IEEPA Tariff Refunds for US Car Imports: How to Claim Yours Before the Deadline | 2026 Guide

If you paid IEEPA tariffs on a car import to the US, that money is now eligible for refund. CBP began processing claims on April 20, 2026, following the Supreme Court's decision to strike down IEEPA tariffs. This guide walks through the steps to claim yours, whether you're filing directly as the Importer of Record or routing through a licensed customs broker.

Timing matters here. Entries liquidate weekly, and each liquidation starts a 180-day protest clock. Refunds also move only by ACH transfer now, since CBP stopped issuing paper checks on February 6, 2026. No bank info on file, no refund.

What This Means for US Car Imports

If you used IEEPA-era entries to ship cars to the USA, whether for collector cars, dealer inventory, or manufacturer transfers, you likely paid duties that are now eligible for refund. The catch: entries liquidate weekly, and each liquidation starts a 180-day protest clock. Waiting is the most expensive move you can make right now.

The numbers from CBP make the urgency clear:

• 330,000+ importers paid IEEPA duties

• ~21,000 have ACH banking set up in ACE

• 7,700 refunds already rejected for missing bank info

If you're the Importer of Record on a US car import filing, the next move is yours.

If You Have a US Bank Account
Five steps. No paperwork.

1. Log in to the ACE Portal at ace.cbp.dhs.gov

2. Go to Accounts → Importer → click your company name

3. Click the "ACH Refund Authorization" tab

4. Enter your routing and account numbers

5. Click Submit and confirm it saved
   

No ACE account yet? Create one first at ace-accounts.cbp.gov/s/importer-form, then come back and complete the ACH setup.

If You're a Non-US Importer Without a US Bank Account

You file CBP Form 4811 and designate a licensed customs broker to receive the refund on your behalf. The broker becomes the authorized US-based recipient for your funds. Without the form, CBP has no one to send the ACH transfer to, and your refund goes nowhere.

How To File Your IEEPA Refund

If you're the Importer of Record (IOR) and filing directly through ACE CAPE, here's the order of operations:

1. Confirm who is the IOR for each entry, via CBP Form 7501.

    

2. Note your IR number (Importer ID), typically your EIN or Tax ID.

    

3. Set up or confirm your ACE Secure Data Portal Importer Account.

    

4. Enroll for ACH refunds so CBP can pay electronically.

    

5. Compile your list of eligible entries. Phase 1 covers unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation. You'll need the entry number for each.

    

6. Prepare and upload the CAPE Declaration .CSV using the ACE CAPE template.

We are not the Importer of Record on your entries and cannot file refunds on your behalf. Our customs broker partner, Allied CHB, can file for a fee. Eligible importers should receive a welcome email from them with an estimated refund amount.

Official CBP Resources

Direct links to the source guidance:

• International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) Duty Refunds | CBP
• Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) for IEEPA Refunds, April 20, 2026 Deployment
• ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs | CBP
• Electronic Refund Enrollment in CBP's ACE Portal (PDF)
• ACE Portal Application for Importers (PDF)

What to Do Next

If your refund is sitting with CBP, the two requirements to clear first are an ACE account and ACH enrollment. Both can be done in an afternoon. The harder work comes after: pulling entry numbers and preparing the CAPE Declaration.

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