We believe ambition, not barriers, should decide how far a business can go.
That is why we put our knowledge to work as your importer of record, clearing the barriers in your way into Europe.
EU · United Kingdom · Switzerland
Import and export across the EU, UK and Switzerland, without a local entity
You should not need a European subsidiary just to get your goods across a border. We become the importer or exporter of record so your shipments clear, your VAT stays recoverable, and your sales keep moving.
Two decades in customs & VAT · Big Four background · Established in the EU, UK and Switzerland
Stuck at the border because no one will take on the risk?
Non-EU businesses keep hitting the same wall. Customs brokers and freight forwarders decline to act as indirect representative, because the liability becomes theirs. Standing up a local company is slow, costly and full of obligations you may not need. Meanwhile your goods sit, stuck in limbo, undeliverable and tying up cash. There is a third way.
Three ways to trade without a presence in the market, and why the third usually wins
Appoint the customs broker
Most brokers say no. The few who agree to take on the joint-and-several liability often price it heavily.
Set up a local company
Full control, but high cost and a stack of corporate obligations you may not need.
Appoint a third-party indirect customs representative
We are already established in the market, take on the customs responsibility, and keep your VAT recoverable. No subsidiary, no broker stand-off.
What we can take off your plate
Importer of Record
We become the declared importer so your goods clear into the EU, UK or Switzerland, fully compliant.
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Exporter of Record
Ship out of the EU when you are not established there and cannot sign as exporter on the declaration.
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Indirect Customs Representation
For forwarders and brokers, a partner who will take on the Article 18 liability you would rather not.
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VAT for non-EU businesses
Registration, fiscal representation, returns and refunds, so import VAT is reclaimed, not lost.
Discover →One importer of record for three very different rulebooks
European Union
Under the Union Customs Code, a business that is not established in the EU must act through an EU-established party to import or export. We hold that establishment and the EORI footprint, so you do not have to chase a reluctant broker or build a subsidiary.
United Kingdom
The UK runs its own tariff, its own customs system (CDS) and its own border model, and an EU EORI will not work here. You will typically need a GB footprint, a UK VAT registration and, ideally, Postponed VAT Accounting. We line all three up.
Switzerland
Outside the EU and the EEA, Switzerland expects foreign sellers to register for Swiss VAT and appoint a Swiss-domiciled fiscal representative. Ship on DDP terms and you become the Swiss importer, we make sure that is planned for, not discovered at the border.
No subsidiary, no broker stand-off. Just goods that keep moving.
Sectors we move goods for
We are sector-agnostic and equipped to clear virtually anything. These are the areas where getting the importer of record and the VAT right matters most:
Why companies and forwarders choose Occendra
It comes back to one belief: your ambition should set the pace, not the paperwork. Here is how we clear the barriers.
A third-party importer who does not own the goods can quietly break the VAT-deduction chain. We structure the import so the right party keeps the right to deduct, VAT is reclaimed, not written off.
Before we file, we pressure-test the classification, customs value and declared origin from two angles: our own position as the named party on the declaration, and yours as the seller. Tested both ways up front, far fewer disputes later.
A short risk assessment and an e-signed agreement, designed to get stalled shipments moving again quickly.
Close to twenty years in indirect tax, a Big Four background, and a practice built only around customs and VAT.
As an EU-established party we take on the role brokers decline, so a shipment nobody else will put their name to can finally move.
We are not a freight company and do not want to replace your logistics. We are the customs, representation and VAT layer that plugs into whichever forwarder or broker you already use.
How it works
Tell us about the goods and the lane, origin, destination and Incoterm.
We assess the shipment, including routing and declaration data, then come back with a price and a go-ahead.
You e-sign the agreement.
We clear your goods and keep you compliant, shipment after shipment.
Frequently asked questions
Clear the barriers in your way
Your ambition should not wait on red tape. Tell us about your goods and your markets, and we will clear the route into Europe, no subsidiary required.