What happens if CBP denies my claim?

CBP denial is a risk in any tariff refund process, but Tariffi's contingency structure ensures you never pay for a failed claim.

You owe $0 on denied entries. This is the core of contingency-only pricing. If CBP denies an entry — whether for substantive reasons or documentation gaps — Tariffi's fee on that entry is zero. No partial charges, no "processing fees" for denied claims, no hidden costs.

What happens procedurally:

• CBP issues a Form 29 (Notice of Action) explaining the denial reason for specific entries.

• Your broker partner responds. As Filer of Record under the LPOA, the broker reviews the denial, gathers any additional information needed, and responds to CBP within the prescribed timeframe. This is included in Tariffi's service — no additional charge.

• Possible outcomes: CBP may reverse the denial after receiving additional information, partially allow the claim, or sustain the denial.

• For sustained denials worth contesting: The broker may recommend further protest or CIT filing. CIT action is at your discretion — Tariffi will advise on the cost-benefit based on the entry amounts involved.

Common denial reasons in CAPE Phase 1:

• "Unable to calculate duty" — usually a data formatting issue that can be corrected and refiled
• Drawback conflict — another party has already filed a drawback claim on the same entry
• PSC (Post-Summary Correction) incomplete — the entry needs additional corrections before the refund can be processed
• Entry outside the lookback window — the entry predates the CAPE Phase 1 eligible period

Pre-filing quality control. Tariffi's analysis engine and the broker's review process are designed to catch most denial triggers before filing. The ~97.8% CAPE Phase 1 pass rate reflects industry-wide results — not a guarantee, but an indicator of the program's straightforward requirements.

Full liability terms are in our Terms of Service.