Source: Canada Border Services Agency; Logfret Canada
Date: 26th September 2023
Canada Border Services Agency Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) is an online self-service tool to modernize how businesses manage their accounts and pay duties and taxes when importing (all importers as residents or non-residents in Canada) commercial goods into Canada. Find out how these changes could apply to your business.
The CARM project is a multi-year digital initiative that will change how we collect duties and taxes for commercial goods imported into Canada. Through CARM, the CBSA will modernize and streamline the accounting process for imported commercial goods.
Benefits
Once fully implemented, CARM will simplify the overall importing process by:
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- providing a modern interface for importing into Canada
- giving importers self-service access to their information
- improving consistency of compliance with trade rules
Timeline
The implementation of CARM is structured in a series of releases. The Accounts Receivable Ledger (ARL) was the first phase of the CARM project. For details on ARL, consult Commercial Payments and accounts.
CARM Release 1: May 25, 2021
Release 1 launched the CARM Client Portal, a self-service tool that facilitates the accounting and revenue management processes with the CBSA.
The CARM Client Portal is available to importers and brokers, as well as trade consultants who currently submit rulings on behalf of importers. Those who have been onboarded to the portal are able to view their transactions and statements of account, request a ruling and pay invoices with new electronic payment options.
CARM Release 2
Release 2 soft launch is planned for October 2023 to allow selected industry partners to test their own internal systems and allow time for software service providers to continue to certify their software with CARM.
In May 2024, CARM will become the official system of record for the collection of duties and taxes for commercial goods imported into Canada.
The release scheduled in May 2024 will introduce the following features:
- Electronic commercial accounting declarations that you can correct and adjust
- Changes to the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) program
- Harmonized billing cycles
- New offsetting options
- Electronic management of appeals and compliance actions
- The ability to:
- register for a Business Number (BN9)
- enrol in various CBSA commercial programs
Note: As of May 2024, the ability to register for an importer or exporter account (RM) will only be available via the CARM Client Portal. The Canada Revenue Agency will no longer be providing this service.
Further enhancements are expected to become available in the Fall of 2024.
For more details, please do not hesitate to contact Logfret Canada or watch CARM Client Portal.