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The Deduction You Didn’t See Coming—Because It Hit Post-Audit

Gold coins  blowing away

There’s nothing quite like the surprise of a post-audit deduction. You close the books thinking everything’s in order… and six months later, boom—money gone.


Post-audit deductions are growing. Retailers re-review deals, shipping records, promos, and compliance issues long after the transaction ends. And if you’re not ready? That deduction goes undisputed. It’s already “paid.”


Fictional scenario:A wellness brand ships a holiday display program, executes beautifully, and closes the year strong. In Q2, they’re hit with $22K in “late compliance deductions” tied to one forgotten tracking file. Too late to fix. No dispute filed. No money back.


Retail Dive reports that post-audit deductions are up 18% YoY across major U.S. retailers.


Protect Your Brand:

  • Keep clear, archived documentation for every program.

  • Use a system (or partner) to audit retroactive deductions.

  • Challenge anything that doesn’t align with your records.


Just because it’s post-audit doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause.


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