The International Emergency Economic Powers Act — And Why the Government Owes You Money Back
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that IEEPA tariffs were imposed without legal authority. Every dollar collected under those tariffs is owed back to U.S. importers — plus statutory interest. The refund is not automatic. You have to file.
The Government Is Not Sending You a Check
The Supreme Court ruling did not order automatic refunds. The Court of International Trade issued a direct order to CBP to process refunds — but only for importers who file a CAPE Declaration. Importers who do not file receive nothing.
There is no opt-out process, no automatic payment, and no government outreach to notify eligible businesses. The refund belongs to whoever files correctly before their entries age out of eligibility.
What is IEEPA?
Which tariffs are covered?
How much interest am I owed?
Is there a deadline?
What is the difference between IEEPA and Section 301?
Three Steps to Your Refund
The government does not send you money. You have to claim it. Here is how the IEEPA recovery process works from legal exposure to ACH payment.
Understand Your IEEPA Exposure
IEEPA tariffs were imposed under Executive Orders beginning in early 2025 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq. The Supreme Court ruled the President exceeded his statutory authority. Importers who paid these tariffs between April 2025 and February 2026 are eligible for full refunds.
Calculate What You Are Owed
Statutory interest accrues from your original entry payment date under 19 U.S.C. 1505 and 26 U.S.C. 6621. The rate is 7% annually for non-corporations and 6% for corporations, compounded quarterly. For entries paid in April 2025 that means over a year of interest on top of your principal refund amount.
File Through the CAPE Portal
CBP's Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries system is the only authorized pathway for IEEPA refund claims. File a CAPE Declaration through the ACE Secure Data Portal. Refunds are disbursed via ACH within 60-90 days of acceptance. Use TariffGuru.com's free tools to file correctly 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.
Launch Free AI Agent 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 — 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
Ask Any IEEPA Question — Free
TariffGuru's free AI Recovery Agent is trained on CBP CAPE documentation, Federal Register interest rates, and CIT court orders. No account required.
Launch Free AI Agent at TariffGuru.com →Built for Sensitive Federal Data
Every tool on TariffGuru.com is built with security infrastructure appropriate for federal compliance work.
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PCI DSS payment security on all transactions. All payment processing meets federal card industry data security standards.
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Verified
All content sourced directly from CBP official publications, Federal Register notices, and Court of International Trade filings.
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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.
Why the May 11 Refund Date Is Court-Sourced — Not Estimated
Most media outlets reported "60-90 days" without citing the source. The actual date comes from a CBP declaration filed with the CIT in Euro-Notions Florida, Inc. v. United States.
May 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