RO e-Transport and xTrack ReT – automation of the transfer of data on the transport of goods in Romania

Tax regulations have created additional digital reporting obligations for those operating in freight logistics. In order to support companies that have to declare the transport of goods on Romanian territory, Axes Software has launched a special platform, offering the SaaS application xTrack ReT (“an RO e-Transport application”) that ensures the automation of data transfer between declarants, carriers and the RO e-Transport system.

What is the RO e-Transport System?

The RO e-Transport system is an advanced software platform promoted by the Ministry of Finance, which has a powerful hardware infrastructure that allows access to multiple databases and efficient processing of both existing and newly entered information. Through it, ANAF monitors the road transport of goods that fall under the category of high fiscal risk goods with (according to OUG (Government Emergency Ordinance) 41/2022) and, more recently, since 15 December 2023 (according to OUG 115/2023), the international road transport of goods on the Romanian territory.

The measure adopted to monitor transport aims to reduce tax evasion and increase revenue to the state budget by establishing stricter control over the collection of the applicable taxes and duties.

What types of goods are monitored via the RO e-Transport system?

Goods that have a high fiscal risk have been monitored since 2022. The list of these goods includes the following categories:

• vegetables, plants, roots and tubers, foodstuffs;
• edible fruits; peel of citrus fruit or melons;
• alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, vinegar;
• salt; sulphur; soils and stones; gypsum, lime and cement;
• knitted or crocheted clothing and clothing accessories;
• clothing and clothing accessories, other than knitted or crocheted ones;
• footwear, boots and the like; parts of such articles;
• cast iron, iron and steel.

In the case of international road transport, all goods must be declared, regardless of whether they are high tax risk  goods or not.

What types of transport are monitored via the RO e-Transport system?

The RO e-Transport system monitors:

• transport beginning and ending on the territory of the country;
• any cross-border transaction starting in Romania (e.g. export, intra-Community delivery);
• any cross-border transaction that ends in Romania (e.g. import, intra-Community purchase);
• any cross-border transaction that is in transit on the territory of Romania, because part of the transport takes place on the territory of Romania.

What is the UIT code?

The UIT code is a unique identification transport code which identifies the goods involved in the transaction which is the subject of each transport, whether it is the transport of goods with a high fiscal risk or the international road transport of goods.

This code, which all the carriers absolutely need while transporting goods on the Romanian national territory, is automatically generated by the RO e-Transport system and sent to its users after they transfer the data required by law.

The validity period of the UIT code is 5 calendar days, calculated from the date declared for the start of transport. However, there are situations (e.g. intra-Community purchases) where the period may be extended from 5 to 15 calendar days.

Who is under the obligation to declare goods in the RO e-Transport system?

The obligation to declare the data in the RO e-Transport system for the transport of goods with high fiscal risk as well as the international road transport of goods with or without high fiscal risk lies with the following users:

• the consignee mentioned in the customs import declaration, respectively the consignor mentioned in the customs export declaration, in the case of goods subject to import or export operations, as appropriate;
• the beneficiary in Romania, in the case of intra-Community (EU) acquisition of goods;
• the supplier in Romania, in the case of domestic transactions or intra-Community deliveries of goods, as appropriate;
• the depositary, in the case of goods subject to intra-Community transactions, which are in transit, both for goods unloaded on the Romanian territory for storage or for the creation of a new consignment (transport) of one or more consignments of goods, and for goods loaded after storage or after the creation of a new consignment of one or more consignments of goods on the national territory.

The declaration of data relating to road transport of goods shall be made in advance, before the goods enter the territory of Romania or before the vehicle with which the goods are transported is set in motion.

The need to digitize transport data flows for taxation purposes

The implementation of the RO e-Transport system can be seen as a positive and tangible result of the active promotion of digitalization, but aligning with the new tax reporting standards is a big challenge for many Romanian or foreign companies that can make their life significantly easier if they use software applications specifically designed to automate the data transfers between them and ANAF.

Digital data transfers save you from repeatedly entering the set of information to be declared for each individual transport (such as, for example, the economic operator identification data), eliminate errors etc.

The declaration of data relating to road consignments of goods with a high fiscal risk by suppliers, beneficiaries or, where applicable, depositaries, has been compulsory since 2022, and the penalties for non-compliance with the legal provisions began to apply from 1 January 2023. Penalties for non-compliance with the obligation introduced in December 2023 to declare international road consignments of goods will be applied from 1 July 2024.

If you have not opted for a software solution yet, you can do so now. You will see that digitalization makes a difference, simplifying the process of transferring and receiving data and allowing you to meet the requirements of the centralized RO e-Transport system with ease. This way, you will efficiently integrate your reporting activities to the competent authorities and comply with your legal obligations quickly and well.

How can Axes Software help you?

Axes Software has identified a way in which the effort required by those who have to declare high-tax-risk road consignments or international road consignments of goods can be considerably reduced.

This is why our team has developed a stand-alone web-based application called xTrack ReT which we make available, on a SaaS (Software as a Service) basis, to any company in the “declarant” category, irrespective of their using other software solutions (WMS, TMS, ERP, etc.) or not.

