UK bands now have to pay import duty and VAT on ALL merchandise before even entering Europe to tour

If you still think Brexit is a good idea, and especially if you think No-Deal is the best thing to ever happen to the UK, you are seriously misguided. We don’t need to go into the details regarding recent events when it comes to Brexit. You can scream all you want about the UK being an “economic powerhouse” and how Brexit will bring back our Sovereignty and control over our borders, even though immigration barely has an impact on financial instability or public services when it comes to the British public, and the EU do not make all of our laws. No Deal Brexit is set to be a nightmare for everyone, including bands. This is all laid out in government documentation (link below)


This is only the very beginning of a very hard struggle for the British public, remainer or leaver alike. People don’t seem to understand that taking back our Sovereignty ironically means we’ll have less authority over our own country in the case of brexit.

You will NOT just be able to come and go as you please. You will NOT just be able to waltz through customs when you go on holiday anymore. And, if you’re conducting any sort of business then things are about to get a lot more complicated for you. Bands especially are about to be hit hard by this.

As the British Government, Alexander Boris de pfeffel Johnson to be exact, is basically about to succeed in pushing through a No-Deal Brexit, the implications of this are starting to become set in stone as the Government now start to update their website to reflect the impending laws and procedures that will make your life a living hell for the foreseeable future.

The latest GOV.UK page to be updated relates to ‘Import, export and customs for businesses’ which includes small UK bands looking to tour the EU after October 31st 2019 if No-Deal is acheived (This could also be included in any deal agreed). Guess what? You now have to pay duty and VAT on your merchandise before you even leave the UK and enter the EU.

Good news, you even have to apply for a VAT number and apply for an EORI number which means, according to the Government's own website, “you may have increased costs and delays”. This will literally destroy any opportunity for UK artists and bands, mainly independent ones, to tour the EU. How many artists will be able to afford to pay their entire VAT and duty on merch before even selling it? On top of the costs already suffered by bands to tour the EU.

Welcome to Brexit for artists. Huge tariffs on top of touring, needless paperwork and applications, border controls and checks, or if you’d like, you can “appoint a customs agent to make customs declarations for you” which won’t cost a ridiculous amount of money.

But don't worry, Boris said he wants a deal, that's why he's blocking MP's from stopping a No-Deal and also why the Government is now spending millions of pounds of UK tax payer money telling the UK tax payer how to prepare for a No-Deal Brexit...

If you’re about to tour Europe then check the documentation yourself otherwise you won’t be going anywhere. Long live democracy.