Free IEEPA Tariff Refund Help: File It Right the First Time
The Supreme Court ruled IEEPA tariffs were illegal. The CAPE portal is open. The government will not send you a check automatically. You have to file, and one formatting error can cost you everything. Free help is available right now.
Most Small Businesses Haven't Started Yet.
Of the 330,000 eligible U.S. importers, the vast majority have not filed a CAPE Declaration. The large corporations with legal teams and customs brokers filed first. Small and medium-sized businesses are getting left behind, not because they don't qualify, but because the process was designed for institutional importers, not the average business owner.
According to federal litigator Matthew Seligman, quoted in Fortune: "I am deeply worried that small and medium-sized importers are going to end up losing their refund rights because they haven't had access to trade counsel." TariffGuru.com was built to change that.
Where do I start?
Do I need a customs broker or attorney?
What if I make a mistake on my filing?
How long does it take to get paid?
Is there really free help available?
Three Steps to Your Refund
Free help is available at every stage: from eligibility to filing to getting paid.
Check Your Eligibility, Free
Use TariffGuru's free CAPE Pre-Filing Eligibility Screener to confirm your entries qualify for Phase 1. Answer 6 questions and get an instant technical readiness assessment. Covers liquidation status, ACH enrollment, entry type, and common exclusions.
Ask the Free AI Agent
TariffGuru's AI Recovery Agent is trained on CBP CAPE documentation, ACE portal protocols, Federal Register interest rate tables, and CIT court orders. Ask any question about your refund in plain English. No account required. No law degree needed.
File With the $97 Toolkit
The Federal Recovery Toolkit includes everything you need to file a CAPE Declaration correctly: CBP-compliant CSV template, ACE portal extraction guide, error dictionary, HTS reference library, and a 12-point filing readiness checklist. File it right the first time.
Everything You Need, For Free
Before you spend a dollar, use our free tools to understand your eligibility, estimate your refund, and get answers to your questions.
Five Things Every Importer Must Know
The five technical pillars of IEEPA refund eligibility, covered in plain English. Liquidation status, ACH enrollment, entry formatting, interest calculation, and the Phase 1 exclusions that catch most filers off guard.
Read the Quick Guide
2. ACH Enrollment: You must have a U.S. bank account registered in the ACE Secure Data Portal. This account must be separate from any ACH account used to pay duties to CBP.
3. Entry Formatting: All entry numbers must be exact 11 alphanumeric characters. One bad character rejects the line.
4. Interest Calculation: Statutory interest accrues from the original entry payment date at 7% annually (non-corp) or 6% (corp), compounded quarterly per 19 U.S.C. 1505.
5. Phase 1 Exclusions: Reconciliation entries, drawback entries, AD/CVD entries, open protest entries, and entries not filed in ACE are excluded from Phase 1.
Read the Full Filing Guide →
CAPE Pre-Filing Eligibility Screener
Answer 6 questions and get an instant technical readiness assessment. Know your Phase 1 eligibility status, what steps to take next, and whether you need the toolkit or concierge service, before you file a single form.
Check My Eligibility →The Tariff Guru: Your Free AI Recovery Agent
Ask any question about your IEEPA refund in plain English. Trained on CBP CAPE documentation, ACE portal protocols, Federal Register interest rate tables, and CIT court orders. No account required. No law degree needed.
Get Free Help at TariffGuru.com →Federal Statutory Interest Calculator
Calculated per 19 U.S.C. 1505 and 26 U.S.C. 6621 using IRS quarterly overpayment rates as published in Federal Register Vol. 90 No. 186. Not a simple interest estimate. This is a statutory refund calculation.
Use the Full Calculator Below →Federal Statutory Interest Calculator: IEEPA Tariff Refund Overpayment Rates
Statutory interest on IEEPA tariff refunds accrues from the date the original duties were paid through the date CBP issues your refund. This is not optional. It is a legal entitlement under federal statute.
The applicable rates, confirmed across multiple Federal Register publications, are 7% annually for non-corporate importers and 6% annually for corporate importers, compounded quarterly.
For entries paid in April 2025, this means more than a full year of interest accrues on top of your principal refund amount before CBP issues payment.
Source: 19 U.S.C. 1505 · 26 U.S.C. 6621 · Federal Register Vol. 90 No. 186 (September 29, 2025) · Federal Register Document 2026-01175 (January 22, 2026) · Revenue Ruling 2025-22
Estimate based on statutory rates per 19 U.S.C. 1505 and 26 U.S.C. 6621, compounded quarterly. Actual amounts depend on entry-level CBP data and the refund process established by the Court of International Trade.
File It Right the First Time
From the $97 self-filing toolkit to full institutional data formatting. TariffGuru.com provides the technical infrastructure for every type of importer.
Federal Recovery Toolkit
- Master CAPE CSV template (CBP-compliant, pre-formatted)
- ACE portal data extraction guide
- CBP error dictionary: every rejection code explained
- HTS reference library for IEEPA-subject goods
- USITC duty handbook and HTS classification guide
- Supreme Court ruling analysis (Learning Resources v. Trump)
- Federal Register interest rate documentation
- 12-point pre-submission filing readiness checklist
- Phase 1 exclusion reference guide
Institutional Data Services
- Professional CAPE CSV data formatting at $1 per line
- $1,500 minimum, covers up to 1,500 entry lines
- $4,500 Institutional Data Audit, pre-submission error scan
- PDF Risk Report identifying rejection risks before filing
- Section 301 / IEEPA duty stacking analysis
- AD/CVD suspension review and Phase 2 preparation
- Full concierge with licensed customs practitioners available
Get Instant Help With Your IEEPA Refund
TariffGuru's free AI Recovery Agent answers any question about your IEEPA refund eligibility, CAPE filing requirements, and interest calculations. Trained on CBP source documents. No account required.
Get Free Help at TariffGuru.com →Built for Sensitive Federal Data
Every tool on TariffGuru.com is built with security infrastructure appropriate for federal compliance work.
Encrypted
SSL/TLS encryption on every connection. All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is protected in transit.
Compliant
PCI DSS payment security on all transactions. All payment processing meets federal card industry data security standards.
Protected
DDoS mitigation and DNS security infrastructure. The site is protected against network-level attacks and traffic manipulation.
Verified
All content sourced directly from CBP official publications, Federal Register notices, and Court of International Trade filings.
Private
User data is never sold to third parties. Information shared through our diagnostic and contact forms is used solely to serve your inquiry.
Court-Sourced
Filing intelligence derived directly from CIT court records and CBP agency filings. Dates, entry counts, and process details are all court-verified.
Stay Ahead of the Process
Court-sourced CAPE system analysis published since March 2026, before most media outlets covered this story.
Racing Against Your Broker: Why You Should File Your Own Refund
If your customs broker already submitted a CAPE Declaration listing your entry numbers, you cannot submit those same entries again. CBP flags duplicate entry numbers across declarations as "Rejected by batch validation," permanently removing them from your claim. Here is what to check before anyone files on your behalf.
Technical Guide, 2026 Phase 2The $2+ Billion in Frozen Tariff Refunds Nobody Is Explaining
Entries subject to AD/CVD suspension are explicitly excluded from Phase 1. Here is why, what statute governs it, and what importers should be doing now to prepare for Phase 2.
May 2026 TechnicalThe PSC Filing Prohibition Most Competitors Are Ignoring
CBP's Trade User Information Notice explicitly prohibits Post Summary Corrections for IEEPA refunds. Here is the exact language and why it matters for importers evaluating their options.
April 2026