U.S. importers, manufacturers, and customs brokers who paid 2025 import tariffs may be entitled to a refund. Instead of waiting on CBP's slow, phased payout, an eligible business can sell its entire claim now — no recourse, no waiting on the government's timeline.
Free eligibility check · No obligation · Educational, not legal advice
Recent Court of International Trade (CIT) rulings — notably V.O.S. Selections v. United States — found that a wave of 2025 import tariffs were imposed unlawfully, opening a refund pathway for U.S. importers under IEEPA. This isn't a rumor or a marketing angle — it's a legal outcome businesses can act on, and refunds that are ultimately paid also earn statutory interest of 6% per year on the duties collected.
Refund claims are filed per entry, and each entry carries its own 180-day filing deadline. Miss the window on an entry and that claim is gone. Because the process is manual, phased, and easy to file incorrectly, an estimated 70–75% of eligible importers either haven't filed yet or filed with errors that will get their claim rejected.
That's the opportunity: not urgency for urgency's sake, but a closing window most eligible businesses haven't acted on correctly.
CBP pays refunds in phases — phase 1, phase 2, phase 3 — a schedule that can drag out over months or years even after a claim is approved. Most businesses can't afford to wait that long on cash that's already theirs.
Instead, a funding partner can buy out your entire claim, up front, with no recourse to you. You're not taking on debt and you're not waiting on Washington — you file once, and the cash lands on the platform's own same-day ACH rails.
*Typical timeline, not a guarantee. Actual timing depends on your claim, underwriting, and CBP processing.
Here's what changed in 2025 — and why most eligible businesses still haven't captured what they're owed.
The ruling opened a formal refund process for businesses that paid those tariffs on qualifying entries.
Even approved claims are being paid out in stages — full payouts can take years to reach the business that filed.
Wrong HTS codes, missing entry documentation, and incorrect importer-of-record filings are quietly disqualifying claims. Each entry also carries its own 180-day filing deadline — miss it, and that claim is gone.
Industry estimates on the current state of the 2025 tariff refund process:
*Top-tier range for strong, clean claims — not a guaranteed amount. Your number depends on your claim.
No dashboards to learn, no filing this yourself. A straightforward process built for busy import and logistics teams.
Answer a few questions about your 2025 import activity. We help you understand whether your business may qualify for a refund under the ruling — free, no obligation.
Identity verification, a signed agreement, your raw ACE-portal import data, and a CPA-produced calculation workbook build a claim that's clean, documented, and ready for CBP.
Your partner platform files phases 1, 2, and 3, handles CBP communication on your behalf, and audits your ACE portal to catch and fix any entries that were previously rejected or misfiled.
Instead of waiting years on CBP's phased schedule, eligible businesses can sell their entire claim, up front, with no recourse — strong, clean claims typically at 93–95¢ on the dollar.*
Three quick questions. No documents, no commitment — just a starting point.
Based on your answers, you may be eligible for a 2025 tariff refund.
Select your tariff type and enter your total 2025 import value for a ballpark range. This is a starting point, not an offer.
If your business touched U.S. import activity in 2025, it's worth five minutes to check.
Businesses that imported goods directly and paid 2025 tariffs on qualifying entries.
Companies importing raw materials or components directly and absorbing tariff costs.
Brokers filing on behalf of clients who may have overpaid tariffs across multiple entries.
Freight forwarders and logistics providers with pass-through tariff costs on managed shipments.
This niche attracts scams. Here's the underwriting and process rigor that separates a legitimate claim from a bad one — and why in-house counsel and enterprise finance teams are comfortable signing off.
Third-party identity verification, a signed client agreement with limited power of attorney, your raw ACE-portal data, a CPA-produced calculation workbook, CBP submission/acceptance evidence, and a UCC1 lien lookup — a real underwriting file, not a lead form.
Phase 1, phase 2, and phase 3 claims are filed and tracked, with CBP communication handled on your behalf so you're not the one chasing status updates.
Many businesses that believe they've "already filed" have a large share of entries rejected or misfiled in ACE and don't know it. Your portal gets audited and rejected claims get corrected — even if someone else filed first.
Unlike subjective programs like ERC, this refund is based on an objective legal ruling — clean documentation, clean calculation, clean eligibility. Less room for the gray areas scams hide in.
The platform works with Fortune 500 clients — including a $60B pharmaceutical company — backed by funding partners carrying $780M and $250M term sheets, mandated to deploy billions.
Tech stack, encryption, and certifications are published for review — built so enterprise finance teams and in-house counsel can verify legitimacy themselves, not just take our word for it.
