Frequently Asked Questions

Account and Billing

1. What happens to my data if I downgrade from Professional to Free?

Your data is not deleted. All products, shipments, and audit trail records remain in the system. However, on the Free plan you can only actively track 3 products, access 10 tariff lookups per month, and view 1 month of audit trail history. Products beyond the limit become read-only -- you can view them but cannot edit, add new ones, or run new surtax checks against them until you reduce your count or upgrade.

2. Can I switch between monthly and annual billing?

Yes. Go to Settings > Billing and click Manage Billing to open the Stripe customer portal. You can switch at any time. Annual billing is discounted (Professional: $159/mo instead of $199/mo; Enterprise: $319/mo instead of $399/mo).

3. Do I need a credit card to start the free trial?

No. When you sign up for Professional or Enterprise, your 14-day trial starts immediately with no credit card required. You get full access to all paid features during the trial. You'll only be asked for payment details if you want to keep your plan after the trial ends. If you don't subscribe, your account reverts to the Free plan and your data is preserved.

4. How many team members can access the account?

The Free and Professional plans include 1 seat. The Enterprise plan includes 5 seats. All team members share the same product portfolio, shipment history, and audit trail.

Products and HS Codes

5. How do I find the correct HS code for my product?

Use the Tariff Lookup tool (Tariff Engine > Tariff Lookup). Search by keyword (e.g., "steel screws") or partial HS code (e.g., "7318"). Results show the official CBSA description and MFN duty rate for each matching classification. If you are uncertain, consult your customs broker or review the Canadian Customs Tariff on the CBSA website. Getting the HS code right is critical -- all surtax and duty calculations depend on it.

6. What happens if I entered the wrong HS code on a product?

Go to the product detail page, click Edit, and correct the HS code. TariffTrail will re-check the product against all active surtax orders. Past shipments logged with the old HS code retain their original audit trail entries. If the correction affects a logged shipment, TariffTrail creates a new superseding audit record linked to the original. The original record is preserved -- it is never modified or deleted.

7. Can I import products via CSV?

Not in the current version. Products must be added individually through the Add Product form. CSV import is on the roadmap. For now, start with your highest-value or highest-risk items and add the rest over time.

8. Why does the "Confirm Classification" button matter?

Clicking Confirm Classification logs a classification_confirmed event in your audit trail with the tariff dataset version active at the time. This demonstrates to CBSA that you reviewed and verified your HS classification on a specific date using a specific version of the tariff data. It is a due diligence step that can support your position during an audit.

Surtax and Duty

9. Why does my product show CLEAR when I expected a surtax?

There are several possible reasons:

• HS code mismatch: The surtax order may cover a different HS heading or subheading than the one assigned to your product. Verify your code using the Tariff Lookup tool.
• Country of origin: The surtax applies only to specific countries. If your product's country of origin is set to a different country, it will show as clear.
• CUSMA exemption: If you have CUSMA Claimed set to Yes and the product qualifies for CUSMA preferential treatment, the surtax may not apply.
• Remission order: Some products are covered by a remission order that reduces or eliminates the surtax.

If you believe the result is incorrect, double-check your HS code and country of origin first, then contact support.

10. Why is my surtax rate different from what my broker quoted?

Common causes of discrepancies:

• Dataset timing: TariffTrail uses the most recently reviewed and published surtax registry. If a new order was published very recently, there may be a brief delay (all surtax data changes require manual administrator review before publication).
• CUSMA treatment: Your broker may be calculating with or without CUSMA. Check whether the CUSMA Claimed toggle matches your actual origin documentation status.
• Stacking orders: Some products may be subject to more than one surtax order simultaneously. TariffTrail shows each applicable order separately.
• Remission or TRQ: Your broker may be applying a tariff-rate quota allocation or remission order. Confirm whether your specific import qualifies.

The surtax registry version is displayed with every determination. Share this version number with your broker to compare against the same data.

11. How is the total landed cost calculated?

Value for Duty + MFN Duty + Surtax + GST = Landed Cost

Where:

• MFN Duty = Value for Duty x MFN duty rate (reduced to CUSMA preferential rate if claimed and eligible)
• Surtax = Value for Duty x applicable surtax rate (0% if no order applies)
• GST = 5% of (Value for Duty + MFN Duty + Surtax)

Provincial sales taxes (PST/HST) are not included because they vary by province and are typically assessed at the point of sale, not at the border.

