--- title: "How should the principal and agent respectively complete compliant accounting treatment in import agency business?" description: "In import agency business，many enterprises often trigger tax compliance warnings or have unresolved outstanding fund balances due to confusing the accounting boundaries between the principal and the agent and lacking matching documents. It is necessary to clearly define the accounting responsibilities and rights of both parties，review core documents such as customs declaration forms and tax and fee payment receipts in advance，standardize the collection of tariffs and VAT and complete compliant d..." url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "Import Agency Q&A" datePublished: "2026-10-31" dateModified: "2026-10-31" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 10 --- # How should the principal and agent respectively complete compliant accounting treatment in import agency business? ## Question I am the Finance Director of a medium-sized machinery parts factory in Shanghai. Last month, we imported a batch of German precision bearings for production line upgrade through Zhongshen's import agency service, with a total value of 2.3 million yuan. Now I am completely confused when doing the accounting: first, I couldn't distinguish the accounting boundaries between us as the principal and your company as the agent, and I mistakenly recorded the tariffs you advanced directly into the procurement cost, which triggered a compliance warning during the preliminary tax filing; later, I found that the titles on the customs declaration form and the VAT payment receipt do not match, and I don't know how to match them for deduction. This import payment has been hanging in the prepaid accounts until now, and the leadership is urging progress every day, even the application for the government's technical reform subsidy may be affected. I am so worried that I almost can't sleep, I just want to ask how to do compliant accounting correctly and what details I should pay attention to avoid further problems? ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer First，you need to complete **pre-review of core documents**: The principal shall collect the import agency agreement，customs declaration form (copy of the original stamped with the agent's official seal)，tariff and VAT payment receipts (the receipt with the principal's title can be deducted directly，and the one with the agent's title needs to provide a payment proxy certificate)，and international freight invoices from the agent in advance. Ensure that the document information completely matches the product name，amount，and dutiable value of the imported goods，so as to avoid tax compliance warnings caused by inconsistent documents. Second，clarify **the division of accounting boundaries between the agent and the principal**: The agent only needs to account for the agency service fees and advanced fund transactions，record the advanced tariffs and VAT into "other receivables"，and record the agency service fees into "main business income"，the principal shall record the goods price and advanced tariffs into "inventory goods"，the VAT payment receipts (those eligible for deduction) into "taxes payable - VAT payable (input tax)"，and the advanced funds into "accounts payable - agent". Make advance plans for abnormal situations: if the title on the payment receipt does not match the principal，require the agent to issue a "Payment Proxy Certificate" stamped with the official seal，and make a note in the tax system，if there are advanced funds，set up a special accounting account for "import agency advanced funds" to avoid confusion with the principal's own funds. Finally complete compliant implementation: after accounting，organize and archive all documents，with a retention period of no less than 10 years，and submit the import agency agreement for review during quarterly tax filings to ensure that the entire process complies with foreign trade finance and tax compliance requirements. **status:** accepted **Author:** Eric Zhou **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 2 When doing accounting for import agency, the marking of the "domestic consignee" and "consumption and use unit" columns on the customs declaration form directly affects accounting compliance. If the domestic consignee is the agent and the consumption and use unit is the principal, the agent shall mark "import agency" in the remarks column of the customs declaration form, otherwise the tax authorities will deem it as the agent's self-operated import, making it impossible for the principal to normally deduct VAT. If the information on the customs declaration form does not match the accounting subject, apply to the customs for modification of the core information of the customs declaration form within 1 year from the date of issuance of the customs declaration form, and submit the import agency agreement, copy of the principal's business license and other materials during the modification, so as to avoid long-term outstanding accounts or tax deduction failure caused by incorrect customs declaration form information. **status:** suggested **Author:** Evelyn Li **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 3 In import agency business, the accounting of international logistics fees must strictly match the owner of the goods. If the logistics fees are advanced by the agent, the principal shall require the agent to provide the split logistics invoice (with the principal's title) or the total logistics invoice and the "Logistics Fee Advance Allocation Sheet", which shall clearly mark the product details, corresponding logistics fee amount, agent's payment voucher number and other information. If the CIF trade term is adopted, the logistics fees are already included in the goods value, and shall be combined with the goods price and recorded into the "inventory goods" account; if the FOB trade term is adopted, the logistics fees shall be separately recorded into "sales expenses - logistics fees" or "inventory goods" (depending on whether the goods are put into storage), so as to avoid cost accounting distortion caused by incorrect collection of logistics