Three Major Principles for Calculating Import Equipment Freight Forwarding Fees

According to the latest 2025 revision of Enterprise Accounting Standard No. 4 - Fixed Assets, freight forwarding fees for imported equipment must comply withCapitalization Priority Principle:

• Customs clearance fees and port miscellaneous fees directly related to the equipment should be included in the assets original value
• Segmented Transportation Cost Processing Standards:
  • Overseas transportation fees are capitalized at 1% of the FOB value on the customs declaration
  • Domestic transportation fees are fully included in the equipment value
• Insurance costs should be capitalized proportionally based on policy coverage scope

Freight Forwarding Fee Breakdown and Account Setup

It is recommended that enterprises establish three-level accounts for detailed accounting:

• 03 Import Equipment Transportation Fees (Capitalization Account)
• 05 Logistics Agency Service Fees (Expense Account)
• 08 Customs Duty Estimation (Transition Account)

A 2025 case study of an electromechanical enterprise showed that through account subdivision, the accuracy rate of equipment book value increased by 27%, while tax audit adjustment rates dropped to 0.8%.

Key Points for Adjusting Customs Dutiable Value

According to the Valuation Rules Implementation Details issued by the General Administration of Customs in March 2025, special attention should be paid to:

• Overseas transportation fees exceeding 1% of the FOB value cannot be included in the dutiable value
• Demurrage and storage fees require time-node supporting documents
• Equipment transported in multiple batches must match transportation vouchers by batch

Solutions for Special Scenarios

Providing solutions for common industry challenges:

• Multi-batch LCL (Less than Container Load) ShippingAdopting the weight-volume proportion method for cost allocation
• Temporary customs duty depositRecorded under the account Other Receivables - Customs Deposit
• Disposal of returned equipmentCapitalized costs to be transferred to pending property gains/losses at net value

2025 tax treatment regulations

In accordance with the requirements of Ministry of Finance Announcement No. 1 of 2025:

• VAT deduction for imported equipment transportation fees requires complete freight document chain
• Cross-border payment agency service fees require completion of tax filing procedures
• Maritime TransportationAdditional fees (CAF/BAF) must be separately listed for pre-tax deduction