https://enroll.simpleforwarding.comIf you paid IEEPA tariffs and you are not enrolled in ACE, you may be locked out of your own refund. Out of more than 330,000 importers who paid IEEPA tariffs, only approximately 21,000 are currently enrolled. That gap is the problem.

CBP disclosed those numbers in an affidavit filed in March 2026. The Court of International Trade is actively overseeing CBP’s refund process, with a target completion date around late April 2026. The refund system is being built now — and every signal points to it running through ACE. If you are not enrolled before it goes live, there is no backup path.

What Is ACE and Why Does It Matter for IEEPA Refunds?

ACE — the Automated Commercial Environment — is CBP’s portal for managing import accounts, entry data, and electronic payments. Since February 6, 2026, ACE enrollment is required to receive any electronic payment from CBP, including IEEPA tariff refunds.

This is not a convenience feature or a preferred method. It is a hard requirement. There is no workaround, no alternative payment path, and no exception for importers who haven’t enrolled yet.

What Happens If You Are Not Enrolled in ACE?

No ACE account means no ACH enrollment. No ACH enrollment means no electronic refund — for any payment type. That includes:

• IEEPA tariff refunds

• Post Summary Correction (PSC)

• Drawback payments

Example A: A mid-size apparel importer paid $2.1 million in IEEPA tariffs over 14 months. They are not enrolled in ACE. When refunds are issued, their payment cannot be processed. They have to scramble to enroll after the fact — and risk missing timing windows.

Example B: A consumer electronics seller paid $480,000 in IEEPA duties across 38 entries. They enrolled in ACE in February, added their bank account, and are now fully positioned. When the refund system goes live, their payment processes automatically.

Example C: A small importer with three entries totaling $18,000 in IEEPA tariffs assumes the refund will come automatically because they used a broker. It won’t. Their broker filed the entries, but ACH enrollment requires action from the importer directly — not the broker.

How Do You Enroll in ACE to Receive Your IEEPA Refund?

ACE enrollment takes three steps: register your company, create your portal login, and add your bank account for ACH refunds. The whole process takes under 30 minutes if your CBP records are current.

Step 1 — How Do You Register Your Company in ACE?

Go to this link and enter your company EIN, company name, and the email address you want linked to your ACE account.

CBP will send a one-time passcode (OTP) to the email address currently on file with CBP — the one submitted on your CF 5106. This OTP expires in ten minutes or less. Enter it immediately when it arrives, complete the next step, and CBP will send a confirmation email within 2–3 minutes confirming your company is enrolled.

Critical detail: The OTP goes to the email on your CF 5106 — not necessarily the email you enter during registration. If that address belongs to a former employee or hasn’t been monitored in years, you will not receive the OTP and enrollment stops there. Update your 5106 first if there is any doubt.

Step 2 — How Do You Create Your ACE Portal Login?

Go to https://ace.cbp.gov/s/login/, click Non-CBP User, then click Create Account and follow the prompts to set up your individual user credentials.

Step 3 — How Do You Add Your Bank Account for ACH Refunds?

Once logged in, navigate to the Importer tab. From the home page under Importer View, scroll to the far right and locate the ACH Refund option. Click Refresh, then click Add, enter your bank routing and account information, and save. Your ACH enrollment is now active.

What Can Go Wrong During ACE Enrollment — and How Do You Avoid It?

The most common failure point is the OTP. If the email address on your CF 5106 is outdated, the passcode never arrives and enrollment cannot be completed. Everything else in the process is straightforward — this is the one step that stops most importers cold.

What Are the Most Common ACE Enrollment Problems?

Outdated 5106 email: A Brooklyn-based importer attempts enrollment and waits 20 minutes for the OTP. It never arrives. The email on their 5106 belongs to an operations manager who left the company two years ago. They have to file a 5106 update with CBP before they can restart enrollment.

Expired OTP: An importer in Miami receives the OTP but spends eight minutes reading the instructions before entering it. The code has expired. They have to restart the registration process and request a new OTP — and this time move faster.

Missing ACH step: A Texas freight company completes Steps 1 and 2 — company registration and portal login — but never navigates to the ACH Refund section to add their bank account. Their company is in ACE but cannot receive electronic payments. Enrollment is technically incomplete.

