Trump Administration Says It Can't Process Tariff Refunds Because of Computer Problems (theverge.com)
- Reference: 0180920844
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/03/06/2224256/trump-administration-says-it-cant-process-tariff-refunds-because-of-computer-problems
- Source link: https://www.theverge.com/policy/890904/trump-administration-cbp-tariff-refunds-technology-issues
> The CBP's admission comes after the Supreme Court [3]struck down the tariffs imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) last month. This week, the International Trade Court ruled that importers impacted by the tariffs are [4]entitled to refunds with interest . The CBP estimates that it collected around $166 billion in IEEPA duties as of March 4th, 2026. [...]
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> The CBP says it currently processes imports through its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system. In the filing, Lord says that using the department's existing technology, it would take more than 4.4 million hours to process refunds for the over 53.2 million entries with IEEPA duties. Despite these current limitations, the CBP says it's "confident" it can develop and launch new capabilities to "streamline and consolidate refunds and interest payments on an importer basis" -- but this could take 45 days. "The process will be simpler and more efficient than the existing functionalities, and CBP will provide guidance on how to file refund declarations in the new system," Lord says.
[1] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27776175-cbp-tariff-response/
[2] https://www.theverge.com/policy/890904/trump-administration-cbp-tariff-refunds-technology-issues
[3] https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/02/supreme-court-strikes-down-tariffs/
[4] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-04/judge-orders-us-to-stop-calculating-ieepa-tariffs-for-importers
Bitcoins (Score:2)
The computers are too busy mining bitcoins for Trumps family...
That's your fucking problem. (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe don't fire all your re-employable engineers in a fit of "cost cutting" that didn't actually cut costs, and is now incurring big fucking whoppers by making you look stupendously incompetent after your own DoJ got pantsed by your own stacked court.
I don't give a shit what your problems are. You stole my money, and your supreme court says you had no right to take it.
Or, we can start the clock on interest. I think the same 29.99% interest rate that applies from usury limits to past-due credit card balances ought to do it.
Re: (Score:1)
The reasonable rate for interest on these amounts is the interest rate the IRS charges people when they are behind on their tax payments, starting from the date they originally collected the illegal tariff from whoever paid it.
Seems impossible (Score:2)
Seems impossible that it could take 4.4M hours to process 53M entries, that's only about 12 items per hour, or 5 minutes of computer time each. Even a human with a calculator could process the data faster than that.
Re: Seems impossible (Score:4, Insightful)
I can see 12 an hour as an average over a work day for a very clunky system involving a human interface.
How many people can a bank teller handle on a shift? And that's probably a lot easier to verify.
Re: Seems impossible (Score:2)
A bank teller is a bad analog because of all the actual paper and ink that is a part of that process. Your instinct is probably in the right direction, in that it will probably take a lot of human intervention for processing, even if there werenâ(TM)t tons of political backpressure.
Tarrif money... (Score:3)
Noemi already basically admitted to what happened to the money .. it all went to newly created shell companies.
Re: (Score:2)
$143 million to a company that has existed on paper for 8 days.
Guess that means he has to bomb another school for a distraction.
Assuming we are still a democracy in 2029 (Score:2)
It is going to be a fucking nightmare to unwind all this corruption and all this damage.
We really are going to need 12 to 16 years of democrat presidencies and Congress but I don't think we're going to get it because voters just do not fucking have a clue...
Let's be realistic (Score:2)
If it's not a refund check directly back to the individual American taxpayers, the Trump administration may as well just keep the damn money. It isn't as if any of the businesses who originally paid the tariffs (and then subsequently passed them onto the consumers) are going to suddenly feel generous and drop prices on their goods after getting refunds.
Re: (Score:2)
I dunno... Costco might.
Re: (Score:2)
> I dunno... Costco might.
*slaps roof of Chevy Bolt*
"This baby can fit so many rolls of paper towel in it!"
Re: (Score:1)
"the Trump administration may as well just keep the damn money."
Why should they be allowed to keep it under any circumstances?
Would you tell a thief that since it would be inconvenient for him to return what he stole he might as well keep it?
It was collected illegally and it should be refunded to those who paid it. Joe the grocer on the corner and Walmart should both get refunded what they are owed, plus interest.
