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4 Things You Need to Know About that $166 Billion Tariff Refund
Businesses are first in line for refunds. Consumers are not.
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Key takeaways:
- The federal refund portal opened Monday, but only businesses can apply.
- A handful of major companies have pledged to return tariff money to customers.
- Class-action lawsuits are the only direct path for consumers.
The Supreme Court struck down most of President Trump's tariffs in February. Now the government is paying back the money collected while the tariffs were in place. Just most likely not to you.
On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched a new online portal called CAPE, short for Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries. It allows businesses that paid tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to apply for refunds. The government estimates it owes more than $166 billion, plus interest.
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Consumers aren’t likely to benefit from CAPE directly, but the refund portal might provide relief to older adults who own small businesses that paid tariffs. Slightly more than half of all small businesses were started by someone age 55 and older, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It’s unclear how much those businesses might be eligible for in tariff refunds.
1. What businesses need to know to apply
Who can file? The business that imported the goods, known as the importer of record, or the customs broker who filed on that business's behalf. Once a claim is approved, CBP says refunds will take 60 to 90 days to process.
To file, businesses need a list of entry numbers, submitted as a CSV file through the federal ACE Portal at cbp.gov. Each submission is limited to 9,999 entries, but businesses can submit multiple files.
Refunds will be paid electronically. Businesses must have a U.S. bank account on file with CBP before a refund can be issued.
2. Who’s eligible: Businesses, not consumers
Individual consumers cannot apply. Only the business that officially paid the customs bill is eligible. That matters because tariffs are taxes on imports. Companies paid them when products crossed the border, and many businesses passed those costs downstream to shoppers in the form of higher prices. Those increases particularly affect Americans 50 and older who are worried about rising prices.
3. A few big companies have pledged to pass the money along
A handful of major companies have signaled they intend to share refund money with customers. FedEx, which is frequently listed as the importer of record for goods it ships on behalf of other businesses, has pledged to pass refunds back to those customers.
Costco's CEO told investors last month the company would return money to shoppers through lower prices. Neither company has specified a timeline or a mechanism.
4. For consumers, class-action lawsuits are the main option for getting money back
If you want money back, you may have to wait for a successful ruling in a class-action lawsuit. Shoppers have already filed suits against Costco, FedEx and other retailers, arguing they should receive a direct share of any refund money. Those cases are in early stages.
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