# The CAPE declaration file: format, limits and common rejections

By Rotomal team · Updated 2026-11-07 · Part of [Refund Ledger](https://rotomal.com/ieepa-refund-check/)

**Short answer:** A CAPE declaration is a CSV file with one column headed Entry Number and one 11-character entry number per row, starting on row 2. Dashes are optional, duplicates are not allowed, and each file can hold up to 9,999 entries. ACE rejects entries whose importer number does not match the account, entries without an IEEPA tariff line, reconciliation, drawback, TIB and duty-deferral entries, and entries more than 80 days past liquidation.

## Build the file

- In the ACE Portal, open the CAPE tab, select Upload and download the CAPE Upload Template.
- Keep the single header Entry Number in column A and enter entry numbers from row 2.
- Use 11 alphanumeric characters per entry; dashes are optional and other special characters are stripped.
- Remove duplicates and save the file as CSV (comma delimited).
- Split lists longer than 9,999 entries into several files.

## Why ACE rejects a file or an entry

| Message | Usual cause |
| --- | --- |
| Not a CSV file / empty file | Saved as Excel, or header row missing |
| Failed initial validation | Wrong length, duplicates, or for broker and filer accounts the first three characters do not match the filer code |
| Rejected by batch validation | Entry does not exist, or its importer number differs from the account's |
| Accepted with Error(s) | Some entries failed: no IEEPA tariff line, wrong entry type (08, 09, 23, 47), flagged for reconciliation, or more than 80 days past liquidation |

For file-level errors, fix the file and upload it again in full. For claim errors, upload only the corrected entries. The validation result file and the claim details file show the status of each entry.

## If you want help

Refund Ledger lays out your entry list in this format from your ACE reports or courier invoices and checks it against these published rules before you upload, then explains anything ACE still rejects. A $19 deadline check for 25 entries, credited against the ledger; $149 once for up to 300.

## Sources

- CBP: ACE Portal CAPE Declarations quick reference guide (April 2026) https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/ace_portal_-_cape_declarations_508c.pdf
- Norton Rose Fulbright: CBP issues tariff refund instructions https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en-us/knowledge/publications/44450c73/cbp-issues-tariff-refund-instructions

[Refund Ledger](https://rotomal.com/ieepa-refund-check/) does this for you. Request it free, no card: https://rotomal.com/ieepa-refund-check/request/
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Rotomal · https://rotomal.com/ieepa-refund-check/cape-declaration-csv/ · hello@rotomal.com