Thief (Score:2)
'nuff said
Where's musk and his xai when they need it? (Score:2)
I heard it took him and three of the other scum he picked from the trash 25 kilos of ketamine and four days to rewrite the whole social security system, cannot be his stellar team can't repeat a much simplee task.
Perhaps the problem is elsewhere, and there's no money to return anymore?
Have the slashdot trumpistani subjects checked Noem's blanket for crumbs?
Re: (Score:2)
> I heard it took him and three of the other scum he picked from the trash 25 kilos of ketamine and four days to rewrite the whole social security system, cannot be his stellar team can't repeat a much simplee task.
Were they pissing themselves when they presented the bill?
Re: (Score:2)
I hear they all have diapers so that Dear Leader doesn't feel bad, so we can't see from afar.
Only hear and smell it.
refund it to the citizens (Score:1)
$146 billion divided by 350 million population is $417 per citizen. Just send every household a check for that amount per person and be done with it.
Re: (Score:2)
Then they'd have to admit their lies about who's actually paying for this tax.
Re: (Score:2)
Most of the tariffs weren't for consumer items. They were for stuff used by businesses or components of other products. So it would be robbing Peter and then giving money to Paul.
Re: refund it to the citizens (Score:2)
Ehhh, Peter probably robbed Paul already.
Yeah, sure... (Score:2)
...it's purely because the import-processing system isn't built to handle a task of such scale. Totally couldn't be that the administration is just stalling as long as they can, just like they've done every other time they've gotten in hot water for their bullshit.
For all we know, they could've figuratively (or even literally) dumped water on their server cluster just so they can claim there's a problem while the people the tariffs benefited most can move their money offshore before shit hits the fan. Then
What about the end consumers? (Score:3)
The imports get a nice fat refund (eventually). What about the consumers who paid more for goods? The increases in price were legal (a seller can name any price they want), but it still hurt a lot of people.
You pay more, of course (Score:4, Insightful)
Consumers get to pay for the refunds, too. Taxes is taxes.
Thank your president and don't forget to tip your waiter.
DT: 'The money I took out of there was incredible' (Score:3)
That was what Trump said in a 2016 Interview about how he gamed the system and 'How Donald Trump Bankrupted His Atlantic City Casinos, but Still Earned Millions.'
[1]https://www.congress.gov/116/m... [congress.gov]
[1] https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/111078/documents/HMKP-116-JU00-20200929-SD002.pdf
LOL! (Score:2)
Did anyone else burst out laughing like me when they read that headline?!
didn't take 4.4 million hours to calculate the cha (Score:2)
didn't take 4.4 million hours to calculate the charges to begin with...
This reminds me of stores- purchase- split second to process and money is gone from your account... refund... can take 5-10 business days to show... :/
Sounds a lot like (Score:2)
The dog ate it! HONEST!
I'm willing to bet... (Score:2)
That a couple of guys showing up in the Oval Office with handcuffs and leg irons would see the problem fixed pretty quickly
Only goes in one direction? (Score:2)
Funny, their computers can TAKE the money at lightning fast speed. Yet to, I dunno, just print out those same records of who paid what and send the money back... well, our computers just aren't up to the task. Who is still listening to Trump's BS at this point?
Re: (Score:2)
And the new automated system will turn out to be a python front-end to an email server communicating directly with the employees of an Indian outsourcing company.
Re: (Score:1)
Nah, they don't want to shine a light on Trump having moved funds ... POTUS and whole cabinet are grifters.
Re: Let me guess (Score:2)
It's the DOGE way
Re: (Score:2)
No problem! Just put the crack DOGE team that re-wrote the Social Security Administration's legacy COBOL systems in just a few weeks back in 2025...Oh. Now I see the problem.
Re: (Score:2)
You assume he would ever operate a company that actually produces something of value, rather than just the world's biggest "3 card monty" table on the sidewalk.
Re: (Score:1)
That's more along the lines of what I was thinking. They can't give it back because they've already spent it, or given it away.
Re: (Score:2)
Because the money is gone. It went to private accounts or to try and balance all off all the tax cuts for the rich.
Re: Let me guess (Score:2)
Maybe the glitch is that all exports can only be in Trump coin.