If you’re the CFO of a corporation that is involved in the importation of finished goods or raw materials, you understandably know by now that the government was asked to pay back the IEEPA duties that were levied on imported goods from February 2025 to February 2026. While this may seem like good news to all and sundry, the reality is that even with the infrastructure that has been built to facilitate these refunds, hundreds of thousands of companies that are owed refunds still do not know how to go about the process, with thousands being rejected every other week due to arbitrary and technical mistakes when navigating the CAPE portal, meant to process these refunds.
That said, there is something that most corporations that were caught in the IEEPA duties debacle aren’t aware of: every month the government, via CBP keeps the monies in the Treasury and delays refunding companies affected, is one more month that your refund amount grows larger due to accrual of interest that cannot be struck off even with litigation or a court order. If you’re a company that imported goods and raw materials from countries such as China, Vietnam, Brazil, India, Mexico, Thailand and even African countries during the time period mentioned above, read on to find out how these refunds can be recaptured by your corporation, complete with the interest that CBP owes you.
Are you looking for a best IEEPA refunds attorney? Please call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation as they relate to IEEPA refunds and the process. McCready Law is proud to announce that we have joined forces with Frost Law Arizona to help corporations and businesses that were unlawfully levied duties against during the February 2025 to February 2026 period, and thanks to the Supreme Court ruling, the government was ordered to pay back all these duties to over 300,000 affected businesses across the country. Our strategic partnership means we are able to assess your claim, consolidate your entries via an in-depth forensic audit to discover just how much the government owes you, file protective orders on your behalf, and even litigate your claim in front of the Court of International Trade should the government become recalcitrant about processing your IEEPA refunds. We offer the forensic audit at NO CHARGE as well as a 100% FREE initial consultation phone-call, and we work efficiently and ensure all your valid entries are presented as a complete dossier to CBP and relevant authorities, leaving you to focus on more pressing business matters. Need assistance with IEEPA refund rejections or processing? Call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to speak with an experienced attorney and tax experts at no cost to you.
How the Interest Rate is Actually Calculated
The IEEPA refunds tariff interest rate is related to the federal judgment rate under 28 U.S.C. § 1961, which for the first quarter of 2026 is 6 percent if your corporation is a corporate taxpayer. It is important to note that this rate is not something you can negotiate or be waived by CBP.
Here’s how it is levied:
- The interest clock starts running on the date you paid each IEEPA duty levied, and not on the date of the ruling by the Supreme Court or Judge Eaton’s March 4th order, and not on the processing date of your declaration via the CAPE portal. This is something that the government tried to push to a later date, but the Court of International Trade has shot down all suggestions by the government.
- The rate is applied daily and compounds annually, which means that if there is any unpaid interest from prior periods, it gets added to your principal which then earns its own interest.
- Brandon Lord, CBP’s Executive Director of Trade Programs stated in a sworn declaration that any validated IEEPA duties refund would have interest factored into it which effectively gets rid of any room for debate.
IEEPA Refunds – Get Timely Legal Help, Call Today!
It is therefore clear that the government has no incentive to delay your refund because everyday they do not process refund claims is one more day they’ll have to pay out a much larger amount into your corporate bank account, something they would rather not do. However, this interest will do you no good if your entries become administratively final, thereby barring you from seeking out these refunds. The trick here lies in filing a protest in order to get ahead of the queue and guarantee your IEEPA refunds payout. McCready Law is proud to announce that we have partnered with Frost Law Arizona, and we help import companies consolidate their entries after performing a NO-COST forensic audit of the same to find out just exactly how much the government owes them. If this sounds like something you need help with, call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 for your free assessment into IEEPA refund issues. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to helping you.