An Accompanying Administrative Document, or AAD, and is a document which must be completed by suppliers of all alcoholic products which are shipped within the European Union.

As part of our consultative role to customers we wish to provide you with the following information on how to complete an AAD. Such knowledge which will be of use to anybody involved directly or indirectly in imports/exports of alcoholic beverages.

As an AAD is an official Customs document, failure to complete the document correctly and accurately can lead to consignments being detained. In order to avoid possible Customs seizure of goods, we would urge you of the need to take special care that the following boxes on the AAD are completed, and that the details are correct.

Box (4)
Excise Number - this must be the Authorisation number of the Tax Warehouse or the REDS Company shown in Box 7 to whom the goods are consigned and who therefore is responsible for the settlement or accounting of the Excise Duty.

Box (7)
This box, and the entity within it, is linked directly to the number entered in box (4). The address shown in box (7) should be the Tax Warehouse or the person responsible for the settlement or accounting of the Excise Duty. This can be the importer or a nominated REDS Agent.

Box (8)
Box 8 must show the Custom authority controlling the area where the supplier is based.

Box (9)
Box 9 shows the name of the company which has picked up the cargo. This box should be completed in accordance with the despatching country's national customs regulations.

Box (10)
In the absence of prior written agreement the party shown in box 10 should be the Supplier. We cannot over stress the need for this box to be completed; failure to do so can mean the immediate seizure of both your cargo and the carrying vehicle.

Box (11)
This box contains other transport details and any additional information, e.g. names of any subsequent transporter, means of transport, registration numbers of means of transport, and the number, type and identification of any commercial seals. Other transport details in Box 11 must include the registration number of the vehicle which collects the goods from the warehouse.

Box (17)
This box to be completed within the guidelines for transit times, set by National Customs Authorities.

Great care should be taken in the completion of all other boxes on the AAD including the description and number of cases, which must match those loaded on the vehicle.

Shipments travelling under Simplified AAD arrangements are subject to very different and specific procedures consignments and vehicles stopped by Customs which do not comply with the Simplified AAD procedures will be seized (and possibly destroyed).