Invoice audit potential
Freight & Customs Overcharge Calculator
Estimate potential freight overcharges using a 1–5% recovery scenario, or explore customs duties and taxes overpayment opportunities using adjustable assumptions. Validate actual discrepancies and recoverable amounts through a detailed invoice audit.
Freight invoice audit
Use freight transportation and related carrier charges for your chosen period. Exclude duties and import taxes if you assess them separately.
Use a consistent period, such as the last 12 months. Starting amounts are illustrative.
The 3–8% range is a planning assumption, not a measured benchmark or guaranteed recovery. A higher spend produces a proportionally larger estimate at the same margin; it does not prove a higher error rate.
Potential overcharges
At your selected 5% margin
$50,000
$1,000,000 × 5%
- At 3%
- $30,000
- At 8%
- $80,000
Potential overcharges are not recovered cash. Confirmed recovery is the credit or refund actually received after validation and claim resolution. No recovery success rate or audit fees are assumed here.
Where freight overcharges can arise
Duplicate billing, incorrect contracted rates, missed discounts, fuel surcharge errors, unsupported accessorial fees, inaccurate weight or dimensions, and unapplied credits can create overcharges. Validate each charge against agreed terms and shipment evidence.
Did you pay the appropriate duties and taxes?
Total spend alone cannot answer that question. Itemize customs broker invoices and supporting entries, then compare the amounts paid with the legally applicable HS classification, origin, customs value, duty and tax rates, and import treatment for each entry.
01HS classification
Compare the declared HS code with the product’s description, composition, function, and technical specifications. Check the tariff schedule and any applicable customs ruling—not simply the lowest available rate.
02Origin and tariff treatment
Verify where the goods originate and the evidence required for preferential treatment under a trade agreement. Country of shipment alone does not establish origin or eligibility.
03Customs value and applicable rates
Check the declared value, required additions or deductions, currency conversion, and duty rate effective on the entry date. Review any applicable surtaxes, trade-remedy duties, or excise charges.
04Taxes, relief, and exceptions
Recalculate the tax base and applicable tax rate. Confirm eligibility and documentation for exemptions, relief, or special import treatment, and resolve entry discrepancies. Ordinary input tax credits are not customs overcharge recoveries.
05Reconciliation and recovery
Match broker invoice lines to customs accounting entries, commercial invoices, and payment records. Record the supported correction and track claims through approval to a received credit or refund; report underpayments separately.