CAPE goes live Sunday, April 20, 2026. Entries liquidating now are inside the 180-day protest window. Both paths are open — for now.
For Licensed Customs Brokers

Your clients are owed IEEPA tariff refunds. RefundDesk gets you ready to claim them.

CAPE — CBP's new refund portal — launches Sunday, April 20, 2026. When it opens, brokers who have their entry data identified, classified, and formatted will be able to submit on day one. RefundDesk does that preparation work for you — so nothing stands between your clients and the money they're owed.

Start your first batch → Log into existing account
April 20, 2026 CAPE LAUNCH DATE
19 U.S.C. §1514 Statutory authority
CAPE Stage 1 Pipeline position
CAPE Declaration CSV Output format
Where RefundDesk fits

The CAPE refund pipeline has four stages. CBP controls stages 2 through 4. RefundDesk gets your clients into Stage 1 — correctly, completely, on time.

Stage 1
CAPE Claim Portal
Broker submits a CAPE Declaration CSV through ACE on your clients' behalf. RefundDesk builds that file from your entry data — identifying eligible entries, classifying each one by path and deadline, and generating the entry number list for your CAPE Declaration submission.
RefundDesk
Stage 2
Mass Processing
CBP strips IEEPA duties from validated entries and recalculates what's actually owed.
Stage 3
Review & Reliquidation
CBP reviews qualifying entries and reliquidates
Stage 4
Refund
Duty refund disbursed via ACH to IOR or designated recipient
Unlocked by Stage 1
Your importer must be ACH-registered in the ACE portal before Stage 4 can complete. This is a hard blocker for refund disbursement and is independent of filing status.
Your workflow inside RefundDesk

3 steps from raw entry data to filed submission

Each step maps to a discrete action in the tool. Nothing is inferred or skipped.

01
Upload your entry data
Bring in your ACE reports or entry summaries. RefundDesk identifies eligible entries, classifies each one by path and deadline, and flags anything that needs attention before you proceed.
CAPE eligible Protest deadline
02
We generate your submission package
For CAPE-path entries: a formatted CAPE Declaration CSV ready for Stage 1 submission. For protest-path entries: a CBP-compliant protest packet built to 19 U.S.C. §1514 spec. Both outputs are generated from the same upload.
03
Review, sign, and file
You remain the broker of record. RefundDesk hands you complete, filing-ready output before your clients' deadlines expire. Your license, your client relationship — we handle the preparation.
Before you upload

What you need to have in order

This checklist reflects what CBP will verify at Stages 2 through 4 of the CAPE pipeline — better to confirm it before you file than after.

Entry data in CSV format
From your ABI system or ACE portal
RefundDesk uses these fields to classify entries and calculate deadlines. The CAPE Declaration output contains entry numbers only, per CBP spec.
Pull a CSV export of entries covering 2025–2026. Required columns: entry_number, entry_date, liquidation_status, hts_code, and duty_paid. Column mapping is handled on the import screen — you don't need to rename headers in advance.
Valid Power of Attorney on file
Per importer of record
The attestation step requires you to confirm you hold a valid POA for each importer in the batch. The tool captures your attestation — it does not verify POA status against any external system. That verification remains your responsibility as broker of record.
ACH registration confirmed
Hard blocker for Stage 4 disbursement
CBP requires ACH enrollment for electronic refund disbursement. If your importer has not completed ACH registration in the ACE portal, no refund can be paid regardless of filing status. Fewer than 10% of importers currently have this configured — verify before you file.
Liquidation dates confirmed
Determines CAPE vs. protest path
Entries liquidated within 90 days of your filing date are eligible for CAPE reliquidation. Entries from 91 to 180 days out are protest-only. The tool classifies each entry automatically from the liquidation date in your CSV — verify the date against your own records before attesting.
CBP Form 4811: If your firm intends to receive the refund directly on behalf of the importer — rather than the IOR receiving it — a Designation of Recipient (CBP Form 4811) must be on file with CBP. This form is separate from the protest packet and is not generated by RefundDesk. Ask your importer whether they want to designate you before you file.
Scope of this tool

The filing is the unlock.

The legal situation around IEEPA tariff refund claims is still developing. What's clear is that entries need to be identified, organized, and submitted through the right channel — and the window to do that is running. RefundDesk gives you the entry intelligence and output format to act confidently regardless of how the process evolves.

Deadline math is shown explicitly
Every entry displays its deadline date and the statutory basis — 19 U.S.C. §1514(a) for protest, §1501 for reliquidation. You can verify the calculation against your own records before attesting.
Attestation is yours, not the software's
The attestation step captures your IP address and timestamp as the compliance record. You are the attesting broker — the tool records your signature, it does not sign on your behalf. The record is immutable once submitted.
CAPE output format
The entry schedule CSV is structured for Stage 1 of the CBP CAPE Claim Portal. The CAPE Declaration output contains entry numbers in CSV format, per CBP's published April 2026 spec. Output verified against the live ACE portal on April 20.

Ready to pull your first batch?

Create an account, upload your entry CSV, and see which entries qualify — and which deadlines are approaching — in under ten minutes.

19 U.S.C. §1514(a) · IEEPA tariff refund claim · 180-day protest window · CAPE Stage 1 compatible · CBP Form 19 output

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