise
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| Non-ministerial government department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1909 |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Dissolved | 1 April 2005 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | New Kings Beam House, Upper Ground, London |
HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise (or His as appropriate), often abbreviated to HMCE) was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government. It was responsible for the collection of Value-added tax (VAT), customs duties, excise duties, and other indirect taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Insurance Premium Tax, Landfill Tax and Aggregates Levy. It was also responsible for managing the import and export of goods and services into the UK. HMCE merged with the Inland Revenue (which was responsible for the administration and collection of direct taxes) to form a new department, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with effect from 18 April 2005.
HM Customs and Excise staff guarded the borders of the United Kingdom from smugglers. Following a 1971 amalgamation, the service included the former Waterguard, whose uniformed officers had long been a common sight at entry points into the United Kingdom; its insignia was a crowned portcullis with flying chains. Customs officers had authority throughout the country, including the powers of entry to premises and of arrest, though at times requiring the presence of a police constable. These functions (and the organisation responsible for them) were transferred to HMRC, and further transferred (at least in part) in 2008 to the UK Border Agency of the Home Office.
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