Will I get a tariff refund check?
Published Sep 16, 2026
Page updated Oct 10, 2026
Short answer: no. As of October 4, 2026 no tariff refund check for consumers has been enacted (taxpayers.net). The refunds that exist go to the importer of record — the business (or person) whose name is on the customs entry and who deposited the duty with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Where the refund money actually goes
The Supreme Court held on February 20, 2026 that IEEPA "does not authorize the President to impose tariffs." CBP stopped collecting the duties on February 24 and opened its refund process, CAPE, on April 20, 2026. CAPE pays the importer of record by ACH, with interest. By September 11, 2026 CBP reported about $122 billion (including interest) certified to the Treasury for payment, against roughly $166 billion collected (CBP declarations to the Court of International Trade; the July 10 figure of $86.3 billion is in a court order, the September figure is reported by trade press).
None of that flow is addressed to shoppers. A retailer that paid the duty on goods it imported gets the refund. Whether any of it reaches prices is the retailer's decision.
What Congress has proposed
| Bill | Introduced | Status on Oct 8, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| S. 2475 American Worker Rebate Act (at least $600 per adult and child) | Jul 28, 2025 | Referred to the Senate Finance Committee |
| H.R. 7865 American Consumer Tariff Rebate Act | Mar 9, 2026 | Referred to Ways and Means |
| S. 4093 Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act | Mar 12, 2026 | Referred to the Senate Finance Committee |
| H.R. 6781 Trump Tariff Rebate Act | Dec 17, 2025 | Referred to Ways and Means |
| H.R. 9768 Tariff Refund Act of 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 | Referred to Ways and Means |
On October 8, 2026 govinfo listed the referral to committee as the last action on each. We check these bills before every update; the status tracker carries the dated source for every row.
The one case where a private buyer may get money back
If you ordered something from abroad and paid duties or an import fee to UPS, FedEx or DHL before delivery, the carrier's brokerage cleared that parcel with either the carrier or you as the importer of record. Under CBP's rule the broker that filed the entry may file for the refund, and for these parcels that is the carrier's brokerage. On September 16, 2026 UPS's and FedEx's pages described refund programs for those entries (not re-read since). And CBP's CAPE process accepts an entry only while it is unliquidated or within 80 days of liquidation; ask the carrier whether your parcel still qualifies. The carrier refund guide explains what you need.
If you are a business that imported goods
Run the eligibility checker: unliquidated entries and entries liquidated 80 days ago or less go through CAPE; finally liquidated entries currently need a court order. The refund calculator estimates duties plus interest and what a firm would charge to file.
General information from public sources, not legal or tax advice. Checked October 8, 2026; the carriers' pages were last read September 16, 2026.
Sources
- CBP — IEEPA duty refunds (CAPE) — checked Oct 8, 2026
- S. 4093, Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act — bill status — checked Oct 8, 2026
- S. 2475, American Worker Rebate Act — bill status — checked Oct 8, 2026
- H.R. 7865, American Consumer Tariff Rebate Act — bill status — checked Oct 8, 2026
- H.R. 6781, Trump Tariff Rebate Act — bill status — checked Oct 8, 2026
- H.R. 9768, Tariff Refund Act of 2026 — bill status — checked Oct 8, 2026
- Supreme Court opinion, Learning Resources v. Trump — checked Oct 8, 2026
- GHY — CBP CAPE refund progress (Sep 11 figures from CBP's Sep 15 declaration; updated Oct 5, 2026; reported) — checked Oct 8, 2026
- taxpayers.net — tariff rebate checks guide (Oct 4, 2026; secondary source) — checked Oct 8, 2026
- Supply Chain Dive — FedEx, UPS and DHL detail tariff refund approach for customers (Apr 21, 2026; secondary source) — checked Oct 9, 2026
Frequently asked questions
›Is there a $2,000 tariff dividend check?
No. It was a proposal, not a law. It was never introduced as a bill, and its revenue base, the IEEPA tariffs, was struck down in February 2026 (taxpayers.net, status as of October 4, 2026; reported).
›Did Walmart or Costco get a tariff refund?
Large importers file for their own entries like everyone else. Costco said its plan is to return to members, in some form, the portion of tariffs passed on to them (reported May 29, 2026); that is a company policy, not a government program. Read the Costco guide for what is actually known.
›I paid duties to UPS or FedEx on a package. Do I get that back?
Possibly yes. Check the entry documents to identify the importer of record, then ask the carrier about its refund process. See the carrier refund guide.
This site provides general information from public sources, not legal, tax or customs advice.