One-line answer
For most importers with CAPE-eligible entries (within 80 days of liquidation, no exotic stacking), software is faster and cheaper. For protest-track or argument-heavy recoveries, a broker or lawyer earns their fee.
Side by side
| un-tariff | Customs broker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price structure | Flat fee by refund size | Percentage (10–25%) or hourly |
| Time to filing | Hours (ACE export → CSV → upload) | Days to weeks (engagement, intake, review) |
| Who files | You, through ACE Portal | Broker, on your behalf |
| Audit trail | Every rule ID + reference data version logged | Varies — depends on the broker's own tooling |
| Handles protest track (past 80-day cliff) | No (Phase 1 scope) | Yes (with counsel) |
| Classification edge cases (USMCA exclusions, disputes) | Flags them; stops short of legal argument | Yes |
| CAPE CSV validation (VAL-F/E/I) | Runs all CBP rules locally pre-download | Varies |
| Best for | Mid-size importers, standard filings, inside window | Complex filings, protest-track entries, multi-entity corporate structures |
The money
A broker charging 15% on a $100K refund bills $15K. un-tariff's flat fee for the same refund is a fraction of that. The trade-off is that the broker absorbs operational risk — they handle the ACE Portal mechanics, they respond to CBP validation errors, they follow up on payment. un-tariff gives you the same mechanics as self-serve software; the operational work is on you.
For an importer with a handful of straightforward entries, operational work is trivial — open ACE, export, run the software, upload the CSV, done. For an importer with thousands of entries across multiple IORs and a compliance department already tracking everything, a broker's percentage may be cheaper than the internal overhead of running the filing in-house.
Speed
Filings close to the 80-day cliff need to ship fast. A broker engagement — contract, intake, document collection, broker's own review — typically takes days before a CSV is in CBP's hands. Software lets you go from ACE export to submitted declaration in a single afternoon.
If an entry is within two weeks of the cliff, default to software. You can always hand off the harder cases to a broker later; you cannot retroactively get back the days you spent onboarding one.
When to hire a broker anyway
- Entries past the 80-day cliff. Protest filings under 19 CFR 174 are argument-heavy and often benefit from counsel or a trade-law broker.
- USMCA exclusion disputes. When a line should have qualified for USMCA but was charged IEEPA, the correction requires a documentation-heavy argument that benefits from expertise.
- Tariff stacking edge cases beyond IEEPA-005. Complex anti-dumping / countervailing-duty interactions that sit outside un-tariff's rule set.
- Regulatory posture. Some compliance-heavy importers prefer having a licensed broker sign off on every filing, regardless of complexity. That's a legitimate operational choice.
Common questions
Do I legally need a broker to file a CAPE Declaration?
No. The importer of record can file directly through the ACE Portal. Brokers can file on your behalf if you authorize them — but CAPE is a CSV upload, not a regulatory filing that requires a licensed filer.
What does a broker actually charge for IEEPA refund work?
Typical structures are (a) a percentage of the recovered refund (10–25%), (b) a flat hourly consulting rate, or (c) a fixed fee per declaration. Percentage-based pricing is most common and scales with refund size — $100K refund at 15% = $15K to the broker.
When does hiring a broker make sense?
When your entries involve protest-track recovery (past the 80-day cliff), complex exclusion arguments (USMCA disputes), or stacking edge cases that a lawyer needs to work through. Also when you don't have ACE Portal access and getting it set up would take longer than just handing the work off.
When does software make more sense?
When your entries are within the CAPE window, your duty mix is straightforward (IEEPA-only or clean IEEPA+232/301 stacking), and you have ACE access. This is most mid-size importers. The software runs the same classification, validation, and CSV generation a broker would — faster and at a flat fee.
Start with the free calculator to see your refund band, then decide whether the spread between a broker's percentage and a flat fee justifies the software path.