Trump administration begins refunding more than $166bn in tariffs

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/20/trump-tariffs-refund-claims

Claims system launches months after supreme court ruled Trump had no legal authority to impose tariffs

The Trump administration has begun accepting applications from businesses seeking refunds for more than $166bn in tariffs, months after the supreme court ruled that the president had no legal authority to impose them.

The administration launched on Monday the digital claims system, named Cape, which they said in court filings could handle about 63% of affected import filings, with the remainder to follow.

Writing for the majority in February, Chief Justice John Roberts said the 1977 emergency statute Trump had invoked provided no such sweeping authority to implement the tariffs. Two of the president’s own appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, joined the majority. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh were the dissenters.

194 points · 32 comments · view on lemmy.world

32 Comments

UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world · 100 pts · 124d (5 replies)

You know who's not getting that money? Us!

P00ptart@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 124d (2 replies)

Despite most companies jacking up prices to more than cover the tariffs. So they profited 2X.

Bustedknuckles@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 124d (1 reply)

Wouldn't those companies track us down and pass the refund on to us??

P00ptart@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 124d

Suckling newborns don't give mothers milk back if they've been overfed. They puke it up.

Edit: I meant nursing, don't judge me, I'm very tired.

lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 124d (1 reply)

*Unless you’re a Costco member

village604@adultswim.fan · 11 pts · 124d

That's because Costco was a bro and ate the cost of the tariffs. Solid marketing move on their part.

Zaktor@sopuli.xyz · 45 pts · 124d (1 reply)

If only the courts could actually respond to major governmental overreach in a timely manner the general public wouldn't have $166B stolen from them. They somehow always defer to just letting the administration do the thing even when it's a major change and doing so causes injury to regular people who cannot recoup it.

This could have been quashed in May 2025 when the lower courts ruled against an obviously unconstitutional usurpation of the power to lay tariffs. Instead they stayed the ruling at each appeal and waited until the Supreme Court found the exact same result as every lower court in December. And that was them moving quickly.

fozid@feddit.uk · 7 pts · 124d

Could have also not voted for the clown and that would have saved the world and the us a lot of bother.

Rhaedas@fedia.io · 37 pts · 124d (1 reply)

Bet this works as well as the PPP Covid payments did. No oversight, lots of big businesses that weren't really eligible draining the funds before real small businesses got anything, and no accountability.

lost_faith@lemmy.ca · 11 pts · 124d

Too bad the people who really paid these tariffs won't get a penny back

patruelis@lemmy.world · 35 pts · 124d (7 replies)

What about the people who actually paid the tariffs?

atzanteol@sh.itjust.works · -7 pts · 124d (6 replies)

If you have receipts for the tariffs you paid you should be able to apply for your refund.

lemmock@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 124d (5 replies)

So the receipts for basically everything I've bought for the past year or so? Got it.

FireRetardant@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 124d (3 replies)

Technically speaking you didnt pay the tarrif, you paid the inflated price due to tariffs. The compnay/person paying for the import paid the tarrif.

Its like when you buy a coconut at the store. You didn't technically pay for the shipping of it, but that cost was reflected in the price.

null@piefed.nullspace.lol · 10 pts · 124d (2 replies)

So then

What about the people who actually paid for the tariffs?

FireRetardant@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 124d (1 reply)

You can't get a refund for something you didn't pay for directly. If this administration actually cared they could have given a tax rebate back directly to the consumers since we know the vast majority of importers passed the cost along to consumers.

You can't present just a groccery bill, you'd have to prove which items were impacted by the tarrif and by how much.

null@piefed.nullspace.lol · 4 pts · 124d

Obviously not, hence the obvious answer "they get fucked"

atzanteol@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 124d

No - for the tariffs you paid specifically.

sturmblast@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 124d (2 replies)

This could be one of the dumbest policy failures in history

AbidanYre@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 124d (1 reply)

Just another wealth transfer to the rich.

fizzle@quokk.au · 11 pts · 124d

Yeah it's been fantastically successful in that regard.

CanIFishHere@lemmy.ca · 21 pts · 124d

Confirming that Trump's claim the exporting countries were paying the tariffs was complete BS.

kikutwo@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 124d (2 replies)

How do I submit for reimbursement of all the increased prices paid due to the illegal tariffs?

ThePantser@sh.itjust.works · 37 pts · 124d (1 reply)

Go to nearest big retailer that most likely got the refund and you purchased from and choose an item of value equal to the amount you paid. Now walk out.

sturmblast@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 124d

Lol no shit, fuck these companies

MehBlah@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 124d

To the capitalists not the consumers.

inari@piefed.zip · 10 pts · 124d (1 reply)

Fuckin dumbass

floofloof@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 124d

The rich profited, ordinary people lost. Another successful day for the US Government.

Triumph@fedia.io · 7 pts · 124d

Open transfer of wealth from labor to owners.

Fuck capitalism.

ToiletFlushShowerScream@piefed.world · 6 pts · 124d

American families paid for the tariffs in increased prices, now the refunds will go directly to corporate executives. I for one never saw it coming. Who is playing the real 4d chess?

cashsky@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 124d

How much of it is going to that fucking snake Nutlik through his tarrif loan-refund scheme?

Rusticus@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 123d

300 million people in the US. $166bn in refunds is about $500 for every man woman and child in the US. Fuck you Trump and all the oligarchs!!!