Up-front Payment Required Prior to Initial Entry Processing

Notice to Industry  3/2010

Up-front Payment Required Prior to Initial Entry Processing
for non Account Clients

The purpose of this notice is to advise industry that from 1 March 2010, AQIS will enforce the requirement for upfront payments to be made prior to the initial processing of a Quarantine entry lodged by parties that do not have “Account Client” status.

What payment is required prior to initial entry processing?

The amount required to be paid prior to initial entry processing should be calculated as follows:

1 x Appropriate Lodgement Fee (manual, electronic or Self Assessed Clearance (SAC) upgrade); and
1 x Appropriate Assessment (entry processing) Fee.

Unless you are an “AQIS Account Client”, the upfront payment must be made in full prior to presenting import documents for initial processing.

Further information on these fees can be found under the heading “Lodgement Fees and FFS (Entry Processing) Fees” in AQIS’s Import Clearance Charging Guidelines.

Note: AQIS recognises that relevant fees for manual AIMS entries and upgraded SAC entries can only be determined after a documentary assessment has been conducted, and the entry has been created. Therefore, upfront payment requirements will not be enforced for these entries.

What will occur if the upfront payment has not been made in full?

Where the required amount has not been paid in full, an “Administration – Hold Pending Payment” direction will be issued advising the broker/importer of the required payment amount. Initial entry processing will not occur until the outstanding fees have been paid in full.

Further information

Further information on Import Clearance fees and charges can be found in the Import Clearance Charging Guidelines. Alternatively, please contact your local AQIS Regional Office.

For information on becoming an Account Client, please contact your AQIS Regional Office with your Branch ID, Billing Address and a valid email address.