How to Set Up an ACE Portal Account with CBP (Step by Step)

Before you can recover overpaid tariffs, you need one thing in place: an active ACE Portal account with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ACE, the Automated Commercial Environment, is CBP's system of record for import entries. It is where your entry data lives and how refund claims are filed and tracked. If you do not have an account yet, this guide walks through the setup end to end.

Step 1: Create your ACE Portal account

Go to ace.cbp.gov and register for an ACE Secure Data Portal account as an importer. You will provide your business details and set up login credentials. This is the foundation for everything else, so start here even if you are not ready to file yet.

Step 2: File CBP Form 5106

Form 5106, the Importer Identity Form, establishes or updates your identity as an importer of record with CBP. It ties your entries to your account and is required before claims can be processed against them. If your business has imported before, you may already be on file, but confirm the details are current.

Step 3: Enroll in ACH

Automated Clearing House, or ACH, is how duties and refunds move electronically between your business and CBP. Enrolling ensures that when a refund is approved, it can be paid out cleanly. It also simplifies future duty payments.

What to do once you are set up

With an active ACE account, Form 5106 on file, and ACH enrollment complete, you are ready to pursue a claim. The next step is a review of your entry history to identify recoverable duties.

If setting this up feels like a lot, that is normal, and it is exactly the kind of thing Tarisol helps with. We point you to the right steps and connect you with the Tariff Refund Agency's specialists who handle the filing. Start with a free eligibility check and we will tell you whether a recovery review is worth your time.