fees. **status:** suggested **Author:** Andy Guo **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 4 The VAT deduction accounting involved in import agency needs to meet three core conditions: first, the title of the payment receipt must match the principal, or the agent must provide a legally valid payment proxy certificate; second, the goods must be used for general tax calculation projects, and if they are used for simple tax calculation, tax-free projects or collective welfare, the input tax shall be transferred out; third, the payment receipt must be checked and confirmed on the VAT invoice comprehensive service platform within 360 days from the date of issuance. For tariff accounting, if the goods are taxable consumer goods, the tariff shall be included in the tax base of "taxes payable - consumption tax payable"; if they are non-taxable consumer goods, the tariff shall be directly recorded into the "inventory goods" cost. In addition, if the VAT deferral policy is adopted, the principal shall make a provisional accounting when the goods are imported, and adjust the input tax after actually paying the VAT, so as to avoid accounting confusion caused by the deferral policy. **status:** suggested **Author:** Michael Zhang **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 5 Import agency accounting must strictly match the cross-border payment and receipt information, so as to avoid foreign exchange administration bureau warnings caused by inconsistency between capital flow, goods flow and document flow. When making payment, the principal shall submit the import agency agreement and copy of the customs declaration form to the bank, and the bank will mark the payment information as "import agency payment" and upload it to the foreign exchange administration bureau's cross-border income and expenditure monitoring system synchronously. If the agent has advanced foreign exchange, the principal shall record the advanced funds into "accounts payable - agent", and note "repayment of import agency advanced foreign exchange funds" when paying the agent, and require the agent to provide a copy of the foreign exchange payment slip as the accounting voucher. If there is overpayment or the payment amount does not match the amount on the customs declaration form, handle the remittance return or difference adjustment through the bank within 30 days, and make corresponding red ink write-off or supplementary accounting in the books. **status:** suggested **Author:** Grace Wang **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 6 The terms of the import agency agreement directly affect the legality of accounting, and the agreement must clearly mark the nature of "entrusted import agency" to avoid being deemed as self-operated import. The agreement must clearly specify the agent's agency authority, interest calculation rules for advanced funds, time nodes for document delivery and other contents. If the ownership of advanced funds is not specified in the agreement, the tax authorities may deem the advanced funds as the agent's business income, causing the agent to pay excess VAT. In addition, if there are abnormal situations such as goods quality problems or customs detention, the agreement must clearly define the responsibility division between the two parties, and the corresponding loss accounting shall provide the "Quality Appraisal Report" or "Customs Detention Notice" as vouchers, so as to avoid the loss from being deductible before income tax due to lack of legal vouchers. **status:** suggested **Author:** Victor Sun **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 7 The customs on-site inspection fees generated during the import agency process shall be distinguished according to the cost bearer when doing accounting. If the inspection is caused by the false declaration information provided by the principal, the fee shall be borne by the principal and recorded into "non-operating expenses - customs inspection fees"; if the fee is generated from random customs inspection, the part borne by the agent shall be recorded into "sales expenses - customs declaration miscellaneous fees", and the part borne by the principal shall be recorded into "inventory goods" or "management expenses". When doing accounting, provide the "Inspection Fee Payment Receipt" and "Inspection Notice" issued by the customs as vouchers. If the agent advances the inspection fee, also provide the "Advanced Fee Certificate" to avoid the fee from being deductible before income tax due to lack of vouchers. In addition, if the goods are damaged during the inspection, provide the "Goods Damage Appraisal Report" as the voucher for loss accounting. **status:** suggested **Author:** Linda Gao **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 8 The special packaging fees involved in import agency shall be collected according to the nature of the packaging when doing accounting. If it is a one-time transportation packaging fee (such as wooden boxes, cartons), it shall be combined with the goods price and tariff and recorded into the "inventory goods" cost; if it is a reusable special packaging (such as constant temperature containers, explosion-proof packaging) and the value exceeds the fixed asset recognition standard, it shall be recorded into the "fixed assets" account and depreciated, otherwise recorded into "current assets - packaging materials", and use the one-time amortization or installment amortization method for accounting. When doing accounting, provide the formal invoice issued by the packaging service provider and the "Special Packaging Plan Confirmation" as vouchers. If the packaging fee is advanced by the agent, also provide the "Advanced Packaging Fee Certificate" to avoid cost accounting distortion caused by incorrect collection of packaging fees. **status:** suggested **Author:** Cindy Chen **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 9 If the imported goods through agency are used for export business, strictly distinguish the accounting boundaries between domestic sales and export sales when doing accounting. When the goods are put into storage, set up a separate account "inventory goods - export special" for