What Is Postponed Accounting?
Postponed Accounting (PA) is an Irish Revenue facility that allows VAT-registered importers to account for import VAT in their next VAT3 return rather than paying it at the border. Cash that would otherwise be tied up at the port stays in your business.
It was originally introduced as a Brexit cashflow relief measure and is now a permanent feature of Irish customs.
Who Can Use Postponed Accounting?
You can use Postponed Accounting if:
- You are VAT-registered in Ireland.
- You hold a valid Irish EORI number.
- The goods are being imported through Irish customs (any port or airport).
Non-VAT-registered importers pay import VAT upfront at the border in the normal way.
How It Works on a Declaration
When we lodge an AIS declaration with Postponed Accounting:
- We declare Additional Information Code 1A05 in the AIS message.
- Revenue applies PA to the consignment automatically.
- The import VAT is not collected at clearance — your cargo is released without payment.
- The VAT amount appears in your VAT3 return PA1 field for the period the import took place.
- You reclaim the same VAT in field T2 if you are entitled to recover it.
If you are fully VAT-recoverable, the net cash impact is zero.
VAT3 Filing Example
| VAT3 Field | What to Enter | |------------|---------------| | PA1 | Total customs value of all PA imports in the period + duty | | T1 | Output VAT on Irish sales | | T2 | Input VAT including import VAT recovered under PA |
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to record the PA amount. Revenue can audit and demand the import VAT back if you omit PA1.
- Using PA on non-Irish-VAT imports. PA is for Irish-registered VAT entities only.
- Letting your VAT registration lapse. If your VAT registration is cancelled, you can no longer use PA — imports revert to upfront VAT collection.
How We Help
Every eligible declaration we lodge has Postponed Accounting applied automatically — there is no extra paperwork on your side. Contact us for a quote.