What core process specifications must import and export agency enterprises follow for bookkeeping establishment?
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I just set up an import and export agency company. I only had bookkeeping experience in domestic trade before, and I am completely confused when handling cross-border businesses now. We provide customers with services including customs declaration, international logistics, foreign exchange settlement and export tax refund, but I have no idea about what modules should be divided for bookkeeping establishment.
For example, I do not know how to map customs declarations, bills of lading, foreign exchange receipt and payment vouchers to the accounting set, and the domestic trade bookkeeping logic cannot be applied to the new scenario at all. Besides, I heard that the compliance requirements for cross-border businesses are extremely strict at present.
If accounts are disorganized, not only the tax refund will be rejected, the enterprise may also be subject to inspections by customs or tax authorities. Are there clear bookkeeping establishment steps and corresponding precautions?
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat
First of all，the core anchor of bookkeeping establishment is closed-loop file archiving of full business documents. In 2026，customs has realized automatic system comparison of customs declarations，manifests and foreign exchange receipt and payment vouchers. All agency businesses must take the original customs declarations approved by customs，sea/air waybills，and bank cross-border foreign exchange receipt and payment slips as original vouchers for archiving. Each agency business corresponds to a unique business number to avoid cross-account mixing.
Secondly，the accounting module shall be split into four core sub-ledgers: agency service income ledger，logistics subcontracting cost ledger，tax and duty accounting ledger，and current account ledger. For agency service fees，applicable tax rates for domestic and overseas services shall be distinguished. For logistics costs，secondary accounts shall be set up based on detailed items such as space freight，trailer fees and warehousing fees. The tax ledger separately accounts for customs duties，value-added tax，withholding tax and other types of taxes. The current account ledger shall set up sub-accounts respectively for each customer，freight forwarder and bank，to match the serial numbers of foreign exchange receipt and payment vouchers.
Thirdly，an exception handling contingency plan shall be established: in case of inconsistency of goods description between customs declaration and bill of lading，or mismatch between foreign exchange receipt/payment amount and customs declaration value，mark items to be adjusted immediately，and contact customers to revise documents synchronously，so as not to hinder subsequent tax refund or compliance review.
Finally，for compliance implementation，four flows consistency verification shall be completed every month，which refers to information matching of contracts，customs declarations，foreign exchange receipt and payment vouchers and invoices. Meanwhile，all related documents shall be retained for no less than 10 years as required，to support the annual compliance audit conducted by tax authorities in 2026.
WilliamYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics AdvisorStart a Chat
When establishing books, the HS code, quantity and amount stated on customs declaration shall be taken as the core accounting basis, and the customs declaration number of each agency business shall correspond one-to-one with the business number in the accounting set. It shall be noted that agency service fees shall not be included in the dutiable value of goods.
If the customs raises doubt during price verification, the separately accounted detailed ledger of agency service fees shall be provided as supporting document. Meanwhile, under the "Two-step Declaration" mode rolled out by customs in 2026, the pre-declared manifest information shall be consistent with the formal customs declaration data in the accounting set, to avoid disputes over price verification.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Bookkeeping for logistics links shall focus on the accounting details of container detention fees and free storage periods, which shall be recorded into accounts according to the actual days and amount incurred. Advance provision or deferred listing of such expenses is not allowed.
If abnormal situations such as port change and container rollover occur, the extra expenses generated shall be set up with a separate secondary account, and original documents such as port change application form and shipping company confirmation letter shall be retained synchronously. In addition, the cargo ownership transfer corresponding to bill of lading endorsement shall be marked with the cargo ownership change node in the current account ledger synchronously, to avoid disputes over cargo ownership.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
For cross-border tax bookkeeping, a separate VAT deferral accounting account shall be set up to distinguish the deferred VAT declaration cycles of different EU countries. For cross-border related party transactions, related party transaction pricing documents shall be retained in the accounting set in line with BEPS rules, and profit level indicators of related party transactions shall be updated on a quarterly basis.
Meanwhile, withholding tax applicable to non-resident enterprises shall be accrued in time according to the time of foreign exchange receipt and payment, to avoid tax risks caused by overdue declaration.
SophiaYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
The bookkeeping for foreign exchange receipt and payment links shall set up detailed accounts by currency. In 2026, the CIPS RMB cross-border payment system has covered all major trade regions around the world, so the transaction number of CIPS message shall be matched one-to-one with the foreign exchange receipt and payment records in the accounting set.
If offshore account management is involved, the offshore account statement and the balance in the accounting set shall be reconciled every month, to avoid unrecorded foreign exchange receipt or payment items. When squaring accounts after foreign exchange settlement, the exchange rate difference shall be separately recorded into the exchange gain or loss account, and the final settlement and payment shall be completed on a quarterly basis.
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
A separate ledger shall be established for bookkeeping of contracts and letters of guarantee. Each letter of credit and letter of guarantee shall record core information such as its number, amount, validity period and beneficiary. If soft clauses are found in the letter of credit, clauses to be rectified shall be marked in the contract ledger, and corresponding customers shall be reminded to make modification synchronously.
The release node of the letter of guarantee shall be recorded in the accounting set, to avoid legal risks of un-cancelled guarantee after expiration. Meanwhile, the signing of exclusive agreements shall be filed separately in the contract ledger, to ensure the consistency between accounting set data and legal documents.
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat
For bookkeeping of customs inspection links, special expense accounts shall be set up by inspection batches, covering container unpacking fees, sample submission fees, seal replacement fees and other related costs. Original documents such as inspection notice, test report and seal photo shall be properly retained.
If discrepancy is found during inspection, rectification measures shall be marked in the accounting set. Under the "Smart Inspection" mode implemented by customs in 2026, for goods marked as abnormal in machine inspection, relevant packaging inspection report shall be submitted in time to avoid the risk of goods detention.
EmilyYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Client Success AdvisorStart a Chat
The bookkeeping for packaging links shall set up packaging expense accounts by goods categories, including UN dangerous goods packaging fees, MSDS preparation fees, moisture-proof reinforcement fees and other related items. Original documents such as packaging inspection report and UN packaging label photo shall be retained.
If dangerous goods transportation is involved, extra expenses for dangerous goods packaging shall be accounted for separately. Meanwhile, the selection of cushioning packaging materials for special goods shall be consistent with the procurement records in the accounting set, to avoid the inconsistency between recorded packaging expenses and actual procurement costs.
EllaYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Financial AdvisorStart a Chat
For bookkeeping of export tax refund, a separate tax refund ledger shall be established, which records information such as customs declaration, purchase invoice, and foreign exchange collection voucher for each tax refund business by month. Pre-declaration verification shall be carried out every month to avoid the inconsistency of four flows.
In case of tax correspondence investigation, all documents corresponding to the target business can be retrieved quickly from the accounting set to cooperate with the verification work of tax authorities. Under the "Instant Approval without Additional Application" mode implemented for export tax refund in 2026, it is necessary to ensure that the data of the accounting set is completely consistent with the data of the tax refund declaration system, to avoid the failure of tax refund processing.