Apply for an alcoholic products producer approval (APPA)

Before you start

Check if you need to apply for an alcoholic products producer approval (APPA).

You should apply at least 45 working days before you intend to start production. It might take us longer than this to process your application if:

• it’s more complex
• we need to ask you for more information

What you’ll need

To apply, you’ll need to tell us:

• your name and contact details
• the details of anyone who is, or will be, connected to your business
• the addresses of your premises, and a correspondence address, if this is different
• your current business status — for example, whether you operate as a sole trader, in a partnership, or as a limited company
• your Unique Taxpayer Reference
• the categories of alcoholic products you’ll produce on the premises
• the date that you’ll start production
• the categories of any alcoholic products you plan to import or export
• details of any alcoholic products you send to, or receive from, other approved businesses or excise warehouses

You’ll need to give us an estimate of how much alcohol you’ll produce in the current year.

You’ll also need to give us a plan of your premises. This must show the position and description of all the equipment you’ll use to produce and store alcoholic products. The plan must:

• be A4 sized or smaller
• be in black and white
• have duty suspended areas shaded
• have fire exits clearly marked in red

Once you’ve applied

We’ll check your application and run background checks. This may include:

• checksmaking tosure the make sure that the information you’ve provided is complete and accurate
• checksmaking to make sure you’ve complied with your tax obligations
• checkscontacting with other government departments and agencies
• checkscontacting with credit reference agencies
• a criminal records check
• a Companies House check

We may also visit your premises to look at your trading activities. During the visit, we’ll ask for details about your:

• suppliers
• customers
• business plan
• accounting and stock control systems
• premises
• financial viability

Withdrawing your application

If you will no longer need an alcoholic products producer approval (APPA), you must contact us in writing to withdraw your application by:

• email: nru.alcohol@hmrc.gov.uk
• post, to the address at excise and gambling duties enquiries

If we approve your application

If we approve your application, we’ll give you your 15-digit alcoholic products producer approval (APPA) ID. You can use your APPA ID to get access to the Manage your Alcohol Duty online service.

Making changes to your approval

YouOnce you’re approved, you must tellnotify us immediatelywithin if14 youcalendar wantdays toof makeany changes to your alcoholic products producer approval (APPA). For example, if you intend to:

• produce a new category of alcoholic product
• use a new premises to produce alcoholic products
• stop production

If we change or revoke your approval, you can:

• ask us to review our decision
• appeal to an independent tribunal

If we refuse your application

If we find out that the information you’ve provided is untrue,incorrect or incomplete, we can refuse your application. If you’ve deliberately misled us, you may have to pay a penalty. If we refuse your application, we’ll write to you to explain why.

If we refuse your application, you can:

• ask us to review our decision
• appeal to an independent tribunal

Apply online

To apply online, you’ll need an organisation Government Gateway User ID and password.

Get more information

For more detailed information about alcoholic products producer approval, readapproval, read the alcoholic products technical guide.