In this Comprehensive Guide, We Delve into the Important Process of Managing Export Data for Products Subject to Special Duties in Switzerland.
Whether you’re dealing with agricultural products like sugar and milk or goods containing VOCs, this article will guide you through the following topics:
The importance of accurate data collection for export declarations
Best practices for capturing export data
Efficient Reporting Methods for Duty Refunds
The upcoming transition to the Passar system and its implications
Initial Situation
Switzerland levies special duties on certain products. These can be refunded upon export, provided the export declaration is filled out correctly. Examples of affected products include:
Agricultural products like sugar and milk
VOC-containing* products
For these products, duties are incurred upon import and can only be reclaimed upon export. To do so, an application with all necessary information must be submitted to the competent authority.
In Switzerland, VOC-containing products are subject to a fixed levy of 3 CHF/kg.
* VOC = Volatile Organic Compounds; refers to the group of volatile organic compounds
Accurate Data Entry
For precise data collection, there are two main methods:
If there are many items with different formulations, a table with the formulation master data must be used. Taking the example of the sugar refund, the article’s position is assigned the formulation number, and the details regarding inward processing are provided accordingly.
Example 2: Sugar Refund with Formulation Master Data:
Another area of application are exports that require a permit. This must be applied for in advance at SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs). Once the permit number is available, the export can be processed.
For exports requiring a permit, the SECO permit number is additionally recorded:
Tip: Enter the data yourself instead of leaving it to the freight forwarder. This offers several advantages:
You ensure data accuracy
You can update master data directly
You can create reports
Reporting the Data
Carefully recorded export data significantly simplifies report generation. An important point is the freight forwarder’s use of e-dec. This is noted in Swiss e-dec and taken into account in the report. Please note: Unused e-decs expire after 30 days.
For the refund office, you can create various report formats:
Excel report with barcode of the declaration number
PDF Report
CSV Report
For recorded formulations, the individual product components can be calculated:
Future Prospects with Passar
The transition to Passar doesn’t change the content of the refund. Nevertheless, it’s advisable to take over data collection yourself as early as possible. Until the end of 2025, you can still influence the procedure:
Exports with e-dec will continue to be confirmed with an eVV e-dec.
Passar uses a different eVV format
Caution: If you leave data entry to the freight forwarder, they will decide on the procedure. This can complicate report generation.
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