20% contingency (plus a small admin fee) — meaningfully less than the 30–40% many law firms charge. Contingency means the fee is only paid on what's actually recovered, so there's no upfront cost to find out where you stand.
You can pursue a refund claim yourself or through outside counsel. Here's how that typically compares to working with a dedicated recovery partner.
| DIY / Attorney | Working With a Recovery Partner | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 12–18 months, if ever | Weeks to process; advance funding may be available |
| Filing expertise | Research it yourself, or hire outside counsel | Licensed customs brokers & trade attorneys |
| Upfront cost | Hourly attorney fees ($300–$600/hr) | None — success-based, no upfront fees |
| Entry-level tracking | Manual spreadsheets & the ACE portal | Real-time portal with per-entry status |
| 180-day deadline | You track it — miss it and you lose that entry | Automated deadline monitoring per entry |
| Advance funding | Not available | Option to get funded before the claim finalizes |
Examples reported by our recovery partner from claims it has administered — not TariffRefundHQ's own clients. Individual results vary; past results do not guarantee future outcomes.*
*Anonymized recoveries reported by our recovery partner. Individual results vary; past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Yes. A ruling found that a portion of the 2025 import tariffs were unlawfully imposed. That ruling opened a refund process for businesses that paid those tariffs, but the process is phased and the government timeline can take years to fully pay out.
If your business paid U.S. import tariffs in 2025 as an importer of record, a manufacturer importing directly, or through a customs broker or freight forwarder, you may be eligible. Eligibility depends on your specific entry records, HTS codes, and filing history — the fastest way to know is to check your records against the ruling.
The current refund pathway centers on IEEPA-related duties following recent Court of International Trade rulings. Other programs — including Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs, and in some cases duty drawback — may also apply depending on your specific entries. Which programs apply to you depends on your HTS codes and entry details, which is why an individual claim assessment matters.
Industry estimates suggest roughly 70 to 75 percent of eligible importers either haven't filed or filed incorrectly. Common issues include wrong HTS codes, missing entry documentation, filing under the wrong importer of record, and missed deadlines — all of which can delay or void a claim.
Often, yes. Many businesses that believe they've already filed have a meaningful share of entries rejected or misfiled in the ACE portal without realizing it. Part of the process includes auditing your existing ACE filings and correcting rejected or misfiled entries, so you're not leaving money on the table.
Strong, clean claims are typically being bought out in the range of 93 to 95 cents on the dollar of an eligible refund, paid up front instead of waiting on the phased government timeline. This is a top-tier industry range, not a guaranteed amount for any individual business — your specific offer depends on your claim.
Typically, eligible businesses can get funded in as little as days after their claim is approved and underwritten — instead of waiting through CBP's phased payout schedule, which can take months or years. This is a typical timeline, not a guaranteed one; actual timing depends on your claim and CBP processing.
No. Advance funding is structured as a buyout of your filed refund claim, not as a traditional loan against your business, and comes with no recourse to you. It's designed to let you access recovered capital sooner instead of waiting on a multi-year government payout schedule.
The standard structure is a 20% contingency fee plus a small admin fee — meaningfully lower than the 30–40% many law firms charge for similar recovery work. Contingency means the fee is only paid on what's actually recovered, so there's no upfront cost to check eligibility.
The underlying legal basis is real: Court of International Trade rulings found certain 2025 tariffs unlawful, and CBP's own protest process (19 U.S.C. § 1514) governs how refunds are claimed. Unlike subjective eligibility programs, a tariff refund is a relatively clean, objective determination based on entry records. Our referral partner uses identity verification, signed client agreements, and CPA-reviewed calculations as part of its process. That said, always review any agreement carefully and treat any promise of a guaranteed dollar amount as a red flag — legitimate providers speak in ranges and "may be eligible" language, not guarantees.
To start, you just need a general sense of what you imported and when. If you move forward, you'll typically be asked for entry summaries (CBP Form 7501), basic company information, and access details to review your ACE portal data. Nothing is required upfront to check your eligibility.
No. TariffRefundHQ publishes educational content about the 2025 tariff ruling and refund process. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Always verify your specific situation with a qualified professional and your customs broker or counsel.
No. TariffRefundHQ is an independent educational resource and referral partner. We are not CBP, U.S. Customs, or any government agency, and we're not affiliated with the U.S. government. We connect readers to a licensed recovery partner and may earn a commission if you're approved through them.
Takes a few minutes. No obligation. Educational first, always — we'll tell you plainly if it doesn't look like a fit.
Check my eligibility →TariffRefundHQ is an independent educational resource and referral partner. We are not CBP or a government agency. We may earn a commission if you're approved through our partner.