Customs duty audit using post entry data

• US 20050010431A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Potts, Tom, Peach, Laurie, Holmes, Frederic, Halterman, Matt, Swirt, Mark, Thorn, Denise, Uy, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0831 Overseas transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The disclosures herein relate to methods and systems for auditing customs import-reporting data that are submitted on behalf of an importer by a customs broker to a customs agency. The methods include procedures for detecting discrepancies between product data and customs data, where the product data may be received after the customs data are received, and also procedures for resolving such discrepancies.

Claims

1. A method of auditing an import report submitted on behalf of an importer by a customs broker to a customs agency comprising:

entering product data relating to imported goods in a computer system managed by or on behalf of the importer;

receiving customs data relating to the imported goods from the customs broker and entering it into the computer system, the customs data having been assembled by the customs broker and presented by the customs broker to the customs agency;

comparing the product data and the customs data using the computer system;

detecting discrepancies between the compared data using the computer system; and

calculating adjustments needed to cause the customs data to conform to the product data using the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the product data and the customs data both include a quantity of one of the imported goods that were received.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the discrepancies is between the quantity of the one of the imported goods in the product data and the quantity of the one of the imported goods in the customs data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the product data and the customs data both include a purchase price that was paid for one of the imported goods.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein one of the discrepancies is between the purchase price of the one of the imported goods in the product data and the purchase price of the one of the imported goods in the customs data.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a report that includes the calculated adjustments.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising transmitting the generated report to the customs agency.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the generated report is transmitted to the customs agency through the customs broker.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the product data includes third party information that affects an amount of duty which must be paid to the customs agency for one of the imported goods, and wherein the customs data includes a first duty amount which has been reported to the customs agency for the one of the imported goods, the method further comprising:

calculating a second duty amount based upon the product data including the third party information;

comparing the first duty amount and the second duty amount;

detecting a discrepancy between the first and second duty amounts; and

reporting the discrepancy to the customs agency.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the third party information comprises royalty payments attributable to the imported goods.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising submitting an additional duty payment to the customs agency in an amount indicated by the discrepancy.

12. The method, of claim 9 further comprising receiving a duty refund from the customs agency in an amount indicated by the discrepancy.

13. Computer-readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of auditing an import report submitted on behalf of an importer by a customs broker to a customs agency, the method comprising:

entering product data relating to imported goods in a computer system managed by or on behalf of the importer;

receiving customs data relating to the imported goods from the customs broker and entering it into the computer system, the customs data having been assembled by the customs broker and presented by the customs broker to the customs agency;

comparing the product data and the customs data using the computer system;

detecting discrepancies between the compared data using the computer system; and

calculating adjustments needed to cause the customs data to conform to the product data using the computer system.

14. The computer-readable media of clam 13, wherein the product data and the customs data both include a quantity of one of the imported goods that were received.

15. The computer-readable media of clam 14, wherein one of the discrepancies is between the quantity of the one of the imported goods in the product data and the quantity of the one of the imported goods in the customs data.

16. The computer-readable media of clam 13 wherein the product data and the customs data both include a purchase price that was paid for one of the imported goods.

17. The computer-readable media of clam 16 wherein one of the discrepancies is between the purchase price of the one of the imported goods in the product data and the purchase price of the one of the imported goods in the customs data.

18. The computer-readable media of clam 13 wherein the method further comprises generating a report that includes the calculated adjustments.

19. The computer-readable media of clam 18 wherein the method further comprises transmitting the generated report to the customs agency.

20. The computer-readable media of clam 19 wherein the generated report is transmitted to the customs agency through the customs broker.

21. The computer-readable media of clam 13 wherein the product data includes third party information that affects an amount of duty which must be paid to the customs agency for one of the imported goods, and wherein the customs data includes a first duty amount which has been reported to the customs agency for the one of the imported goods, the method further comprising:

calculating a second duty amount based upon the product data including the third party information;

comparing the first duty amount and the second duty amount;

detecting a discrepancy between the first and second duty amounts; and

reporting the discrepancy to the customs agency.

22. The computer-readable media of clam 21 wherein the third party information comprises royalty payments attributable to the imported goods.

23. The computer-readable media of clam 21 wherein the method further comprises submitting an additional duty payment to the customs agency in an amount indicated by the discrepancy.

24. The computer-readable media of clam 21 wherein the method further comprises receiving a duty refund from the customs agency in an amount indicated by the discrepancy.

25. A computer system configured to audit an import report submitted on behalf of an importer by a customs broker to a customs agency comprising:

a user input device for entering into the computer system product data relating to imported goods in a computer system managed by or on behalf of the importer;

a processor input device configured to receive customs data relating to the imported goods from the customs broker and entering it into the computer system, the customs data having been assembled by the customs broker and presented by the customs broker to the customs agency;

a processor configured to compare the product data and the customs data using the computer system;

the processor further configured to detect discrepancies between the compared data using the computer system; and

the processor also configured to calculate adjustments needed to cause the customs data to conform to the product data using the computer system.

26. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the product data and the customs data both include a quantity of one of the imported goods that were received.

27. The computer system of claim 26 wherein one of the discrepancies is between the quantity of the one of the imported goods in the product data and the quantity of the one of the imported goods in the customs data.

28. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the product data and the customs data both include a purchase price that was paid for one of the imported goods.

29. The computer system of claim 28 wherein one of the discrepancies is between the purchase price of the one of the imported goods in the product data and the purchase price of the one of the imported goods in the customs data.

30. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the processor is further configured to generate a report that includes the calculated adjustments.

31. The computer system of claim 30 further comprising an output configured to transmit the generated report to the customs agency.

32. The computer system of claim 31 wherein the output is configured to transmit the generated report to the customs agency through the customs broker.

33. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the product data includes third party information that affects an amount of duty which must be paid to the customs agency for one of the imported goods, and wherein the customs data includes a first duty amount which has been reported to the customs agency for the one of the imported goods, the processor further configured to:

calculate a second duty amount based upon the product data including the third party information;

compare the first duty amount and the second duty amount;

detect a discrepancy between the first and second duty amounts; and

report the discrepancy to the customs agency.

34. The computer system of claim 33 wherein the third party information comprises royalty payments attributable to the imported goods.