Fiscal IOR provides a compliant product allowing our customers to conduct seamless global trade and are a trusted strategic partner to SEKO Logistics.
Providing you with the in-country presence you need to move goods seamlessly
International trade is complex. Without a local legal entity, your shipments risk being delayed or held at customs.
Since establishing a physical presence in every market is often impractical and costly, we can support you to import goods without the need to set up a local legal entity, enabling you to retain full ownership and control.
About our Importer of Record service
Our IOR service helps our clients to import goods compliantly into countries around the world. We act as the importer on our client’s behalf, which is essential for businesses that need to import goods into countries where:
- The recipient cannot or refuses to act as the Importer of Record
- You do not have a legal entity or in country presence to complete the import
Why work with us?
Independent and supply chain agnostic
Our clients benefit from truly independent support. We work flexibly across all supply chains, carriers, and logistics providers, integrating seamlessly into existing operations.
Deep regulatory and VAT expertise
Our team is equipped with extensive VAT and global customs knowledge, helping clients navigate complex import and export obligations with confidence.
The Fiscal advantage
In partnership with our sister company, Fiscal Solutions, we provide a rare end-to-end solution, covering everything from IOR services to complex VAT and EORI number registrations. Ensuring that you are trading compliantly when selling in foreign countries.
Robust and compliant
We operate with rigorous compliance standards and a commitment to doing things properly. Our processes are robust, transparent, and fully aligned with customs and tax regulations.
FAQ’s
An Importer of Record provides a service for situations where a company is importing goods into a country where they have no representation – and/or they want the asset to remain the property of the exporter/shipper/origin company.
If you’re looking to export goods into any country outside of a free trade zone, then you may require an in-country presence to import the goods into that country. If you have no presence, then this creates a problem, and in many cases, restricts you from shipping the goods.
Custom brokers can act in this capacity, however, by doing so, they would have to take on the responsibilities of being an importer of record. However, most lack the resources or are averse to the high risks involved.
Shippers can assume the role of your importer of record, but doing so comes with additional responsibilities and consequently, they are often reluctant to take on the role.
The main differences are their separate responsibilities when it comes to importing goods, the respective levels of legal liability they both have, and their differing roles in specific shipping transactions.
An IOR ensures the fulfilment of all customs obligations and paperwork when the goods are cleared into the country of import. An IOR has expert knowledge of customs laws and will be the entity that is seen to take care of submitting all relevant documentation at clearance of the goods either by themselves or via a customs broker.
A consignee assumes the ownership of the goods once they arrive in the country of import. It’s their responsibility to examine the goods to make sure they match the shipping documentation, and they will then usually be the entity that either uses or sells the goods in the country.
It’s possible for the same entity to be both the consignee and importer of record; however, this can only happen where the consignee has an in-country presence or is provided with specific representation to allow them to clear the goods as the importer of record.
Our service isn’t limited to a particular product category. We can provide IOR services to a range of clients across industries such as IT and technology, financial services, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and retail sectors.
This is not an exhaustive list, so if you are operating in an industry not noted here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
An IOR is typically required when the goods are not for sale. An IOR service is a common requirement for IT hardware deployments (servers, laptops, networking gear) and no sale is taking place in country. The goods belong to the shipper and will remain property of the shipper until the goods are exported back. The pharmaceutical industry also has a high demand for IOR services, notably when importing goods for clinical trials, research, and development. Again, no sale is taking place, and the title (and research results) are to remain the property of the shipper.
We support clients across the globe. Our core operating regions include all EU countries; the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel; Asia, including Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong; the Americas, including Mexico, Canada, and the United States; Australasia, including Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands; and South Africa.
Please be aware, we do not deal with comprehensively embargoed countries or targeted sanction countries.
Yes. We support both individual shipments and ongoing international operations.
We are very happy to work with your logistics firm and any other suppliers who are involved in the shipping process to ensure a totally smooth transaction.
Chief Operating Officer
SEKO Logistics
