Deferral Account

A deferral account is a type of account in which assets or liabilitie are realised at a specified date. In customs, the deferral account allows importers to defer payment of their duties and import sales taxes. In general, custom clearance is faster when payments are deferred.

When importing goods into Germany, however, the applicable duties and import sales taxes are always due. They have to be paid in full directly upon import. With a deferral account approved by customs, the import duties are only debited on the 16th of the following month.