Service 01 — Import Bookkeeping
Finally know what
importing really costs
When duties, freight charges, and handling fees are all captured in one place, your margin figures stop being estimates — and start being something you can actually rely on.
What this service delivers
Your landed cost, recorded with care — every shipment
This service is built around one straightforward outcome: that when you look at what a shipment cost you, the number you see is complete. Not the invoice price. Not a rough add-on for "other charges." The full picture — duties, freight, insurance, handling — correctly attributed to the right goods and periods.
Margins you can trust
Every cost captured means every margin calculation rests on firm ground.
Duty tracking done properly
Each duty and tariff logged against the correct shipment and period.
Clearer reporting
Reports that show true cost of goods — useful for pricing decisions and planning.
A familiar challenge
When import costs go untracked, the gaps add up quietly
Most importers know their supplier invoice price well. The charges that come after — the freight forwarder's invoice, the port handling fees, the duty notice — tend to land in separate places, sometimes weeks apart. By the time it's month-end, pulling all of that together into one accurate cost figure takes time that most businesses don't have.
The result is often a landed cost that's estimated rather than exact. Pricing decisions, margin targets, and inventory valuations all carry that uncertainty forward. It's not a crisis — but it quietly makes accurate planning harder than it needs to be.
"We know roughly what it costs us to import — but 'roughly' isn't really good enough when we're setting prices for the next season."
— A common situation among the importers we work with
How we approach it
Every charge attributed to the right shipment, every time
Our approach is methodical rather than complicated. When your import documents arrive — supplier invoices, freight bills, duty notices, customs entries — we work through them carefully, matching each charge to the correct shipment and recording it in a way that builds a complete landed cost picture.
We don't use estimates or round numbers where actual figures are available. If a duty notice arrives after the initial entry, we update the record. The goal is a ledger you can look at and know it reflects what actually happened — not what you expected to happen.
What we capture
- — Import duties and tariffs
- — Freight and shipping charges
- — Port and handling fees
- — Insurance costs
- — Customs agent charges
- — Currency conversion on foreign invoices
How we attribute it
- — Matched to the correct shipment reference
- — Allocated by product line where needed
- — Recorded in the correct accounting period
- — Updated when later documents arrive
- — Presented in clear landed-cost summaries
Working together
Straightforward from the first conversation
We start by understanding your import flows — suppliers, shipping routes, the currencies you deal in, and how your current records are kept. From there, we agree on a simple monthly process that fits the way you already work, rather than asking you to change everything.
Initial conversation
We learn your import setup, document types, and current pain points.
Monthly document send
You forward invoices, duty notices, and freight bills as they arrive.
We record and reconcile
Each charge matched, entered, and checked for completeness.
You receive clear figures
Landed cost summaries delivered in plain language, ready to use.
Investment
Transparent pricing, no surprises
Landed Cost & Import Bookkeeping
Monthly ongoing service
USD 380
per month
What's included:
- ✓ Monthly landed cost bookkeeping
- ✓ Duty and tariff tracking by shipment
- ✓ Freight and handling charge allocation
- ✓ Currency conversion on foreign invoices
- ✓ Monthly landed cost summary report
- ✓ Late document updates and corrections
- ✓ Records organized for review
- ✓ Direct access to ask questions
Pricing is based on typical monthly shipment volumes. If your import activity is higher or your record-keeping situation more complex, we're happy to discuss a scope that fits — just get in touch and we'll be straightforward about what makes sense.
Why it works
Consistent records, built over time
Landed cost accuracy isn't the result of a one-time fix — it builds month by month as a consistent recording practice takes hold. The first month, we establish your document flow and set up clean records. By the third month, patterns become clear. By six months, you have a ledger history you can actually draw on.
Month 1
Document flow established, records cleaned up and structured
Month 3
Patterns visible — margin by supplier or route becomes legible
Month 6+
Historical ledger usable for planning, pricing, and comparison
We measure progress by how well your records hold up under scrutiny — whether that's your own review, an accountant's query, or an external check. The aim is records that anyone can follow, not just us.
Our commitment
We stand behind the work we do
If something in a monthly report doesn't look right to you, we'll revisit it — no hesitation, no charge. Our job is to get the records correct, and if a document was mis-matched or a charge was attributed to the wrong period, we want to know and we'll fix it.
Corrections at no extra charge
If we've made an error in a record, we correct it as part of the service — that's not additional work to us, it's part of the commitment.
No obligation to start
We're happy to have an initial conversation about your situation without any commitment. There's no pressure, and no charge for that first discussion.
A note on expectations: We're careful bookkeepers, not miracle workers. We record what your documents tell us, and we flag anything that looks incomplete or inconsistent. What we can promise is diligence, clarity, and a team that's easy to reach.
Getting started
Three steps from here to clear records
Write to us
Use the contact form below or email [email protected]. Tell us a bit about your imports — goods, suppliers, rough volume, current situation. We read every message carefully.
We have a short call or email exchange
We'll understand your document flow, confirm the scope, and give you a clear picture of how the monthly process would work. No pressure, just a practical conversation.
We begin with your next month's documents
Once we've agreed on scope, we start at the beginning of your next month — clean, organised, with a consistent process from day one.
Ready to see your import costs clearly?
A brief conversation is all it takes to understand whether this service is a good fit for your import operation. No obligation, no rush — just a straightforward discussion about your records.
Explore our other services
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