CFO services for cross-border and international sellers.
Every new market adds a currency, a tax regime, a duty schedule, and a different marketplace fee card. We bring finance leadership with deep cross-border United States–Canada experience and a working command of the other major markets, so each market gets its own margin analysis and compliance calendar — not a blended average that hides the one losing money.
The finance problems that define this segment.
Indirect tax registration follows sales.
Value-added tax, goods and services tax, and harmonized sales tax obligations trigger at thresholds by market; marketplace facilitator rules differ by country and by channel.
Duties and the delivered-duty-paid decision.
Whether the seller or the customer bears duties changes conversion, margin, and compliance; low-value thresholds and de minimis rules vary and change.
Currency exposure is real and unmanaged.
Receipts in foreign currency against costs in dollars create margin volatility; pricing, hedging, and repatriation need a policy.
Marketplace fees and programs differ by market.
Referral, fulfillment, and advertising economics change by country; a product profitable in one market can lose in another.
Inventory positioned abroad creates permanent establishment and inventory-tax questions.
Where stock sits can create tax presence; finance must plan it with advisors.
Returns and customer service abroad cost more.
Cross-border returns logistics, local-language support, and consumer-protection rules add cost per order.
Compliance calendars multiply.
Filing frequencies, invoicing requirements, and reporting differ by market; missed filings carry penalties.
How we run finance here.
- Market-level profit and loss — revenue, fees, duties, indirect tax cost, shipping, returns, and currency effect by market.
- Indirect tax registration and filing management — thresholds monitored, registrations, filing calendar, marketplace-collected vs. seller-collected tax separated.
- Duty and pricing model — delivered-duty-paid vs. delivered-at-place by market on conversion and margin; landed cost by market.
- Currency policy — pricing in local currency, natural hedges, hedging where warranted, repatriation timing.
- Inventory positioning analysis with tax and customs advisors.
- Returns and service cost by market in contribution.
- Compliance calendar across markets with owners and deadlines.
- Owner or sponsor pack with market-level contribution first.
Key metrics we build and report.
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Contribution margin by market | Which markets earn |
| Effective marketplace fee rate by market | Platform economics abroad |
| Duty and indirect tax cost as percent of sales, by market | Trade cost |
| Currency effect on margin | Exposure |
| Delivered-duty-paid conversion and margin vs. delivered-at-place | Pricing model |
| Sales vs. registration thresholds by market | Compliance triggers |
| Filing calendar compliance | Penalty risk |
| Return rate and cost by market | Service economics |
| Inventory positioned abroad and associated cost | Positioning decisions |
| Days to cash by market and currency | Cash timing |
Worked example.
A U.S. consumer brand selling into Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany, $21M revenue, 30% international.
The plan: German registration and back-filing with advisors; Germany repricing or channel change; delivered-duty-paid for the UK; currency policy; market-level pack.
Where we’ve done this.
U.S. brands expanding into Canada and Europe; cross-border United States–Canada operations with inventory on both sides; marketplace sellers across multiple regions; sponsor-backed brands with international growth plans. Pattern-level only.
Which market should we enter first?
The one with the best contribution after fees, duties, tax, shipping, and returns — modeled before launch, not discovered after.
Delivered-duty-paid or delivered-at-place?
Delivered-duty-paid usually converts better and reduces refused deliveries; the duty cost must be priced in. We model both by market.
Do we need to register for value-added tax?
Thresholds and marketplace rules vary by market and channel; we monitor and coordinate registrations with tax advisors.
Can you handle the Canada side specifically?
Yes — cross-border United States–Canada finance and tax is a core strength, including goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax, duties, and inventory positioning.
Further reading.
The 13-Week Cash Forecast for a Behavioral Health Group
How to build and run a rolling 13-week cash forecast in a behavioral health practice — collections by payer, payroll timing, a worked example, and the decisions it makes possible.
Read article → InsightWhy Cash-Basis Books Mislead a Behavioral Health Practice — and What a Real Close Looks Like
How accrual accounting, revenue by date of service, and an allowance for uncollectible claims change what a behavioral health owner sees — with a worked comparison and a close checklist.
Read article → InsightThe Monthly Management Report for a Behavioral Health Group: What Belongs In It
The metrics, statements, and commentary a behavioral health practice's monthly report should contain, with a sample page-one — and the order that makes it useful to owners and boards.
Read article →Insights for this vertical.
E-commerce-specific insights are being published.
Tell us about the business.
One conversation about where the numbers stand and what the next stage needs from finance. We will tell you where we can help, where you need someone else, and what it would cost.
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute accounting, tax, legal, or investment advice. Sales tax, indirect tax, customs, and cross-border compliance obligations depend on the specific facts of the business and change frequently. Figures in examples are illustrative. See our full Legal Disclaimer.