Audits every entry, not a sample
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Sample-based
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
ProductAudits
Every entry and export, defensible before CBP asks.
Pax audits each entry and export across every data source, recomputes every duty owed, and records the reasoning behind every decision. It confirms exemptions and exclusions are applied, so you stay defensible and never over or underpay duties.
Audit workbench
31612480953 · 24 lines · Post-entry packet
Alerts2 blockingQueuePSC HoldRecoverable$21,270
Checks & reasoning
FailLine 14
Section 301 exclusion not applied
Exclusion 9903.88.67 applies, but Section 301 duties were charged.
Expected ExemptActual $21,270 overpaid
FailLine 14
Entered value alignment
Invoice value plus assists does not match the value declared on ACE.
Expected $184,210.50Actual $162,940.00
WarningLine 14
Invoice reference
Invoice number on the 7501 does not match the commercial invoice number.
Expected INV-20418Actual INV-20481
PassEntry
Country of origin
Origin agrees across the supplier report, bill of lading, invoice, and ACE.
Expected CNActual CN
Three Audits, One System
Catch issues at every stage, across imports and exports.
Pax audits imports before and after filing, and audits exports independently, so nothing slips through and every value ties back to its source.
- 1 to clear
Pre-entry validation
Before the entry files
HTS classification verifiedValuation confirmed vs invoiceDuty & tariff exposure modeled1 origin flag to resolvePre-entry audit
Validate classification, valuation, and duty exposure before the entry is filed, so errors never reach CBP.
- Reconciled
Post-entry review
18 entries · ACE matched
Ready14Needs review2PSC hold2Post-entry audit
Reconcile filed entries against ACE and supporting documents, then route PSC, reconciliation, and protest holds.
- Validated
Export EEI-7741
AES, license & screening reviewed
AES value vs invoiceMatchedLicense & HTSUSVerifiedDenied party screeningClearedExport filing validatedPost-export audit
Validate the filed export declaration for AES accuracy, value, license, HTSUS, and denied-party screening.
Baseline Audit
Cross-check every source, ensure correct tariff stacking, stop overpaying.
Cross-source reconciliation
ACE, entry summary, invoice, and transport docs reconciled field by field, with every value traceable to its source document.
Tariff stacking audit
Validate stacked duties (Section 301, 232, 122, and IEEPA reciprocal) against the rates and values actually filed.
Exemption and exclusion checks
Confirm every Section 301 exclusion, Chapter 98 and 99 provision, and FTA claim is applied, so you recover overpayments and never pay duties you do not owe.
Tiered alerts
Blocking Tier 1 failures stay separate from advisory warnings, so reviewers act on what matters first.
Custom Rule Engine
Turn your audit SOP into an enforceable rule engine.
Ingest your SOP
Upload your audit playbook and Pax generates a structured rule pack mapped to your data fields.
Enforcement you control
Run each rule as blocking, warning, or shadow, and version every change to your rule pack.
Built for enterprise logic
Encode the business-specific checks no generic auditor can, across any field in any source.
Reasoning & Trail
Not just what was flagged, but how you got there.
Evidence-linked checks
Every check shows expected vs. actual values, the sources compared, and the rationale behind the verdict.
Persisted timeline
Decisions, status changes, and justified actions are recorded with actor and timestamp for a complete audit trail.
Reviewer context
Notes, holds, and follow-up actions live with the entry, so the reasoning travels with the record.
The Process
From raw entry data to
a defensible audit record.
Connect your sources
Pax ingests ACE, entry summaries, invoices, and export documentation from every broker and joins them at the line level.
Reconcile and calculate
Baseline checks reconcile every source and validate the full tariff stack across each entry.
Apply your SOP
Your custom rule packs run alongside the baseline, enforcing the enterprise-specific compliance logic you define.
Review, decide, record
Reviewers clear, hold, or escalate, and every decision is captured with its full reasoning and evidence.
Pax vs. Alternatives
Cross-source reconciliation (ACE, entry summary, invoice)
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Manual
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
Tariff stacking validation (301 / 232 / 122 / IEEPA)
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Limited
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
Flags unapplied exemptions and overpaid duties
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Rarely
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
Pre-entry, post-entry, and post-export coverage
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Varies
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
Custom audit SOP as an enforceable rule engine
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- No
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
Evidence-linked reasoning on every alert
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Partial
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
Persisted decision and status audit trail
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Manual
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- Manual
Continuous automated screening
- Pax
- Yes
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- No
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- No
Turnaround
- Pax
- Continuous
- Customs Broker / Law Firm
- Weeks
- DIY / Spreadsheets
- Manual effort
Ready to find out what you've been missing? Book a call with the Pax team.
Talk to an expertCustomer Stories
Meet the teams that run on Pax.
“Out of everything Pax does for us, the centralization is the biggest benefit. It’s become my single source of truth for documentation across the entire import portfolio.”
Global Operations Manager
Verkada builds an AI-powered physical security platform for modern enterprises, importing hardware across a global supply chain for its integrated camera, access control, alarm, sensor, and workplace platform.
FAQ
01
What is the difference between a pre-entry, post-entry, and post-export audit?
A pre-entry audit validates an entry before it is filed with CBP, catching classification, valuation, and duty errors at the source. A post-entry audit reconciles a filed entry against ACE and supporting documents and routes any exceptions to PSC, reconciliation, or protest. A post-export audit validates the filed export declaration, checking AES accuracy, value, license, HTSUS classification, and denied-party screening. Pax covers all three.
02
What data sources does Pax audit against?
Pax reconciles each entry across the ACE feed, the entry summary, the commercial invoice, transport documents, and, where available, the broker report. Every field is compared across sources and linked back to the underlying document, so an alert is never a black box.
03
What is a tariff stacking audit?
Many entries carry multiple duties stacked on the same line (Section 301, Section 232, Section 122, and IEEPA reciprocal tariffs). Pax reads the tariff ordinals filed on ACE and recomputes the duty for each layer against the rate and value actually declared, so over- and under-payments surface line by line.
04
Can an audit actually save money?
Yes. Pax checks that every exemption and exclusion you qualify for is actually applied, including Section 301 exclusions, Chapter 98 and 99 provisions, and free trade agreement claims. When a duty was charged that should have been exempt, Pax flags the overpayment line by line so you can recover it through a post-summary correction or protest, and stop overpaying going forward.
05
Can Pax follow our internal audit SOP?
Yes. Upload your audit SOP and Pax generates a structured rule pack mapped to your data fields. You control whether each rule runs as blocking, warning, or shadow, and every rule pack is versioned. Your custom checks run alongside Pax's baseline reconciliation and tariff-stacking audit on every entry.
06
How is the audit trail maintained?
Every check records the sources it compared, the expected and actual values, and the rationale for its verdict. Every reviewer decision, status change, and follow-up action is persisted with an actor and timestamp, alongside reviewer notes and holds. The result is a complete record of not just what was concluded, but how and why.
07
Do you audit every entry or just a sample?
Every entry. Pax screens your full import program automatically rather than sampling, so issues are caught as data arrives instead of during a periodic spot check.