24.25—Statement processing and Automated Clearinghouse.
(a) Description.
Statement processing is a voluntary automated program for participants in the Automated Broker Interface (ABI), allowing the grouping of entry/entry summaries and entry summaries on a daily basis. The related duties, taxes, fees, and interest may be paid with a single payment. The preferred method of payment is by Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) debit or ACH credit, except where the importer of record has provided a separate check payable to the “U.S. Customs Service” for Customs charges (duties, taxes, or other debts owed Customs (see § 111.29(b) of this chapter )). A particular statement payment must be accomplished entirely through ACH or completely by check or cash. A mixing of payment methods for a single statement will not be accepted. ACH debit (see paragraph (b)(2) of this section) is an arrangement in which the filer electronically provides payment authorization for the Treasury-designated ACH processor to perform an electronic debit to the payer's bank account; ACH credit is described in § 24.26. The payment amount will then be automatically credited to the account of the Department of the Treasury. If a filer chooses to use statement processing for entries of quota-class merchandise and other special classes of merchandise designated by Customs Headquarters under § 142.13(b) of this chapter, he must also use statement processing as a normal course of business for the largest possible portion (see § 24.25(d)) of his eligible non-special class entries; further, he must use the ACH payment mechanism to pay all his ABI statements containing entries for quota-class merchandise. In no circumstance will check or cash be acceptable for payment of ABI statements containing entries for quota-class merchandise.
(b) How to elect participation—
(1) Statement processing.
An ABI filer must notify Customs in writing of the intention to utilize statement processing.
(2) Automated Clearinghouse debit.
If an ABI filer pays his statements through ACH debit, rather than by check, he must provide to Customs the bank routing number and the bank account number for each account from which ACH payments are to be electronically debited. Upon the determination by Customs that the ABI filer has the necessary software to participate and otherwise qualifies to participate in ACH, Customs shall assign a unique identifying payer's unit number to the participant and the Treasury-designated ACH processor. This unique number assigned by Customs will alert the ACH processor as to which bank and account to issue the electronic debit. If a client of a ABI filer opts to pay Customs charges from his own account through an ABI filer, the client must provide directly to Customs the bank transit routing number and the bank account number for each of his accounts from which ACH payments can be electronically debited. Customs will then assign a unique payer's unit number to each of his accounts and provide the assigned unit number directly to the client and the Treasury-designated ACH processor. The client would then provide the appropriate payer's unit number to his broker to pay his statements through ABI. It is the responsibility of the participant to ensure that all bank account information is accurate and that the correct unique payer's unit number is utilized for each ACH transaction.
(c) Procedure for filer.
(1)
The filer shall transmit entry/entry summary and entry summary data through ABI indicating whether payment for a particular entry summary will be by individual check or by using statement processing. If statement processing is indicated, the filer shall designate whether the entry summary is to be grouped by importer or broker, and shall provide a valid scheduled statement date (within 10 days of entry, but not a Saturday, Sunday or holiday).
(2)
Customs shall provide a preliminary statement to the ABI filer on the scheduled statement date. The preliminary statement shall contain all entry/entry summaries and entry summaries scheduled for that statement date. The preliminary statement shall be printed by the filer, who will review the statement entries and the statement totals, assemble the required entry summaries as listed in the statement, and present them to Customs with the preliminary statement. This presentation must be made within 10 working days after entry of the merchandise. If a filer elects to perform deletions from the preliminary statement (other than items related to special classes of merchandise provided for in § 142.13(b) of this chaper), the filer shall notify Customs in such manner as designated by Customs Headquarters. Any entry number deleted from a statement may be paid by an individual check or scheduled for another statement by transmitting the entry summary data through ABI with a future payment date.
(3)
The ABI filer using statement processing is responsible for ensuring that payment is made within 10 days of the entry of the related merchandise.
(4)
When payments are made through ACH, Customs shall, upon acceptance of the ACH debit payment authorization or ACH credit payment, identify the preliminary statement as paid and shall post the appropriate amounts to the related entries. The final statement generally shall be available to the filer the day following the acceptance of the ACH payment; this final statement may be utilized as evidence that statement payment has occurred through an ACH transaction. In other instances, a cancelled check may serve as evidence of payment.
(d) Choice of excluding certain entries from statement processing.
An ABI filer using statement processing, generally, has the right to inform Customs electronically whether he desires that a particular entry summary be paid by individual payment or through statement processing. If a filer opts to use statement processing for entry/entry summaries for quota-class and other special classes of merchandise defined in § 142.13(b) of this chapter, he shall use statement processing in the normal course of business for the largest possible portion of his eligible non-special class entries also; further, he shall pay for these entry/entry summaries through ACH. If a filer opts to use statement processing and, therefore, ACH for entry/entry summaries for special classes of merchandise defined in § 142.13(b) of this chapter, these entry/entry summaries cannot be deleted from a statement. A filer who excludes or deletes entries from the statement process and ACH should be prepared to articulate a sound business reason why these exclusions or deletions have occurred. If Customs believes that a broker is using ACH for his quota-class entries and not using statement processing and ACH for the largest possible portion of his eligible non-special class entries, the ABI participant may be consulted by Customs as to why he has not used statement processing and ACH for certain entries. If Customs is not satisfied, after such consultation, that there were sound articulable business reasons for the exclusion or deletion of non-special class entries, Customs may disqualify the participant from using statement processing/ACH for quota-class entries.
(e) Scheduled statement date.
Entry/entry summaries and entry summaries must be designated for statement processing within 10 working days after the date of entry. It is the responsibility of the ABI filer using statement processing to ensure that the elected scheduled statement date is within that 10-day timeframe. Customs will not warn the filer if the scheduled statement date given is late.