Refunds apply to specific tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act invalidated by the Supreme Court
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NEED TO KNOW
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection is accepting refund requests for certain invalidated tariffs through a phased rollout
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Refunds apply to specific 2025 tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act invalidated by the Supreme Court
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Customers can check eligibility using UPS’s online tool and may receive refunds within 60 to 90 days after approval
Shoppers across social media have gone viral in recent years after revealing the massive, unexpected import fees they were charged on international purchases because of tariffs. Now, some of those customers may be able to get that money back.
According to United Parcel Service (UPS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun accepting refund requests through a phased rollout for certain 2025 tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that were later invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The refunds only apply to certain tariffs charged on or after Jan. 30, 2026, as well as certain pending tariff payments. Tariffs collected before then are not included in the current refund process.
For most individual shoppers who paid duties and taxes through UPS, the company says UPS was likely the importer of record (IOR) — the party legally responsible for the shipment when it entered the U.S.
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That means, for eligible Phase One shipments where UPS served as the IOR, customers generally do not need to do anything. According to the company, UPS has already submitted refund requests to CBP on customers’ behalf and will issue refunds once it receives the funds.
“UPS is processing refunds for eligible shipments where we served as the importer,” the website states. “We will expand our efforts as CBP launches future phases. We are committed to supporting our customers during the refund process.”
According to the UPS website, CBP will review refund requests and issue refunds to IORs in several phases.
Phase One covers only certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation, as well as certain pending tariff payments, that are currently eligible for refunds. Only tariff payments made on or after Jan. 30, 2026, are eligible for these refunds.
If you’re eligible for a Phase One refund, UPS says it will first apply the refund, along with any applicable interest, to any open invoices on your account. Any remaining balance will be disbursed 60 to 90 days after UPS receives the funds from CBP.
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Customers can also use the UPS IEEPA Tariff Refund Lookup tool to determine whether a shipment qualifies for a refund and see which phase it falls under in the CBP process. After logging into a UPS account, users can view all eligible packages associated with their account or search for individual shipments using a tracking number or delivery address.
Phase Two, which began June 29, covers refund claims for tariff entries flagged for reconciliation, according to UPS. Because UPS does not serve as the IOR for those entries, customers eligible for Phase Two refunds must submit their claims directly to CBP.
Phase Three is expected to begin in late July, according to CBP estimates, and will cover refund requests for tariff entries that have been fully liquidated, meaning CBP has completed its review and the entries are generally considered closed.
“UPS continues to closely monitor developments regarding the process for obtaining refunds for Phase Three-eligible entries, and we will act accordingly,” the website says.