When the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's tariffs, many small importers assumed any refunds would be tied up in bureaucracy for years. Surprisingly, that's not what's happening.
It's estimated that roughly 330,000 importers paid more than $166 billion in tariff fees imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). If your business was affected, here's good news: you can get your tariffs refunded. You just need to be a little patient.
That's the advice from Melissa Alvarado Quisenberry, a vice-president at Michigan-based Supply Chain Solutions. Her company helps businesses manage freight forwarding, transportation, customs brokerage, warehousing, inventory and shipping operations. Over the past few weeks, ever since the federal government announced that there would be a tariff refund after all, Quisenberry's company has been busy filing refund claims for many of her clients seeking to claw their money back.
The process, which started in late April, is not simple. But surprisingly, it's working so far. Federal agencies have quietly put a workable refund process in place.
How to Get Your Refund
To get your money, you need to work with the import firm that originally handled the paperwork and collected the fees. The government requires that your original customs broker, the "importer of record," must be the one to apply for the refund. It can't just be any broker or consultant. This is likely because the government learned its lesson from the pandemic-era Employee Retention Tax Credit debacle, which spawned fraudulent refund claims.
Quisenberry acknowledged that being forced to use your original customs broker can create problems if your business is unhappy with that firm, such as if the broker is unresponsive or charging excessive fees. Unfortunately, switching brokers to get your tariff refund isn't easy, if possible at all.
"You can work with another broker in a consulting capacity, but your options for now are limited," Quisenberry said.
Assuming all is well with your customs broker, they would file your refund request electronically through the customs agency's Ace Secure Data Portal. The first phase is limited to shipments that were "liquidated" within the past 80 days, although some "unliquidated" shipments are also being processed. The government says importers or brokers must upload a Consolidated Administration and Processing for Entries Declaration digital file listing the entries eligible for refunds.
Some glitches have been reported, but Quisenberry says things have been working "pretty well" and the process "appears to be more organized and operational than many of us expected."
Timeline and Costs
How long will it take to see your money? Quisenberry says she's telling her clients to expect between 60 and 90 days. There is a cost involved, as firms like hers are service providers and this is an added service. But for many businesses not expecting refunds, the cash is welcome, and paying a percentage of something is better than paying a percentage on nothing.
One hidden cost is taxes. Many clients who paid tariffs took a legitimate tax deduction for the cost in 2025. Tariff refunds made in 2026 will be taxable, which must be considered when estimating taxes due this year.
Shipping Providers and Big Brands
Recently, FedEx and UPS have pledged to return tariff refunds to customers. DHL is doing the same. Small business owners who rely on these shippers should pay close attention to their actions. Unfortunately, Amazon, Apple, Costco, and other big brands remain silent on whether they will share their tariff refunds with customers.
Immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, I wrote that small businesses shouldn't bother going after tariff refunds. I was wrong. The refund process is up and running and seems to be running satisfactorily. The tariff debate is far from over, but for businesses willing to navigate the paperwork, this is one rare case where Washington's bureaucracy may actually be working in their favor.
