Guide · IEEPA duty refunds
Tariff refund checks: who gets paid, how, and when
Updated · By Joshua Giles, founder of Supercargo (JG Core Ltd)
Are tariff refund checks being sent?
Not to the public. CBP refunds IEEPA duty paid from 4 February 2025 to 24 February 2026 only to the importer of record, by ACH rather than paper check, usually 60 to 90 days after its CAPE Declaration is accepted. Shoppers and parcel recipients get money back only if the seller or carrier that was the importer passes it on (CBP, checked 23 October 2026).
Where your refund comes from
- You imported goods in your own name. You are the importer of record. CBP pays you by ACH after you or your broker file a CAPE Declaration in the ACE Portal. Track it in ACE. How to file and track in the CAPE portal.
- You paid duty to FedEx, UPS or DHL on a parcel. If the carrier cleared it in its own name, CBP refunds the carrier and the carrier decides how to pass refunds on. Use the carrier’s own refund page. FedEx, UPS and DHL refunds.
- You bought goods at a price that included tariffs. CBP does not refund shoppers or buyers. Any money back comes from the seller or importer, under their own policy, not from CBP.
Where’s my refund? Importers check status in ACE
ES-022 links your accepted CAPE Declaration to entries and refund numbers, with principal and interest shown separately. REV-603 then shows the status: Sent to Treasury, Treasury Issued, Funds Diverted (used to pay an existing bill) or Check/ACH Returned (refund bank details missing; REV-613 lists these). Every status: the CAPE portal guide.
Importer with many entries? The IEEPA Tariff Refund Kit (£49$59€55) puts every entry’s deadline and refund status on one tracker.
Straight answers
Is CBP sending tariff refund checks?
No, with rare exceptions. CBP says IEEPA refunds are made by secure ACH payment to a verified party, not by paper check mailed to an unverified address. Refunds go only to the importer of record or its 4811 notify party.
When will my tariff refund arrive?
For an importer of record, CBP says valid refunds are generally issued 60 to 90 days after the CAPE Declaration is accepted, unless a compliance concern needs review. Entries that are suspended, extended or under review are refunded after they liquidate.
Is there a tariff refund portal?
For importers, yes: CAPE, a tab in CBP’s ACE Portal, where the importer of record or its broker files a CAPE Declaration and tracks it with the ES-022 and REV-603 reports. Carriers such as FedEx have their own customer refund pages for parcels they cleared.
Someone says they can get my tariff refund check for a fee. Is it real?
Be wary. CBP publishes a fact sheet on CAPE refund fraud solicitations. Only the importer of record or the broker that filed the entries can file a CAPE Declaration, and CBP pays by ACH to bank details held in the ACE Portal.
Sources, last checked 23 October 2026: CBP, IEEPA Duty Refunds (last modified 30 September 2026); CBP Trade User Information Notice: CAPE (last updated 10 July 2026).
For United States shipments: Supercargo is not a licensed customs broker and does not conduct customs business as defined in 19 CFR 111.1. Figures shown for prospective shipments are management estimates on a commodity code you supply. Classification, valuation and entry remain the responsibility of you as importer of record and of your licensed broker, and reliance on Supercargo does not establish reasonable care for the purposes of 19 U.S.C. 1484.
Start with the audit
Your last twelve months of entries, reconciled to the unit, for a fixed £900$1,200€1,050. Refunded in full if the variance is under 2%.