One-line answer
A calculator answers how much. CBP asks where's the file. At the same $199 price point, the question is not cost — it is what you walk away with: an estimate, or a CAPE-compliant CSV ready for the ACE Portal.
Side by side: calculator vs un-tariff Starter ($199)
| Tariff refund calculator (e.g., TariffRefundIQ Pro $199) | un-tariff Starter ($199) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A refund estimate — probability-weighted NPV, sensitivity bands | A CAPE-compliant CSV ready for ACE Portal upload |
| Entry cap | No limit — it's an estimator, not a filer | Up to 100 entries |
| CBP validation | None — the output is a figure, not a filing | Every VAL-F / VAL-E / VAL-I rule runs locally pre-download |
| Per-entry cliff check (80-day) | Aggregate only — no per-entry routing | Every entry checked against its liquidation date |
| Stacking / USMCA edge cases | Typically assumed-away in the estimate | Rules-only at Starter; requires Standard ($799) for stacking or USMCA |
| Audit trail | Screenshot or PDF of the estimate | Rule IDs + reference data versions + source file row numbers |
| Output format | On-screen number or PDF report | CSV matching CBP CATAIR spec, ≤9,999 rows per declaration |
| Stops at | "Here's your estimated refund." | "Upload this file to ACE Portal." |
What CBP actually accepts
CBP's CAPE system does not accept calculator output. It accepts a CSV with specific columns in a specific order, ISO-8601 dates, fourteen-character entry numbers with valid check digits, only CAPE-eligible entry types (01 consumption, 11 informal, and a handful of others), and no entries past the eighty-day liquidation cliff. Every row is validated against CBP's VAL-F rules — structural — and VAL-E rules — entry eligibility. A single failed VAL-F kicks back the entire declaration.
A calculator that tells you "$127,400 in expected refunds" has not done any of that work. It is a forecast, not a filing.
The math
The pricing parity between TariffRefundIQ Pro and un-tariff Starter is a useful anchor. At $199 each, the question is purely about the output you need. But the more consequential comparison is flat fee vs broker contingency. At a typical 15% broker rate:
| un-tariff tier | Flat fee | Break-even vs 15% broker | At a $50K refund, broker costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $199 | $1,327 refund | $7,500 vs $199 |
| Standard | $799 | $5,327 refund | $7,500 vs $799 |
| Premium | $1,499 | $9,993 refund | $7,500 vs $1,499 |
Any refund above each tier's break-even, flat fee is cheaper than contingency. Below the break-even, a broker's percentage comes out ahead — or you skip the broker entirely and use the calculator to confirm the refund is too small to pursue formally.
The calculator + TariffRefundIQ Pro path ($199 for the estimate) only saves money if you then file yourself or accept the broker's cut. It does not eliminate the filing cost — it shifts it.
How the complexity-based tiers work
The three filing tiers differ by analysis depth and entry count — not by refund size. Tier selection is driven by two signals you provide at checkout:
- Entry count bucket. Under 100 entries routes to Starter ($199). 100–1,000 entries recommends Standard ($799). Over 1,000 entries requires Premium ($1,499) — the entry cap is a hard CSV limit enforced by CBP's VAL-F-004 rule.
- Complexity signals. Stacked tariffs (IEEPA + Section 232 + Section 301) or USMCA-origin lines hard-block Starter. Those edge cases require LLM-assisted classification (rule IEEPA-005 for stacking, IEEPA-006 for USMCA exclusions) that rules-only output cannot handle correctly.
Starter at $199 is the full product for the profile it covers — under 100 entries, clean IEEPA-only duty mix. It is not a loss-leader. If your post-upload verification shows you underestimated entries, the system routes you to an upgrade-credit flow and you pay only the difference.
When a calculator is enough
- Scoping a broker's quote. You want to know whether a broker quoting 15% contingency would cost you $3K or $30K. A calculator answers that in two minutes.
- Deciding whether to file at all. Some importers discover their total exposure is below the Starter break-even of roughly $1,300 — at that point, the calculator is the right stopping point.
