Find out what your business has overpaid to Customs, and what's putting you at risk

Q: What information is required to review our imports?

Typically, we require:Bills of Entry, including SAD500 documentsCommercial invoicesBills of LadingPacking listsClearing instructionsProduct specifications or brochures where required

A compliance review looks at your import records the way Customs would, before Customs does

Most importers never find out they’ve overpaid duty, or that they’re carrying risk, until something forces the issue: a post-clearance audit, a penalty, or a competitor pricing lower because their duty rate is right and yours isn’t.

A Customs Compliance Review closes that gap. We go through your historic shipments in detail across the full two-year window, recover the duty you’ve overpaid, and flag anything that could turn into a demand or a fine later. You get the refund and the clarity, in one review.

Overpaying and underpaying both cost you, in different ways

Most importers don’t know which side of the line they’re on, because the errors don’t announce themselves. A review is how you find out, on your terms, before Customs makes the decision for you.

What our compliance review gives you

A comprehensive audit of your historic shipments delivers:

Refunds on overpaid duty: recovered from Customs across a two-year retrospective period.
Lower duty going forward: opportunities to reduce the duty payable on future shipments.
Every entitlement claimed: making sure you're using trade agreements or rebate provisions available to you.
Risk flagged before it becomes a penalty: incorrect procedures, tariff misclassification, wrong value declarations and other gaps under the Customs Act and Regulations, identified before they cost you.

Why importers bring us in

The review costs you nothing unless we recover

Our reviews work on recovery. Nothing found, no fee.

Confidential from the start

We sign a non-disclosure agreement whenever you need it, with access limited to the review.

In conjunction with your clearing agent, not instead of them

We handle the specialist tariff and compliance side, where overpayments surface.

Over 30 years of hands-on experience

Established 1992, recovering duty for South African importers across major sectors.

Frequently asked questions

Why should we review imports that Customs has already cleared?

Clearance by Customs does not necessarily confirm that declarations were correct. Most refund opportunities are only identified through detailed technical reviews of tariff classification, Customs valuation and the application of Customs legislation.

Can Customs audit shipments that were cleared years ago?

Yes. Customs may conduct post-clearance audits and request supporting documentation for historic importations going back two years from the date the audit begins. Importers should therefore maintain comprehensive records and periodically review their Customs compliance.

What information is required to review our imports?

Typically, we require:

Bills of Entry, including SAD500 documents
Commercial invoices
Bills of Lading
Packing lists
Clearing instructions
Product specifications or brochures where required

Will the review identify underpayments as well as overpayments?

Yes. A comprehensive Customs review identifies both opportunities to recover overpaid duties and areas where underpayments or compliance risks may exist, enabling businesses to manage those risks proactively.

What does CRS charge for conducting a review?

Our initial review is conducted free of charge. Where recoverable overpayments are identified, our remuneration is based on a percentage of refunds successfully recovered, as agreed in our Letter of Engagement.

Does CRS replace our clearing agent?

No. CRS works in conjunction with your existing clearing agent. We provide specialist technical Customs advice, while your clearing agent continues to manage logistics and the Customs clearance process.