IEEPA Tariffs Were Painful. Your Refund Shouldn't Be.

Any U.S. importer who paid IEEPA duties on goods classified under HTS Chapter 99 codes 9903.01 or 9903.02 during the eligible period is potentially eligible. The refund goes to the Importer of Record listed on the CBP entry summary, or to a party they designate via CBP Form 4811. Roughly 330,000 importers are affected.

Your refund equals the IEEPA duties your business paid between February 4, 2025, and February 24, 2026, plus statutory interest. Interest accrues at the IRS quarterly rates: 6% annualized for corporations and 7% for non-corporations. The U.S. Court of International Trade has noted that interest is accruing at roughly $650 million per month across all eligible claims.

CAPE, or Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, is CBP’s new electronic tool for issuing IEEPA refunds. It consolidates refunds by Importer of Record rather than by entry. Phase 1 launches April 20, 2026, at 8:00 AM EDT inside the ACE Secure Data Portal, covering unliquidated entries and entries within 80 days of liquidation.

CBP’s stated target is 60 to 90 days after it accepts a CAPE Declaration, but actual timelines often run longer due to compliance review, ACH enrollment delays, and Phase 1 scope limits. Refunds are issued via electronic ACH only. Importers outside the Phase 1 scope may need to file a protest under 19 U.S.C. § 1514, which takes significantly longer.

The File and Fund Program handles your IEEPA refund end-to-end. We prepare and file your CAPE Declaration, advance capital against your refund so you don’t wait on CBP, and track disbursement through recovery. You can also choose File Only (filing without financing) or Fund Only (financing against a claim you’ve already filed).

Under 19 U.S.C. § 1514, an Importer of Record has 180 days from the date of liquidation to file a protest with CBP. Because CAPE Phase 1 covers only unliquidated entries and entries within 80 days of liquidation, importers with older liquidated entries must file a protest before the 180-day window closes, or permanently forfeit the refund.

Yes. CBP issues IEEPA refunds electronically via the Automated Clearing House (ACH) only. Paper checks are not available. Importers of Record must complete ACH refund enrollment inside the ACE Portal and provide valid U.S. bank account information before any refund can be disbursed. Refunds to importers without ACH enrollment are held until setup is complete.

Entries liquidated more than 80 days ago are not covered by CAPE Phase 1. To recover IEEPA duties on older liquidated entries, the Importer of Record (or a customs broker or attorney) must file a protest under 19 U.S.C. § 1514 within 180 days of liquidation. CBP plans to add more entry types in later phases.

Usually, yes. If your business deducted IEEPA duties through cost of goods sold or capitalized them into inventory, the refund is generally taxable income in the year received. Statutory interest paid by CBP is also generally taxable. Treatment depends on your accounting method and how the original duties were handled. Consult your tax advisor before filing.