accounting, and tariffs, VAT and other taxes shall be included in the cost of this account, and shall not be used for input tax deduction for domestic sales. If the goods are returned after export, transfer the cost of the returned goods from "main business cost - export cost" to "inventory goods - export special", and apply to the tax authorities for a refund of the paid tariffs (if any), and record the refunded tariffs into the credit side of "taxes payable - tariff payable". In addition, when declaring export tax rebates, provide the import agency agreement, customs declaration form (export copy), and imported goods customs declaration form (import copy) as document filing materials to ensure the compliance of the tax rebate process. **status:** suggested **Author:** Jason Wu **Date:** 2026-10-31 ### Answer 10 Import agency accounting must match the supply chain cost accurate accounting model to achieve accurate collection and control of costs. If the centralized import agency mode is adopted, the goods costs of multiple principals shall be allocated, and provide the "Cost Allocation Detail Sheet" when doing accounting, which shall clearly mark the product details, allocation basis (such as the proportion of goods value, weight proportion), allocated amount and other information. If the JIT (Just-In-Time) import agency mode is adopted, the goods are directly transported to the production workshop without being put into storage, and the goods price, tariff and logistics fees shall be directly recorded into "production cost - direct materials" when doing accounting, so as to avoid cost accounting lag caused by the storage link. In addition, regularly analyze the accounting data of import agency, optimize the cost collection path, and reduce the overall operating costs of the supply chain. **status:** suggested **Author:** Kevin Lin **Date:** 2026-10-31 ## Related Categories - [Export Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-agency/) - [Export Tax Rebate Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-tax-rebate/) - [Customs Declaration Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-customs-declaration/) - [Freight Forwarding Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/) - [Forex Settlement Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-forex-settlement/) - [Entrepôt Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-entrepot-trade/) - [General Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-general-trade/) ## Related Resources - [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/) - [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/) - [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/) - [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/) - [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/) ## Structured Data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "QAPage", "inLanguage":"en", "isPartOf": { "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#website" }, "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#organization" }, "mainEntity": { "@type": "Question", "name": "How should the principal and agent respectively complete compliant accounting treatment in import agency business?", "text": "I am the Finance Director of a medium-sized machinery parts factory in Shanghai. Last month, we imported a batch of German precision bearings for production line upgrade through Zhongshen's import agency service, with a total value of 2.3 million yuan. Now I am completely confused when doing the accounting: first, I couldn't distinguish the accounting boundaries between us as the principal and your company as the agent, and I mistakenly recorded the tariffs you advanced directly into the procurement cost, which triggered a compliance warning during the preliminary tax filing; later, I found that the titles on the customs declaration form and the VAT payment receipt do not match, and I don't know how to match them for deduction. This import payment has been hanging in the prepaid accounts until now, and the leadership is urging progress every day, even the application for the government's technical reform subsidy may be affected. I am so worried that I almost can't sleep, I just want to ask how to do compliant accounting correctly and what details I should pay attention to avoid further problems?", "answerCount": 10, "upvoteCount": 4, "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:01:25Z", "dateModified": "2026-10-31T11:02:42Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "First，you need to complete pre-review of core documents : The principal shall collect the import agency agreement，customs declaration form (copy of the original stamped with the agent's official seal)，tariff and VAT payment receipts (the receipt with the principal's title can be deducted directly，and the one with the agent's title needs to provide a payment proxy certificate)，and international freight invoices from the agent in advance. Ensure that the document information completely matches the product name，amount，and dutiable value of the imported goods，so as to avoid tax compliance warnings caused by inconsistent documents. Second，clarify the division of accounting boundaries between the agent and the principal : The agent only needs to account for the agency service fees and advanced fund transactions，record the advanced tariffs and VAT into "other receivables"，and record the agency service fees into "main business income"，the principal shall record the goods price and advanced tariffs into "inventory goods"，the VAT payment receipts (those eligible for deduction) into "taxes payable - VAT payable (input tax)"，and the advanced funds into "accounts payable - agent". Make advance plans for abnormal situations: if the title on the payment receipt does not match the principal，require the agent to issue a "Payment Proxy Certificate" stamped with the official seal，and make a note in the tax system，if there are advanced funds，set up a special accounting account for "import agency advanced funds" to avoid confusion with the principal's own funds. Finally complete compliant implementation: after accounting，organize and archive all documents，with a retention period of no