Starting January 31, 2026, importers with overdue balances will be subject to late payment penalties under the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) system.
Additionally, late payment interest will accrue on accounts with an overdue balance as of that date and will be reflected on the Statement of Account (SOA) issued on February 25, 2026.
This update follows the end of CARM transition measures on December 31, 2025, and the official move to CARM as Canada’s permanent system for customs accounting and duty payment.
Under CARM’s harmonized billing cycle, SOAs are issued on the 25th of each month for goods released between the 18th of month 1 and the 17th of month 2, and the payment due date is 10 weekdays after the 17th of the month.
Electronic payments made through the CARM Client Portal (CCP) are accepted until 11:59 pm ET on the payment due date, while cheque payments by mail or courier must be received by 4 pm ET on the due date.
After the due date, late payment penalties and interest will apply, and any account with an unpaid balance will be subject to a collection process by the CBSA.
If the balance remains unpaid after 30 days, the CBSA will issue a notice of arrears and transfer the account to the CRA for collection.
With the full implementation of CARM, the importer of record is now liable for all duties and taxes, along with the owner and importer of the goods.
They are also responsible for any additional duties identified after accounting, including through verifications or when an accounting error is found.
Commercial importers must be registered in the CCP and have a Business Number (BN).
To electronically release their goods before the payment of duties and taxes, importers must be enrolled in the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) program and have financial security in place.
At Cole International, we offer customs brokerage and trade consulting services to help Canadian businesses streamline their import processes and stay compliant with CARM requirements.
Reach out to one of our trade professionals to discuss how we can help review your SOAs or resolve issues that could lead to late payment penalties or interest.