Duty Drawback
DUTY DRAWBACK & TAX RECOVERY SERVICES
Charter Brokerage is the leading provider of duty-drawback services in the United States.
Charter Brokerage’s duty drawback services recover more duties, taxes, and fees than all other U.S. service providers, and our legal experience, consulting and expertise are simply unmatched. Since the implementation of TFTEA in 2018 Charter Brokerage has compliantly claimed over $7.1 Billion in duties, taxes and fees on behalf of our extensive client base. Our services include all matters necessary to establish and manage a sophisticated duty-drawback program that will maximize duty, tax, and fee recoveries. These services are comprised of, business reviews and identification of opportunities, planning and optimization, applications and rulings, compliance checks, claim filing and full audit support.
With its superior knowledge and unmatched experience, Charter ensures that its clients recover all duties, taxes, and fees to which they are entitled under the law. As the leading drawback broker, we have filed more than 90% of the historic eight-digit drawback claims with Customs and Border Protection since 1994. Charter’s duty-drawback experts identify and capture often overlooked supply chain drawback opportunities that are available with suppliers, customers, global trade service providers and others in the supply chain.
Technology
Innovative AI. Trusted Compliance. Faster Refunds.
At Charter, our people lead and our technology follows their expertise. Hamilton, our proprietary drawback platform, was built by our own team of drawback experts, data scientists, and programmers. Every data set is run through rigorous validation protocol checks before any claim is filed, and every claim is tracked through final filing with a complete audit trail and compliance backing at every step. We file when we are certain.
Excise Tax Recovery
Charter Brokerage has fought to successfully bring the benefits of tax drawback to our clients.
Charter has a successful track record with our claims accounting for most tax refunds issued by U.S. Customs. Having pioneered the concept of tax and fee drawback close to 30 years ago, we currently file excise tax drawback for some of the largest companies in the world, covering industries such as petroleum, spirits, wine, beer, and tobacco. We have fought to successfully bring the benefits of tax drawback to our clients using a holistic approach of engagement with all three branches of the government.
The basis for tax drawback was first initiated via litigation in the mid-to-late 1990’s. Ultimately, this effort failed, and we then employed a targeted lobbying effort on Capitol Hill, which succeeded with a technical change to the drawback law passed by Congress in 2004. The next struggle dealt with the Executive branch to develop the framework for claims to be processed and paid. Ironically, once the funds started flowing, the Treasury Department proposed regulations in 2009 to eliminate excise tax drawback. We fought back, and this proposed rulemaking was withdrawn in 2010.
READ MORE
Charter team members were intimately involved with the development of expanded tax drawback in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (“TFTEA”), which included allowing tax drawback in manufacturing claims for the first time. Once again, the Treasury issued another regulatory attempt to eliminate tax drawback in 2018. We forged a coalition and funded the litigation that confirmed the applicability of TFTEA drawback to excise taxes. Finally, we also fought for tax and fee drawback to be included in the Accelerated Payment privilege.
The legal foundation that Charter helped build, combined with our team of experienced brokers, lawyers, accountants, and consultants, instills confidence in our clients. Our industry-leading excise tax drawback solutions are a testament to our expertise. We have set up excise tax drawback programs under many different scenarios and in the most complex situations, often taking into account complexities such as reconciliation, multiple parties, multiple sales, and complex tax calculations. Our experts work closely with U.S. Customs and the Department of Treasury to ensure that your tax drawback claims are filed compliantly, fully supported by internal records, and our team has extensive experience in shepherding our clients through the inevitable reviews and audits conducted by the government. Charter is truly your partner in excise tax drawback, by your side from “cradle to grave” in the drawback process, and consistently working with you to develop strategies to maximize drawback potential in a compliant manner.