less than 10 years，and submit the import agency agreement for review during quarterly tax filings to ensure that the entire process complies with foreign trade finance and tax compliance requirements.", "upvoteCount": 4, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:56:30Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Eric Zhou","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/eric-zhou/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When doing accounting for import agency, the marking of the "domestic consignee" and "consumption and use unit" columns on the customs declaration form directly affects accounting compliance. If the domestic consignee is the agent and the consumption and use unit is the principal, the agent shall mark "import agency" in the remarks column of the customs declaration form, otherwise the tax authorities will deem it as the agent's self-operated import, making it impossible for the principal to normally deduct VAT. If the information on the customs declaration form does not match the accounting subject, apply to the customs for modification of the core information of the customs declaration form within 1 year from the date of issuance of the customs declaration form, and submit the import agency agreement, copy of the principal's business license and other materials during the modification, so as to avoid long-term outstanding accounts or tax deduction failure caused by incorrect customs declaration form information.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:55:31Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Evelyn Li","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/evelyn-li/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In import agency business, the accounting of international logistics fees must strictly match the owner of the goods. If the logistics fees are advanced by the agent, the principal shall require the agent to provide the split logistics invoice (with the principal's title) or the total logistics invoice and the "Logistics Fee Advance Allocation Sheet", which shall clearly mark the product details, corresponding logistics fee amount, agent's payment voucher number and other information. If the CIF trade term is adopted, the logistics fees are already included in the goods value, and shall be combined with the goods price and recorded into the "inventory goods" account; if the FOB trade term is adopted, the logistics fees shall be separately recorded into "sales expenses - logistics fees" or "inventory goods" (depending on whether the goods are put into storage), so as to avoid cost accounting distortion caused by incorrect collection of logistics fees.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:34:16Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Andy Guo","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/andy-guo/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The VAT deduction accounting involved in import agency needs to meet three core conditions: first, the title of the payment receipt must match the principal, or the agent must provide a legally valid payment proxy certificate; second, the goods must be used for general tax calculation projects, and if they are used for simple tax calculation, tax-free projects or collective welfare, the input tax shall be transferred out; third, the payment receipt must be checked and confirmed on the VAT invoice comprehensive service platform within 360 days from the date of issuance. For tariff accounting, if the goods are taxable consumer goods, the tariff shall be included in the tax base of "taxes payable - consumption tax payable"; if they are non-taxable consumer goods, the tariff shall be directly recorded into the "inventory goods" cost. In addition, if the VAT deferral policy is adopted, the principal shall make a provisional accounting when the goods are imported, and adjust the input tax after actually paying the VAT, so as to avoid accounting confusion caused by the deferral policy.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:33:38Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Michael Zhang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/michael-zhang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Import agency accounting must strictly match the cross-border payment and receipt information, so as to avoid foreign exchange administration bureau warnings caused by inconsistency between capital flow, goods flow and document flow. When making payment, the principal shall submit the import agency agreement and copy of the customs declaration form to the bank, and the bank will mark the payment information as "import agency payment" and upload it to the foreign exchange administration bureau's cross-border income and expenditure monitoring system synchronously. If the agent has advanced foreign exchange, the principal shall record the advanced funds into "accounts payable - agent", and note "repayment of import agency advanced foreign exchange funds" when paying the agent, and require the agent to provide a copy of the foreign exchange payment slip as the accounting voucher. If there is overpayment or the payment amount does not match the amount on the customs declaration form, handle the remittance return or difference adjustment through the bank within 30 days, and make corresponding red ink write-off or supplementary accounting in the books.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:32:03Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Grace Wang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/grace-wang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The terms of the import agency agreement directly affect the legality of accounting, and the agreement must clearly mark the nature of "entrusted import agency" to avoid being deemed as self-operated import. The agreement must clearly specify the agent's agency authority, interest calculation rules for advanced funds, time nodes for document delivery and other contents. If the ownership of advanced funds is not specified in the agreement, the tax authorities may deem the advanced funds as the agent's business income, causing the agent to pay excess VAT. In addition, if there are abnormal situations such as goods quality problems or customs detention, the agreement must clearly define the responsibility division between the two parties, and the corresponding loss accounting shall provide the "Quality Appraisal Report" or "Customs Detention Notice" as vouchers, so as to avoid the loss from being deductible before income tax due to lack of legal vouchers.