The Deduction You Didn’t See Coming—Because It Hit Post-Audit
- Jon Allen
- Jul 3
- 1 min read

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.