CUSMA

12. How do I know if my product qualifies for CUSMA?

CUSMA eligibility depends on the Product-Specific Rule of Origin (PSRO) for your product's HS classification. Most PSROs require one of:

• Tariff shift: The finished product must be classified under a different tariff heading than its non-originating inputs.
• Regional Value Content (RVC): A minimum percentage of value must originate in North America.
• Both: Some products require both a tariff shift and an RVC threshold.

Use the Origin Assessment tool (CUSMA > Origin Assessment) to run a tariff shift test. Enter the HS codes of your non-originating input materials. TariffTrail checks whether the shift satisfies the PSRO.

13. What is a certificate of origin and do I need one?

A CUSMA certificate of origin (certification of origin) is a document from the exporter, producer, or importer certifying that a product meets the CUSMA rules of origin. You need one to claim CUSMA preferential tariff treatment at the border.

If you claim CUSMA on a product, you should have a valid certificate on file. On the Enterprise plan, you can upload and track certificates in CUSMA > Certificates. TariffTrail alerts you 60 days before a certificate expires.

Without a valid certificate, CBSA can deny the CUSMA preferential rate and assess duty at the higher MFN rate plus any applicable surtax.

14. What does the Scenario Planner tell me?

The Scenario Planner (Enterprise plan, CUSMA > Scenarios) models the financial impact if CUSMA preferential treatment is removed -- for example, after the July 2026 triennial review. It calculates the difference between your current duty costs (with CUSMA) and projected costs (at MFN rates plus surtax). The result is a dollar amount representing your annual savings at risk. This is a hypothetical analysis, not a prediction of the review outcome.

Shipments

15. How do I fix a wrong HS code on a logged shipment?

You cannot directly edit a past shipment's audit trail records because the audit trail is immutable. Instead:

1. Edit the product to correct its HS code (Products > select product > Edit).
2. Log a corrected entry or re-run the duty calculation.
3. TariffTrail creates a new audit record that supersedes the original. Both remain visible, linked by a supersession reference.

This preserves the full history of what was known and when.

16. Can I delete a shipment?

Shipment deletion removes the shipment from your active list but does not remove the associated audit trail entries. Those records remain permanently. If you made a data entry error, it is generally better to log a corrected shipment than to delete the original, so the audit trail reflects the correction.

17. Is there a limit to how many shipments I can log?

No shipment limit on any paid plan. Each shipment can contain up to 50 line items. The Free plan does not include shipment logging -- this feature is available on Professional and Enterprise plans.

Audit Trail

18. Can I edit or delete an audit trail record?

No. The audit trail is protected by database-level triggers that prevent all modifications and deletions. This is by design -- an immutable audit trail gives the records their evidentiary value during a CBSA compliance review.

If a determination needs correction, TariffTrail creates a new record with the correction and links it to the original via a supersession reference. Both records remain visible, timestamped, and version-stamped.

19. What are dataset version stamps and why do they matter?

Every calculation records the exact versions of the reference data used:

These stamps allow you to prove a determination was correct based on the data available at the time, even if the data has since changed. This is critical during a CBSA audit.

Technical Issues

20. The surtax checker is returning an error for my HS code.

Check the following:

• Format: The HS code must be exactly 10 digits. Both 7318.15.00.00 and 7318150000 are accepted.
• Valid code: The HS code must exist in the Canadian Customs Tariff. Use the Tariff Lookup to find the correct code.
• Country code: Must be a valid 2-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (e.g., US, not USA; CN, not CHN).

21. My session keeps expiring. How long does a session last?

TariffTrail sessions use secure httpOnly cookies and expire after a period of inactivity. If you are frequently being logged out, check that your browser is not blocking cookies from tarifftrail.ca. Clearing your browser cookies and logging in again usually resolves persistent session issues.

22. Where is my data stored?

All customer data is stored in Canada. The database is hosted in the Supabase ca-central-1 region (Montreal), and the application runs on Vercel's yul1 region (Montreal). TariffTrail does not store customer data outside Canadian infrastructure, satisfying Canadian data residency requirements under PIPEDA and provincial privacy legislation.

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TariffTrail provides compliance information only. It does not constitute legal advice or customs brokerage services.