What is xTrack ReT?

xTrack ReT is a complex application with functionalities covering all the aspects  imposed by the declaration of goods in the RO e-Transport system. You can use it if you are a declarant, carrier or a 3PL service provider. By using the same application together with your partners, but with different accounts for each, you can send and, if necessary, modify some of your trip-related data (cargo data, vehicle registration number, driver’s name, etc.) so that you all receive the UIT code in real time. And you will cover the cost of using this e-transport software only if you are a declarant.

How does xTrack ReT, the Ro e-Transport application, work?

After downloading the xTrack ReT application and receiving the confirmation of registration, the user will be able to log in whenever necessary using a username and a password.

The software solution allows the declarants to save their company data and thus quickly log into the RO e-Transport System whenever they need to. By using xTrack ReT, the declarants also obtain the UIT codes, separately per transport, and have a clear record of their previous transactions.

The mandatory fields in the RO e-Transport software form that users can access by logging in via the application can be filled in either manually, automatically or in combination.

The SaaS application developed by Axes Software receives the UIT code and, in some cases, automatically fills it into the transport documents (documents accompanying the goods, CRMs, invoices, etc.), which are then printed and handed over to the driver making the trip.

If the data initially reported in the RO e-Transport system needs to be modified later, it is quickly updated and automatically transferred via the application provided by Axes Software, and the confirmation of the new data registration is sent by ANAF, without changing the UIT code. The data flow between the two systems also follows the same route in the event of a transport cancellation – the confirmation of the cancellation leads to the cancellation of the UIT code.

xTrack ReT for declarants

If you fall into the declarant category, you can use the application either independently or in partnership with transport companies and/or 3PL service providers. If you have your own or leased fleet and use it to make trips, obtaining  identification codes is of direct interest to you, and not involving other companies in the management of transport means using the application independently.

If you use the services of specialized companies or collaborate with 3PL providers for the transport of high fiscal risk goods, you can use the application together with them to ensure that all data is transferred as quickly as possible and to automate the process as much as possible. The app allows you to create a list of partners from which you can select the ones you want to involve in the transport, sending them the transport order in real time and asking for their support in filling in data that only they have, such as vehicle type, registration number, driver’s name, etc.

xTrack ReT for carriers

If you are a carrier/haulier, you can easily use the application, but not independently, but in close connection with the declarant whose goods you transport.

It’s much more efficient to use the app, as you receive real-time transport orders and fill in the data for the trips you will make much faster. In addition, if necessary, you can change the data you originally submitted to update the data related to the code you received or cancel the shipment and therefore the code.

xTrack ReT for 3PL service providers

You will not use xTrack ReT independently if you are a 3PL service provider. Through the application you will receive declarant’s instructions on the transport of high fiscal risk goods that you are managing on its behalf. In this way, you can fill in the necessary data not available to the declarant to receive the trip identification code. And if you do not carry out the transport, you can also send a transport order via xTrack ReT to another carrier selected from the list of partners you work with for this purpose.

Implementation of the RO e Transport xTrack ReT application

The software solution is offered as a SaaS application, so implementation is extremely simple and does not involve additional hardware or software resources. You simply download the xTrack ReT application and create an account to which you will have access by entering a username and password. Please note that the declarants access the RO e-Transport system from their virtual private space (SPV) to report the transport to ANAF.

The application also comes with a user manual that provides more details on how to configure it after installation. If you still have problems customizing the purchased application after reading the manual, Axes Software consultants are at your disposal to guide you step by step throughout the xTrack ReT configuration process.

If you use other software solutions, for example, such as TMS (Transport Management System), ERP or WMS, and you want a high degree of automation of the data declaration process, you can additionally ask us, the Axes Software team, to integrate them with the ReT application. By having applications interconnected you gain access to much of the data you need to declare in the RO e-Transport system and spend less time on collecting the required information.

Benefits of xTrack ReT

Using xTrack ReT brings you multiple benefits. The same application can be accessed via the accounts of all the parties involved (declarant and 3PL provider and/or carriers, as the case may be) and this allows a permanent transfer of information between all users and the RO e-Transport system.

The automation of the data entry (declaration) process in the RO e-Transport system and, if you are part of a “network”, the fast and efficient communication with the other partners involved via the same (declarant’s) application allows you to:

• reduce the times needed for the identification, verification and entry of data for each cargo and trip,
• eliminate delays in departure of shipments due to non-declaration of goods on time and financial losses that can occur in the case of perishable goods,
• avoid mistakes when filling in the form as the application sends you error messages or gives you the possibility to select predefined data (various codes),
• keep track of the status of operations carried out using the application,
• have access to the history of transactions recorded for traceability,

and last but not least,

• retain or increase your customer base by offering faster delivery services.

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The benefits of digitizing the transfer of data between two entities (economic operator and tax authority) are obvious. Choose a company with experience in designing, implementing and managing software applications, such as Axes Software, to benefit from project management, expert advice, support and help desk assistance. We welcome your further questions about xTrack ReT e-transport software. Write us a message by filling in the form below and you will receive an answer as soon as possible.

latest update: March 18, 2024