Are You Prepared For An Audit?
Hopefully, your current customs broker has already filled you in
on AMPS, the Administrative Monetary Penalty
System. If they haven't, it is important that you be sure that
you are prepared for the new legislation, which takes effect October
7th, 2002.
NoGlobalBorders has a staff of customs and international trade
professionals who can work with your organization to make sure that
you are fully compliant with AMPS regulations. They will look at
each step of your import and export processes and generate a set
of recommendations to ensure that when Canada Customs decides to
perform a post-verification audit, your organization will face minimum
exposure.
 Documentation
Quality and Reconciliation
NGB audit consultants will examine the quality of your (and your
vendor) documentation, map out your process for reconciling your
accounting with your customs reporting, and document your receiving
process to ensure that you're reporting what is actually showing
up at your dock.
In addition, we'll look at your certificates of origin, with
an emphasis on ensuring that NAFTA eligible goods have valid certificates.
At your discretion, we can also do a complete verification of
your tariff classifications, or look at a representative sample
to see if further work is warranted.
Process
Mapping
NGB will document your entire import and export processes, from
ordering to delivery, identifying where things can go wrong, who
has responsibility for each step, and what triggers the next step
in each process. This process overview usually enables you to
quickly identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
Our final recommendations generally include a new set of processes
(developed with you and the other stakeholders in your order-to-delivery
process) that will not only better prepare you for an AMPS audit,
but will more effectively support your business and improve your
relationships with vendors and customers.
Benefits
and Deliverables
As an importer, you won't only see the benefits if you are audited
by CCRA. Our full report of your level of compliance is accompanied
by a realistic and implementable set of recommendations that,
if completed, will also put your organization well on the way
toward Customs Self-Assessment eligibility.
The benefits of an NGB audit may also extend directly to your
bottom line. Your current processes may result in your overpaying
duty and GST, and provide no mechanism for ensuring that you are
actually paying the freight and brokerage for which you've contracted.
Our final report will also contain recommendations for setting
up processes to ensure that you're getting what you pay for, and
that you're not paying more than you should be.
NGB has been an advocate for importers for almost a decade, and
has very strong ties with Canada Customs, so we understand exactly
what Canada Customs auditors are looking for. We also have a great
appreciation of the importance to your business of developing
and maintaining a good relationship with the CCRA, and an NGB
compliance audit will go a long way towards doing just that.
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