All three problems are avoidable. The fix is the same in every case: verify your 5106 email address before starting, have your bank information ready before logging in, and move quickly once the OTP arrives.

When Is the Deadline to Enroll in ACE Before IEEPA Refunds Are Issued?

There is no published deadline, but the operational deadline is real: if you are not enrolled when CBP activates the refund mechanism, you cannot receive payment. CBP’s target for completing the refund system is approximately late April 2026.

The Court of International Trade scheduled a status update hearing for March 12, 2026 to receive a progress report from CBP. The 45-day build timeline CBP indicated runs from March 6th. That window is closing. Importers who enroll now are positioned. Importers who wait are betting that the system will accommodate them after the fact — and there is no evidence it will.

What ‘late April’ means in practice: An importer who enrolls in the first week of April has weeks of buffer. An importer who starts the process on April 25th and runs into a 5106 email issue may not complete enrollment before the first refund batch is processed. The risk is not hypothetical — it is a function of timing and CBP’s queue.

Frequently Asked Questions: ACE Enrollment and IEEPA Tariff Refunds

Do I need to be enrolled in ACE to get my IEEPA tariff refund?

Yes. Since February 6, 2026, ACE enrollment and ACH setup are required to receive any electronic payment from CBP — including IEEPA refunds. There is no alternative payment method available.

Can my customs broker enroll in ACE on my behalf?

Your broker can assist and guide the process, but the ACE account must be registered under your company’s EIN and tied to your CF 5106 information. The OTP is sent to your company’s email on file with CBP — not your broker’s. The account is yours, not theirs.

What is a CF 5106 and why does it matter for ACE enrollment?

CBP Form 5106 is your importer identity record with U.S. Customs. It contains your company name, EIN, and the contact email address CBP uses for official communications — including the ACE enrollment OTP. If the email on your 5106 is outdated, you will not receive the OTP and enrollment will fail at Step 1.

What is the OTP and how long do I have to use it?

The one-time passcode is a verification code CBP sends to the email address on your CF 5106 when you begin ACE company registration. It expires in ten minutes or less. Have the enrollment page open and be ready to enter it the moment it arrives.

Do I need to enroll in ACE even if my broker handles all my customs filings?

Yes. Your broker files entries on your behalf, but ACH electronic refunds are tied to your importer account — not your broker’s. If you are not enrolled with your own ACE account and bank information on file, CBP has no electronic payment destination for your refund.

What if I paid IEEPA tariffs on only one or two shipments — is enrollment still worth it?

Yes. The enrollment process takes under 30 minutes. Even a single entry with a few thousand dollars in IEEPA tariffs is worth claiming. There is no minimum refund threshold that makes the enrollment effort disproportionate.

How do I know if the IEEPA tariff refunds will actually be issued?

The Court of International Trade has ruled IEEPA tariffs unconstitutional and is actively overseeing CBP’s refund process. CBP has filed affidavits confirming it is building a refund mechanism targeting completion around late April 2026. Nothing is final until it is final, but the legal and procedural trajectory points toward refunds being issued. Enrolling now costs nothing and positions you to receive payment the moment the system goes live.

Can Simple Forwarding handle ACE enrollment for me?

Yes. Simple Forwarding offers ACE enrollment as a service. We verify your 5106 information, manage the enrollment process, confirm your ACH setup is complete, and make sure your account is ready before the refund window opens. Contact us to get started.

What Should You Do Right Now to Protect Your IEEPA Refund?

The answer is simple: enroll in ACE today. Every day you wait is a day closer to the refund system going live without your bank account on file.

If you want to handle it yourself, the steps are in this post. If you want it done correctly without the risk of hitting a 5106 email issue or an expired OTP mid-process, Simple Forwarding handles the full enrollment on your behalf for a small flat fee.

With over 300,000 importers potentially in line and a CBP refund system coming online within weeks, this is not the moment to procrastinate. Reach out to our team today and let’s get you enrolled before the window opens.

Simple Forwarding  |  Licensed Customs Broker & Freight Forwarder  |  (212) 203-5575  |  simpleforwarding.com