CDS10020Domain error: data element contains invalid value
A code on the declaration is not recognised, is not permitted on this type of declaration, or is valid but entered at the wrong level, header instead of item or the reverse.
What to check for CDS10020
- The code list for the data element named in the error.
- Whether the code is allowed on this declaration type; HMRC's example is an export-only document code on an import declaration.
- Whether the code sits at the level the element requires, header or item.
What to check across the Obligation, format and value errors
A single data element has failed: it is missing or incomplete, not allowed on this declaration, repeated more often than permitted, in the wrong format, or carries a value that is not recognised. Check the element named in the error is completed in full, in the expected format, and only where the declaration type allows it. A negative item customs value points back to the valuation data on that item.
What does CDS10020 mean?
CDS10020 is a domain error: a data element contains a value CDS does not accept. The code may not exist, may not be allowed on this type of declaration, or may be valid but entered at the wrong level, header instead of item. Check the element's code list, the declaration type and the level.
A declaration that clears CDS can still be wrong
The free eligibility checker confirms your import activity and whether a free post-clearance audit applies. No data upload, no commitment.
Source: HMRC, Customs Declaration Service error codes, Open Government Licence v3.0. GOV.UK publication · Licence