In theory, Customs only collects the duty that’s actually due. In practice, it’s common for importers to inadvertently overpay Customs duty, and because Customs has no reason to flag it, the overpayment sits there unnoticed, often for years.
The only way to find it is to look. We review your import records, identify where duty has been overpaid, and claim it back from Customs on your behalf.
Customs allows just two years from the date of import to claim overpaid duty back. Miss that window and the money is lost for good, no matter how clear the overpayment.
That’s why it pays to look now rather than later. Every month that passes, the oldest shipments fall out of the claimable period. We move quickly to recover everything still within reach.
Overpayments build up quietly. The most common cause by far is goods classified under the wrong tariff heading, which is also the costliest across a broad product range. Values get declared incorrectly, and the wrong value means the wrong duty. Duty gets paid on goods that qualified for a rebate. Or a lower rate available under a trade agreement is simply never claimed.
Across thousands of shipments, small errors like these add up to significant overpaid duty.
We identify the overpayment, motivate the claim, and submit it to Customs exactly as they require to avoid unnecessary delays, then follow it through until the refund is paid.
Behind every claim sits over 30 years of experience and a comprehensive library of tariff determinations built up over that time. Where a claim needs a tariff determination to support it, we apply for one. That combination is what makes our claims accurate and gets them paid.
Many importers assume that because their goods were cleared successfully through Customs, the correct amount of duty was paid. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Incorrect tariff classification, valuation errors and failure to use available rebates or trade agreements can all result in unnecessary duty being paid. A specialist review can identify whether opportunities exist to reduce your duty liability or recover overpaid duties.
Yes, provided the legal requirements are met and the claim is lodged within the prescribed time limit.
Common causes of overpayment include incorrect tariff classification, incorrect Customs valuation, duty paid on goods that qualified for a rebate and failure to apply a preferential rate available under a trade agreement.
Typically, the supporting documents include:
