The accounting subjects involved in export freight forwarding expenses usually depend on the nature of the expenses and the company's accounting policy. Under normal circumstances, if the freight forwarding expenses occur before the goods are shipped to the port and loaded onto the ship, such as inland transportation fees, customs declaration fees, etc., they can be recorded in the "Selling expenses - Transportation expenses" subject. This is because these expenses are closely related to the sales process and are necessary expenditures for the realization of goods sales.
If the freight forwarding expenses include customs clearance, delivery, etc. after the goods arrive at the port of destination, for the exporter, these are expenses that occur after the sale and can also be recorded in "Selling expenses". However, if the contract stipulates that the buyer bears these expenses and the company only advances them on behalf of the buyer, then they should be recorded in "Other receivables" and offset against this subject when the funds are recovered. In addition, some freight forwarding expenses that are closely related to the cost of goods may also be recorded in inventory - related subjects such as "Merchandise inventory", and the specific recording should be judged according to the actual business.
Professional consultant answers
Andrew HuangYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Supply chain optimization expertConsult
The accounting subjects involved in export freight forwarding expenses usually depend on the nature of the expenses and the company's accounting policy. Under normal circumstances, if the freight forwarding expenses occur before the goods are shipped to the port and loaded onto the ship, such as inland transportation fees, customs declaration fees, etc., they can be recorded in the "Selling expenses - Transportation expenses" subject. This is because these expenses are closely related to the sales process and are necessary expenditures for the realization of goods sales.
If the freight forwarding expenses include customs clearance, delivery, etc. after the goods arrive at the port of destination, for the exporter, these are expenses that occur after the sale and can also be recorded in "Selling expenses". However, if the contract stipulates that the buyer bears these expenses and the company only advances them on behalf of the buyer, then they should be recorded in "Other receivables" and offset against this subject when the funds are recovered. In addition, some freight forwarding expenses that are closely related to the cost of goods may also be recorded in inventory - related subjects such as "Merchandise inventory", and the specific recording should be judged according to the actual business.
Joseph ZhouYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior foreign trade managerConsult
If the freight forwarding expenses are related to the purchase of goods, for example, the expenses of picking up goods from the supplier and transporting them to the export port, they can also be considered to be included in the purchase cost and ultimately reflected in the "Merchandise inventory" subject. This can more accurately calculate the cost of goods.
Emily LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Settlement and payment expertConsult
If a part of the export freight forwarding expenses is for obtaining insurance services during the transportation process, a separate "Selling expenses - Insurance expenses" can be set up to record this part of the expenses. This can clearly reflect the composition of various expenses.
David LiYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior customs declaration consultantConsult
Some document processing fees, booking fees, etc. can usually be classified into the "Selling expenses - Others" subject. Because these expenses are difficult to accurately belong to a specific item, it is convenient to record them together in "Others".
William YangYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
International logistics consultantConsult
If the company has frequent export business and has a need for a more detailed classification of freight forwarding expenses, secondary subjects can also be set up according to the mode of transportation (such as sea freight, air freight) to record the freight forwarding expenses under different modes of transportation respectively.
Elizabeth LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Compliance and risk managerConsult
For some freight forwarding expenses related to export tax rebates, if they are clearly related to the tax rebate business, they can be recorded separately for subsequent accounting and tax declaration, or they can be recorded in a subject similar to "Selling expenses - Export tax rebate expenses".
James LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign trade tax refund consultantConsult
If there are special expenses such as rush fees paid to speed up the transportation in the freight forwarding expenses, they can be recorded in "Selling expenses" or relevant inventory cost subjects respectively according to their relationship with sales or the cost of goods.
Michelle ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business coordination consultantConsult
If the company has a special import and export department responsible for freight forwarding matters, the relevant expenses can also be first collected into "Administrative expenses - Import and export department expenses" and then allocated to appropriate subjects according to the business situation.
Jennifer WangYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Market development consultantConsult
If the freight forwarding expenses include some certification, inspection and other expenses required to comply with the regulations of the importing country, they can be recorded in "Selling expenses - Certification and inspection expenses" according to the situation.