Duty & Tax Advisory
Your right. Our specialty.

Taking the time to review trade transactions to claim a duty and tax refund often doesn’t seem worth it. We do it for you. Our team of consultants, accountants, auditors, and lawyers have recovered millions in over-payment in duties, taxes and fees.

Duty Drawback

Take the difficulties off duty drawback your plate. Livingston’s recovery experts are highly experienced in filing for drawback claims in the U.S. and Canada. Based on up-to-date regulations, we analyze your import/export data to maximize your financial returns. You can leave it to us.

Duty Recovery

Recovery opportunities are not always obvious. We analyze your import transactions and duties paid. We focus on harmonized tariff classification, origin determination, valuation, and other government requirements. This might even include showing precedent-setting cases and rulings to initiate the recovery process. We do it all for you, then deliver the recovered funds on a contingency basis.

Value-Added Taxes

Whether you are a non-resident importer or an exporter, recovering value-added taxes such as GST, HST, and VAT can be challenging. Our global team manages these recoveries, from registration through submission of claims.

Many countries offer importers the incentive of duty and/or tax savings to encourage domestic production. Livingston helps identify these cost-saving opportunities then manages the data required for reporting.

Bonded Warehouses,
Foreign / Free Trade Zones FTZ

Inward Processing Relief is a way to avoid duty and VAT on eligible products entering the EU and UK, as long as the goods are processed into finished products and then exported. Outward Processing reduces duty on products exported for further processing. Our European team will help you analyze the costs and benefits, prepare the applications, and manage records and reporting. We manage the complexity. You save through lower import/export costs.

Feasibility Studies

We review your supply chain to identify cost-saving FTZ and bonded warehouse opportunities, then help you complete your due diligence for the best solution.

Application

Documentation for FTZ and bonded warehouses is complicated. There are multiple authorities. They want to know in detail how you will be operating. Furthermore, customs permits and pass inspections must be obtained. We’ll help you make sure all your documents are accurate and submitted correctly.

FTZ Activation

Livingston is a highly experienced FTZ customs brokerage partner and can often help you activate within 45 days. Once your program is activated, we’ll help you self-monitor your activities so you are fully prepared if an audit should arise.

Inward / Outward Processing Relief EU & UK

Inward Processing Relief is a way to avoid duty and VAT on eligible products entering the EU and UK, as long as the goods are processed into finished products and then exported. Outward Processing reduces duty on products exported for further processing. Our European team will help you analyze the costs and benefits, prepare the applications, and manage records and reporting. We manage the complexity. You save through lower import/export costs.

IMMEX / Maquiladora Industry MX

IMMEX and Fiscal Depot are Mexican government duty-deferral programs for manufacturers. Livingston’s Mexico experts are well-versed in Mexican customs processes and the maquiladora program. We help you determine the viability of these programs for your business and explain your options. We will then help you establish the required inventory management program and related processes to meet the strict requirements.

These programs are like foreign trade zones that allow for the deferral of duty payments. We take the complexity and risk out of the process with our industry-leading software, managing your inventory transactions and declarations from warehouse admission through nationalization or export.