How to Claim a Tariff Refund: Step-by-Step for US Importers

Last reviewed: September 29, 2026. Reading time: about 12 minutes.

Claiming an IEEPA tariff refund is not complicated in concept: you tell CBP which entries to recalculate, and it pays back what you overpaid. In practice, it involves several accounts, a specific file format, and a process that does not forgive typos easily. This is the walkthrough for actually doing it, step by step, in the order that avoids the most common hold-ups.

If you have not yet confirmed you are eligible, start with our 17-point eligibility checklist first. This guide picks up from there and carries you through to a paid refund.

The short version: set up your ACE Portal account and ACH refund enrollment, gather your entry numbers, sort them by liquidation status, build a clean CSV file, submit it as a CAPE Declaration, then monitor claim status until the refund arrives.

Transparency note: this guide is educational. At the end, we link to a referral partner and may earn a commission if you apply through that link. Read our affiliate disclosure and disclaimer.

In this guide

• Before you start
• Step 1: Set up your ACE Portal account
• Step 2: Enroll in ACH refunds
• Step 3: Gather your entry numbers
• Step 4: Sort entries by status
• Step 5: Build your CSV file
• Step 6: Submit your CAPE Declaration
• Step 7: Monitor claim status
• Step 8: Track and confirm your refund
• How long the whole process takes
• Frequently asked questions

Before you start

You, or the licensed customs broker who filed your entries, are the only parties who can submit a CAPE Declaration. If a broker filed for you and will keep doing so, you can skip ahead to Step 7 and simply track status. If you plan to file yourself, or want to understand exactly what your broker is doing on your behalf, work through every step.

• Confirm you were the importer of record on the entries in question.
• Confirm the entries carried IEEPA Chapter 99 duty lines.
• Have your company's legal name and importer of record number on hand.
• Know whether you already have an ACE Portal account, or need to apply for one.

Step 1: Set up your ACE Portal account

1

Apply for an ACE Secure Data Portal importer accountSkip this if your broker already files for you and you do not need direct visibility

The ACE Secure Data Portal is where CAPE Declarations are submitted and tracked. CBP opened a new web-based application process for these accounts on April 1, 2026. If you do not already have an importer account, apply through CBP's ACE Portal application page.

Do: apply even if your broker files for you, if you want your own visibility into claim status and ACE reports.

Don’t: wait until you are ready to file to start this. Account approval can take time, and it is one of the more common causes of delay.

Step 2: Enroll in ACH refunds

2

Add your refund banking details in ACEThis is separate from any ACH setup you use to pay duties

Inside the ACE Portal, confirm your ACH refund enrollment. This tells CBP where to send money once a refund is approved. Being set up to pay duties electronically does not automatically cover this.

This step alone has held up real money. CBP reported that roughly 20,184 refunds worth about $1.3 billion were sitting unpaid as of September 11, 2026, specifically because valid ACH refund details were missing.

If you are not sure whether this is done, ask your broker or check your ACE account profile directly.

Step 3: Gather your entry numbers

3

Pull the entries that carried IEEPA dutiesFrom your broker, or from ACE reports if you have access

You need a list of entry numbers, with their liquidation dates, for entries that paid IEEPA duties. CBP’s ES-003 Entry Summary Line Tariff Details report can help identify entries carrying an IEEPA indicator, if you have ACE access. Otherwise, your customs broker can provide this list directly.

Do: ask for entry numbers and liquidation dates together, in one file, so you are not cross-referencing two documents later.

Step 4: Sort entries by status

4

Group entries by liquidation status before you fileThis decides which entries go in this filing and which need a different approach

Not every entry follows the same path. Sort your list into these groups, covered in detail in our pillar guide:

• Unliquidated and liquidated within 80 days, eligible for standard CAPE filing now.
• Reconciliation-flagged entries (types 01, 02, 06), eligible if no type 09 has been filed.
• Finally liquidated entries (more than 80 days), outside standard CAPE, tied to the Phase 3 litigation track.
• Entries with open protests, generally excluded unless withdrawn.

Don’t: mix entries you are not sure about into your main file. File the clear ones now, and research the uncertain ones separately.

Step 5: Build your CSV file

5

Format your entry list using CBP's templateAvailable inside the CAPE tab in ACE

CAPE Declarations are submitted as a CSV file listing entry numbers, one per row, using the template CBP provides in the CAPE tab. A single declaration can include up to 9,999 entries, and you can file more than one declaration if you have more.

• Use CBP’s official template exactly. A file that does not match the expected format is a common rejection reason.
• Double-check every entry number against your source list. Incorrect or nonexistent entry numbers are one of the most common file-level failures CBP has reported.
• Remove any entries that fall into CAPE’s exclusion list: drawback, USMCA duty deferral, antidumping or countervailing duty cases pending liquidation, warehouse entry types 21 and 22, and entries where a surety paid the duties.
• If you plan to also file a drawback claim on any of these entries, submit your CAPE Declaration first.