- Cashflow forecasting. You want to model refund timing on a twelve-month horizon. The number matters; the CSV does not yet.
- Initial CFO conversation. You need a defensible estimate to justify the internal project before committing to a filing tool.
When the calculator stops short
- You're inside the 80-day window and need a file this week. A calculator cannot produce the CSV, and days spent converting an estimate to a manual CSV can cost you the entry.
- Your duty mix is not clean IEEPA-only. Calculators typically assume-away tariff stacking (IEEPA + 232 + 301) and USMCA exclusions. A filer resolves those per line against the versioned HTS registry, with rule IDs that survive a CBP review.
- You want the audit trail. If CBP later asks how a refund figure was computed, a screenshot of a calculator is not an answer. A filer logs rule IDs, reference data versions, and source file row numbers for each line.
- Your refund clears the break-even. Above roughly $1,327, Starter's flat fee is cheaper than any percentage-based approach. The calculator's usefulness ends at the decision to file; the filer carries you the rest of the way.
The common path: use both
Most importers using un-tariff start with the free calculator. The calculator confirms the refund band and the order of magnitude. The filer — paid tier — takes the ACE Entry Summary, runs the per-entry classification, flags cliff-adjacent entries, validates VAL-F rules locally, and produces the CSV. Calculator answers "is it worth it?"; filer answers "here's the file." The two are complementary, not competitive.
Common questions
TariffRefundIQ Pro is $199. un-tariff Starter is $199. Why pay the same price for the filer?
TariffRefundIQ gives you a probability-weighted NPV and sensitivity analysis — a well-built estimate. un-tariff Starter takes your ACE Entry Summary, runs every CBP VAL-F/E/I validation rule locally, and outputs a CAPE-compliant CSV you upload directly to the ACE Portal. The estimate tells you what you might recover. The CSV is how you recover it. Both tools have a role; they are not substitutes.
Isn't un-tariff itself a calculator?
The free /refund-calculator is a calculator — a refund band in two minutes, no account required. The paid tiers ($199 / $799 / $1,499) are the filer: they classify every entry, validate the CAPE rules locally, and produce a filing-ready CSV. The free tool is for scoping. The paid tool is for collecting.
How do I know which tier I need?
Tier is set by entry count and complexity, not refund size. Under 100 entries with straightforward IEEPA-only duty mix: Starter ($199). 100–1,000 entries, or any stacked-tariff (IEEPA + 232 + 301) or USMCA-origin lines: Standard ($799) — those edge cases require LLM-assisted classification that rules-only cannot handle correctly. Over 1,000 entries, or if you need a full eligibility narrative with rule IDs and CROSS-ruling citations for an audit file: Premium ($1,499). The checkout flow recommends a tier based on your self-reported entry count and complexity signals.
What does 'CAPE-ready CSV' actually mean?
CBP's CATAIR specification for CAPE declarations requires an exact column order, ISO-8601 dates, fourteen-character entry numbers with valid check digits, eligible entry types only (CAPE-001 through CAPE-003), no entries past the eighty-day liquidation cliff, and structural rules that reject the file if violated. un-tariff runs all of these locally before you download, so the file you upload is one CBP will accept.
Can I use both — a calculator and the filer?
Yes, and many users do. Run the free calculator first to confirm the refund band and decide whether filing is worth the fee. If it is, move to the paid tier to generate the CSV. The calculator output becomes the sanity check on the filer's line-by-line breakdown.
What about the 80-day cliff — does a calculator help with that?
Most calculators produce an aggregate number. They do not flag which entries are within fourteen days of the cliff and which have already crossed it. The un-tariff filer checks each entry against its liquidation date and marks past-cliff entries as PROTEST_REQUIRED_OUT_OF_SCOPE — that routing decision is load-bearing and not something an aggregate estimate surfaces.
Start with the free calculator to scope your refund. If the number justifies filing, see pricing for the tier that matches your entry count and complexity.