CBP offers the opportunity to receive refunds, resulting from overpayment of Customs duties, taxes, and fees, electronically through Automated Clearinghouse (ACH). If you sign up for ACH Refund, your refund will automatically be deposited directly into your bank account. ACH Refund automates the time consuming process of depositing Treasury checks, as well as eliminating the delay and risk associated with receiving Treasury checks through the mail.
ACH Refund is available to anyone who has a federally-assigned taxpayer identification number and a U.S. bank account.
ACH Refund Process
Step 1: Importer or broker signs up for ACH Refund process.
Using the ACH Refunds Enrollment Form, the importer or broker signs up for ACH Refund, giving CBP the federally assigned taxpayer identification number and bank information we need to electronically process the refund. If more than one suffix for the taxpayer identification number is used, but the same bank account for each will be used, a separate sheet should be attached to the ACH Refunds Enrollment Form listing the taxpayer identification number and suffixes to be used for that bank account. If more than one suffix for the taxpayer identification number is used, and separate bank accounts will be used for each, a separate ACH Refunds Enrollment Form must be completed for each. These enrollment forms are available by fax or email from the Revenue Division. Please call the ACH Refund Help Desk at (317) 298-1200, extension 1178, to obtain an enrollment form. An inquiry can also be made via email at GMB.ACHREFUNDSUPPORT@CBP.DHS.GOV. Once we receive and process your enrollment form (usually within 1-2 weeks after receipt), all refunds issued to that federally assigned taxpayer identification number will be issued electronically to the designated bank account.
Step 2: Refunds are electronically generated to bank accounts.
ACH Refunds will normally originate on the Monday after the liquidation date; i.e., the date a refund request is transmitted to Treasury. Your bank should receive the transaction the following day. Any refund that liquidates to a taxpayer identification number enrolled with us as an ACH Refund participant will be sent electronically. CBP uses the Cash Concentration or Disbursement Plus (CCD+) format, which contains a single payment and a single addendum record. The payment information includes the routing instructions, the payee identifier and the refund amount. The addenda record, depending upon the type of payment, includes additional information such as the entry number, liquidation date, interest amount and the reason for the refund. You and your bank should agree how and when the payment and addendum information will be provided to your company.
Benefits of ACH Refund
- Reduces administrative and deposit processing costs associated with receiving Treasury checks.
- Eliminates lost or stolen Treasury checks.
- Eliminates fraudulent endorsements on Treasury checks.
- Reduces the delay in depositing Treasury checks.