How SurtaxScan works
From “is my product surtaxed?” to a filed refund claim — free to scan, self-serve at every step, a published capped fee (never a cut of your refund), and a citation behind every number.
Look up a product — free
Free · no loginSearch any HS code or product in plain words. See whether it carries a surtax, whether that surtax is remitted, and the exact order that says so.
No login, no email, nothing to install. Every result cites the actual Order in Council or Customs Notice it comes from, with a link — check our work against the source, always. Want to see the shape of a report before uploading anything? There’s a sample report, fully worked, gated on nothing.
Scan your entries — free
Free · $99 to unlockUpload a CSV export of your customs entries, or your CAD as a PDF — or have your broker send it. See your total in minutes; unlock the full line-by-line report with citations and filing deadlines for $99, credited toward your claim package.
Don’t have your entry data handy? Most importers don’t — a ready-to-send request template lets you ask your broker for it in one click. Either way, the scan itself is free: upload a CSV of your commercial accounting data, or your Commercial Accounting Declaration (CAD) as a PDF straight from CARM or your broker (we transcribe every line and you review and correct it before anything is scanned) and see your total immediately. Results are tiered honestly: the headline number counts only entries that are clearly remitted; conditional and needs-review money is shown separately, never blended in. Unlocking the full line-by-line report — every entry, citation, and filing deadline — is $99, credited toward your claim package.
Add evidence where needed
Where neededSome remissions are conditional. Your report lists exactly which documents each one needs — attest and upload when you have them, no time limit of ours.
A conditional remission usually turns on one of two things: who uses the goods (an end-use test) or exactly what the goods are (a schedule description match). Your report quotes the condition in the order's own words and lists the documents that satisfy it. Submit them with a signed attestation; we screen for document type and completeness — not legal sufficiency, which stays your call — and accepted entries become claimable.
File it yourself, or hand it to your broker
Capped feeA published, capped claim-package fee (25% of each entry’s recoverable surtax, $250 max, $50 min, your $99 credited): reason codes, citations, checklists — send it straight to your broker or file it yourself in CARM.
Two ways to file, your choice: send the package straight to your broker — a generated cover note plus the full backup, ready to forward — or file it yourself under your own business number through the CARM Client Portal (SurtaxScan never represents you before CBSA, by design). Either way you get the reason code and special-authority code per remission order, the citation for every entry, a supporting-document checklist, and an audit pack for the 4-year verification window. Once generated, your package never changes, even when the rules corpus does.
A published formula, never a cut of your refund
Recovery firms commonly charge 40–50% with no ceiling. Ours is capped and predictable.
Common questions
What file do I upload, and where do I get it?
Either a CSV export of your commercial accounting (customs entry) data, or your Commercial Accounting Declaration (CAD) as a PDF — straight from the CARM Client Portal or your customs broker. Don’t have it yet? The upload page has a ready-to-send request template for your broker, one click. For a CSV, the scan needs, per entry: the entry number, import date, tariff item (HS code), origin, value for duty, and surtax paid; the upload page shows the exact columns and offers a sample file to compare against. For a PDF, we transcribe every line automatically, including scanned or faxed copies, and you review and correct each one before anything is scanned; PDFs are capped at 4.3MB, so a larger file needs to be compressed, split, or exported as a CSV instead. Either way, nothing is submitted until you confirm every row.
Is my entry data safe?
You upload a file — SurtaxScan never asks for CARM credentials or access to any system. Data is hosted in Canada, encrypted at rest, used only to produce your report, and deleted on request (email help@surtaxscan.com). Your report and claim package live at private, unguessable links that are never indexed by search engines.
Do you file the refund claim for me?
No — deliberately. SurtaxScan is a software vendor, never a party to the claim. You choose how it gets filed: send the package straight to your broker (a generated cover note plus the full backup, ready to forward — brokers can file corrections/adjustments under delegated authority) or file it yourself under your own business number through the CARM Client Portal, with correct reason codes, the exact legal citation for every entry, a document checklist, and step-by-step instructions either way. This keeps you in control and keeps our fee a published formula, never a cut of your refund.
What does “claimable with evidence” mean on my report?
Some remission orders apply only under a condition — typically an end-use test (for example, goods for health care use) or an exact product-description match against a schedule. Entries under those orders are shown as Tier 2, “claimable with evidence,” with the condition quoted in the order’s own words and a checklist of the documents that satisfy it. When you have the documents, submit them with a signed attestation from your report; once screened, those entries become claimable and can be included in a claim package.
How long do I have to claim?
CBSA accepts remission claims up to two years after each entry’s import date — a rolling, per-entry deadline. Surtaxes began in March 2025, so the earliest entries start expiring in March 2027. Your scan report shows the exact deadline beside every entry and flags anything expiring within 90 days.
What does it cost?
The lookup and the scan are both free — upload your entries and see your recoverable total immediately. Unlocking the full line-by-line report (every entry, citation, and filing deadline) is $99, credited toward your claim package. A claim package is priced per entry, not as a cut of your refund: 25% of that entry’s recoverable surtax, capped at $250 and never less than $50, with your $99 unlock credited toward the total. You can deselect any entry before paying, and the invoice shows exactly how each fee was calculated. This is a published formula, not a contingency: recovery firms commonly charge 40–50% of your refund with no ceiling; ours is capped and predictable, so finding more money never costs you disproportionately more.
I already have a customs broker — is this still useful?
Yes. Remission orders change every few months, retroactively, and entry-time filings rarely get revisited. A scan checks your historical entries against the remission corpus as it stands today, your report link always reflects the current corpus when you revisit it, and every match cites the exact order, section, and schedule — so the report is built to be handed to your broker as-is. Many customers use it exactly that way: as a second set of eyes on what was filed.
What if CBSA reviews my claim later?
CBSA can verify claims for up to four years. Every claim package includes an audit pack: the document checklist to retain per entry, and — where a claim rests on your attested evidence — the attestation itself, quoted in the package. Estimates are always subject to CBSA determination; nothing SurtaxScan produces is legal or customs advice.
Paid surtax since March 2025? Find out what you're owed in minutes.
Scan your entries — free, results in minutesEstimates only — not customs advice; subject to CBSA determination. SurtaxScan is a software vendor; it prepares information, it does not represent anyone before CBSA. Back to the free lookup.