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:22:25Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Victor Sun","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/victor-sun/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The customs on-site inspection fees generated during the import agency process shall be distinguished according to the cost bearer when doing accounting. If the inspection is caused by the false declaration information provided by the principal, the fee shall be borne by the principal and recorded into "non-operating expenses - customs inspection fees"; if the fee is generated from random customs inspection, the part borne by the agent shall be recorded into "sales expenses - customs declaration miscellaneous fees", and the part borne by the principal shall be recorded into "inventory goods" or "management expenses". When doing accounting, provide the "Inspection Fee Payment Receipt" and "Inspection Notice" issued by the customs as vouchers. If the agent advances the inspection fee, also provide the "Advanced Fee Certificate" to avoid the fee from being deductible before income tax due to lack of vouchers. In addition, if the goods are damaged during the inspection, provide the "Goods Damage Appraisal Report" as the voucher for loss accounting.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:20:07Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Linda Gao","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/linda-gao/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The special packaging fees involved in import agency shall be collected according to the nature of the packaging when doing accounting. If it is a one-time transportation packaging fee (such as wooden boxes, cartons), it shall be combined with the goods price and tariff and recorded into the "inventory goods" cost; if it is a reusable special packaging (such as constant temperature containers, explosion-proof packaging) and the value exceeds the fixed asset recognition standard, it shall be recorded into the "fixed assets" account and depreciated, otherwise recorded into "current assets - packaging materials", and use the one-time amortization or installment amortization method for accounting. When doing accounting, provide the formal invoice issued by the packaging service provider and the "Special Packaging Plan Confirmation" as vouchers. If the packaging fee is advanced by the agent, also provide the "Advanced Packaging Fee Certificate" to avoid cost accounting distortion caused by incorrect collection of packaging fees.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-8", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:16:24Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Cindy Chen","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/cindy-chen/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If the imported goods through agency are used for export business, strictly distinguish the accounting boundaries between domestic sales and export sales when doing accounting. When the goods are put into storage, set up a separate account "inventory goods - export special" for accounting, and tariffs, VAT and other taxes shall be included in the cost of this account, and shall not be used for input tax deduction for domestic sales. If the goods are returned after export, transfer the cost of the returned goods from "main business cost - export cost" to "inventory goods - export special", and apply to the tax authorities for a refund of the paid tariffs (if any), and record the refunded tariffs into the credit side of "taxes payable - tariff payable". In addition, when declaring export tax rebates, provide the import agency agreement, customs declaration form (export copy), and imported goods customs declaration form (import copy) as document filing materials to ensure the compliance of the tax rebate process.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-9", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:05:38Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Jason Wu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/jason-wu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Import agency accounting must match the supply chain cost accurate accounting model to achieve accurate collection and control of costs. If the centralized import agency mode is adopted, the goods costs of multiple principals shall be allocated, and provide the "Cost Allocation Detail Sheet" when doing accounting, which shall clearly mark the product details, allocation basis (such as the proportion of goods value, weight proportion), allocated amount and other information. If the JIT (Just-In-Time) import agency mode is adopted, the goods are directly transported to the production workshop without being put into storage, and the goods price, tariff and logistics fees shall be directly recorded into "production cost - direct materials" when doing accounting, so as to avoid cost accounting lag caused by the storage link. In addition, regularly analyze the accounting data of import agency, optimize the cost collection path, and reduce the overall operating costs of the supply chain.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/compliant-accounting-for-principals-and-agents-in-import-agency.html#suggestedAnswer-10", "datePublished": "2026-10-31T11:02:42Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Kevin Lin","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/kevin-lin/"} } ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Import Agency Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-import-agency/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How should the principal and agent respectively complete compliant accounting treatment in import agency business?"} ] } ] ```