My refund went to my broker instead of my bank account. Why?
Quick answer
Almost always a stale Form 4811 notify-party designation: if your broker (or a former agent) was ever designated to receive refunds in ACE, CBP routes payments there until it is revoked. Ask your broker to forward the funds, then revoke the stale designation through your CBP Center of Excellence and Expertise. Tariffi never uses a notify-party — your refund goes to your own account.
Detailed Answer
If a CAPE refund landed with your customs broker (or another third party) instead of your own bank account, the cause is almost always a refund-routing designation on file with CBP — most commonly a CBP Form 4811 notify-party designation made years ago and never revoked.
How this happens. Form 4811 lets an importer designate a third party — often their broker — to receive refund payments or refund notifications. Many importers signed one when they first set up their brokerage relationship and forgot about it. CBP routes refunds per the designation on file, so a decade-old 4811 can silently redirect a large IEEPA refund today. (Since February 2026, these designations live in ACE's electronic Notify Parties tab rather than on paper.)
What to do:
- Contact your broker. A broker holding your refund should forward it promptly — the money is yours as importer of record. Reputable brokers treat this as routine.
- Revoke the stale designation. Submit a revocation through your assigned CBP Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) or have your broker remove the notify-party designation in ACE, so future refunds route directly to you.
- Verify your own ACH details in ACE. Under Executive Order 14247 (signed March 2025), all CBP refunds have been ACH-only since February 6, 2026 — make sure the bank account on file in your ACE account is current. See our ACH setup guide.
How Tariffi handles refund routing. Tariffi never designates itself — or anyone else — as a notify-party or payee. Refunds on Tariffi-prepared declarations go from Treasury directly to the importer of record's own bank account on file with CBP. We are never in the money path; our contingency fee is collected from your account only after your refund lands, per your Customer Fee Agreement. If a stale 4811 from a prior relationship redirects your refund, we help you and your broker trace and fix the designation.
Related Questions
Where does my refund money go after CBP approves?
CBP/Treasury ACHs the refund directly into your own bank account — the account you keep on file with CBP in ACE. Tariffi is never in the money path: no clearing account, no escrow, no pass-through. After your refund lands, Tariffi collects only its authorized contingency fee (10%/15%/18% by liquidation status) from your account — by invoice or, if you authorize it, a pre-authorized ACH debit — as set out in your Customer Fee Agreement. Refunds typically settle 1-3 business days after CBP's allow-decision.
What happens after CBP approves my CAPE declaration?
After CBP allows your declaration, Treasury ACHs the refund directly into your own bank account (on file with CBP in ACE) within 1-3 business days. Tariffi never holds the money — once it lands, we collect only our authorized contingency fee from your account — by invoice or, if you've authorized it, ACH debit — per your Customer Fee Agreement. You get email notifications at each step.
Why is my IEEPA refund less than expected?
Usually it is not a shortfall — it is how CBP pays. Refunds arrive in partial tranches as entries liquidate on different dates, and CBP consolidates payments into lump sums grouped by importer of record and liquidation date, so one deposit rarely maps to one entry. Duplicate REV-603 notices can also make totals look off. Reconcile per entry before assuming money is missing.
How do I spot IEEPA tariff refund scams?
Five checks: legitimate recovery services never charge advance fees (16 CFR § 310.4(a)(2) makes it illegal); CBP never charges you to release a refund; real refunds arrive only by ACH to the importer of record's own verified bank account; attorneys cannot file CAPE Declarations (CBP FAQ) — only the IOR or the licensed broker who filed the entries can; and any broker's license can be verified with CBP.
Need help?
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