Step 6: Submit your CAPE Declaration

6

Upload the file in the ACE CAPE tabOnly the importer of record or the licensed broker who filed the entries can do this

Log into the ACE Secure Data Portal, open the CAPE tab, and upload your CSV file. ACE validates the file, then validates each entry, before issuing a CAPE claim number for accepted entries.

Filings are hard to amend. If you spot an error after submitting, you generally cannot edit that declaration. Correct the issue and submit a new declaration for the affected entries instead.

Step 7: Monitor claim status

7

Check Claim Status regularly, not just onceCBP reports roughly 7 in 10 declarations pass validation on the first try

After submitting, check the CAPE tab’s Claim Status periodically. It will show which entries were accepted, and flag any that were excluded, along with a reason where available. If something was rejected, you can generally correct it and file a new declaration for those entries.

Do: set a recurring reminder to check status and any ACE messages weekly, rather than assuming silence means success.

Step 8: Track and confirm your refund

8

Watch for liquidation, then paymentCBP's general window is 60 to 90 days after acceptance

Unliquidated entries are set to liquidate about 45 days after CAPE acceptance. Already-liquidated entries within the 80-day window are reliquidated the next business day. Refunds are then consolidated by importer of record and liquidation date, paid as a single ACH transfer that includes interest, with any outstanding CBP balance netted out first.

• Confirm the ACH deposit actually lands in the account tied to your refund enrollment.
• Reconcile the amount against your expected calculation, since it reflects the duty difference plus statutory interest, not a round number.
• If a refund has not arrived well past 90 days, check your Claim Status and ACH enrollment before assuming something is wrong.

How long the whole process takes

VariesACE account approval and ACH refund enrollment

1–2 hoursGathering entries and building a clean CSV, for a modest entry count

Same dayACE validates your file and issues claim numbers for accepted entries

60–90 daysCBP’s general timeframe to issue valid refunds after acceptance

If your claim is accepted and you would rather not wait out the full window, our guide to how advance funding works explains an alternative. And once you have filed, our five things to check after filing walks through what to verify while you wait.

Frequently asked questions

Who can actually submit a CAPE Declaration?

Only the importer of record on the entries, or the licensed customs broker who originally filed those entries. No one else can file on your behalf.

Do I need an ACE Portal account to get a refund?

Not necessarily. If your customs broker files for you, they use their own ACE access. But having your own account lets you monitor status and pull reports directly.

What format does CBP require for the entry list?

A CSV file listing entry numbers, following CBP's official template available in the CAPE tab. A single declaration can include up to 9,999 entries.

Can I include entries with different liquidation statuses in one file?

You can, but it is cleaner to separate entries CAPE currently accepts from ones that are excluded or uncertain, so a problem with one group does not complicate the other.

What if my CSV file gets rejected?

Correct the issue, whether that is formatting, an incorrect entry number, or an excluded entry, and submit a new declaration. Declarations generally cannot be edited after submission.

How do I know if my refund includes interest?

CBP states that CAPE refunds include applicable interest, calculated under 19 CFR 24.36, alongside the duty difference.

What if I only have some of my entry numbers?

Ask your customs broker for a complete list, or use ACE reports like ES-003 if you have portal access. Filing with an incomplete list means leaving eligible entries unclaimed.

Want help before you file?

If you would rather have your eligibility and entries reviewed before you go through this process yourself, Tariff Refund Agency offers a free eligibility check that takes about five minutes, with no commitment.

Start Your Free Eligibility Check

Affiliate disclosure: if you apply through this button, we may earn a commission from Tariff Refund Agency. Refund eligibility, amounts and timing depend on individual circumstances and are never guaranteed. Read our affiliate disclosure and disclaimer.

Sources and further reading

• Tariff Refunds Finder: IEEPA Tariff Refund: Are You Owed Money by CBP?
• Tariff Refunds Finder: Tariff Refund Eligibility Checklist for US Importers (2026)
• Tariff Refunds Finder: Already Filed Your IEEPA Refund Claim? Check These 5 Things
• Tariff Refunds Finder: Waiting on Your Tariff Refund? How Advance Funding Works
• CBP: IEEPA Duty Refunds (official page)
• CBP: Applying for an ACE Secure Data Portal Account

Educational only. Tariff Refunds Finder is not CBP, U.S. Customs or a government agency, and this guide is not legal, tax or financial advice. Filing requirements can change. Verify current details in the ACE Portal and with a qualified professional before you act.

Take the eligibility checklistAlready filed? Check these 5 thingsHow advance funding works