Fifteen billion dollars a month are said to have been collected from tariffs. 70% of the tariffs the President ordered are now believed to be affected, and not legal.
Executive Director Dan Anthony issued the following statement:
"Today's Supreme Court decision is a tremendous victory for America's small businesses who have been bearing the crushing weight of these tariffs. Our coalition members, who through hard work, late nights, and sweat equity built local businesses, have paid billions in tariffs that never should have been imposed.
They've taken out loans just to keep their doors open. They've frozen hiring, canceled expansion plans, and watched their life savings drain away to pay tariff bills that weren't in any budget or business plan. Today, the Supreme Court has validated what we've been saying all along: these tariffs were unlawful from the start.
But a legal victory is meaningless without actual relief for the businesses that paid these tariffs. The administration's only responsible course of action now is to establish a fast, efficient, and automatic refund process that returns tariff money to the businesses that paid it. Small businesses cannot afford to wait months or years while bureaucratic delays play out, nor can they afford expensive litigation just to recover money that was unlawfully collected from them in the first place. These businesses need their money back now.
With refund money back in their hands, American small businesses will do exactly what they've been telling us they would do all along: hire workers, expand operations, invest in inventory, pay down debt, and contribute to their local economies. Returning these funds will provide local economic impact from the ground up, putting money directly into the businesses that drive local job creation and economic growth.
Small businesses are rightfully worried that the Administration will respond to this legal defeat by simply reimposing the same tariff policy through other means. Small businesses cannot afford for the administration to double-down on failed tariff policies. Tariffs imposed under IEEPA crippled small businesses; tariffs reimposed under different statutory approaches would have the same destructive effect. The path forward should prioritize refunds, not new rounds of tariffs under different names."
VIEW THE REFUND LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS
VOICES FROM MAIN STREET AMERICA
Following the Supreme Court’s decision striking down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), small business owners across the country are responding with firsthand accounts of how the tariffs hurt their business, how refunds would affect jobs, prices, and recovery, and why simplicity and certainty matter:
Refunds Mean Jobs and Growth
Andrea Englisis, President, Athenee Importers & Distributors LTD. (Hempstead, NY):
“I have held off on hiring as the money I would have used for salaries went right to the US Government for tariff payment. If there was an announcement that tariffs would not be reimposed, I would look to hire for two open positions I have.”
Refunds Lower Prices
Kacie Wright, Owner, Houghton Horns LLC (Keller, TX):
“Approximately 60% of the products on our website have higher prices now to accommodate the tariffs. The minute we hear the tariff rates are coming down, we’re bringing prices on most of our products down 10-20%.”
Some Damage Can’t Be Refunded
Tom Wetzel, Owner, Red Raven Games (Draper, UT):
“My two cents on a potential tariff refund is that a lot of the damage these tariffs caused cannot be refunded. Getting some or all the tariff money back would be great because we could import higher quantities again. However, many US consumers feel uncertain about their finances and consequently they are not buying as much, especially for discretionary expenses. When I say the damage cannot be refunded, I mean that our market has taken significant losses due to our customers job loss and inflation, and these issues would not be cured by a tariff refund.”
Certainty Matters
Greg Shugar, Owner & CEO, Beau Ties Ltd. (Middlebury, VT):
“If we were to get refunds, I would share them with each of our employees via a bonus. If the process is unclear or too difficult, I don't know if we would pursue getting them. And I worry that the Trump Administration knows that about small businesses and will take advantage of that.”
Small Businesses Available to Discuss Refund Needs:
We Pay the Tariffs can connect media with small business owners who can discuss what refunds would mean for their operations, employees, and communities, and share their experiences paying unlawful tariffs.
About We Pay the Tariffs:
We Pay the Tariffs is a grassroots coalition of over 800 small and micro businesses launched in 2025 to advocate against new tariffs imposed in 2025. The coalition filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the IEEPA tariff cases. Members include restaurants, manufacturers, retailers, game companies, and other businesses from every U.S. region. The vast majority of members are micro businesses with 10 or fewer employees.
Executive Director Dan Anthony issued the following statement:
"Today's Supreme Court decision is a tremendous victory for America's small businesses who have been bearing the crushing weight of these tariffs. Our coalition members, who through hard work, late nights, and sweat equity built local businesses, have paid billions in tariffs that never should have been imposed.
They've taken out loans just to keep their doors open. They've frozen hiring, canceled expansion plans, and watched their life savings drain away to pay tariff bills that weren't in any budget or business plan. Today, the Supreme Court has validated what we've been saying all along: these tariffs were unlawful from the start.
But a legal victory is meaningless without actual relief for the businesses that paid these tariffs. The administration's only responsible course of action now is to establish a fast, efficient, and automatic refund process that returns tariff money to the businesses that paid it. Small businesses cannot afford to wait months or years while bureaucratic delays play out, nor can they afford expensive litigation just to recover money that was unlawfully collected from them in the first place. These businesses need their money back now.
With refund money back in their hands, American small businesses will do exactly what they've been telling us they would do all along: hire workers, expand operations, invest in inventory, pay down debt, and contribute to their local economies. Returning these funds will provide local economic impact from the ground up, putting money directly into the businesses that drive local job creation and economic growth.
Small businesses are rightfully worried that the Administration will respond to this legal defeat by simply reimposing the same tariff policy through other means. Small businesses cannot afford for the administration to double-down on failed tariff policies. Tariffs imposed under IEEPA crippled small businesses; tariffs reimposed under different statutory approaches would have the same destructive effect. The path forward should prioritize refunds, not new rounds of tariffs under different names."
VIEW THE REFUND LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS
VOICES FROM MAIN STREET AMERICA
Following the Supreme Court’s decision striking down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), small business owners across the country are responding with firsthand accounts of how the tariffs hurt their business, how refunds would affect jobs, prices, and recovery, and why simplicity and certainty matter:
Refunds Mean Jobs and Growth
Andrea Englisis, President, Athenee Importers & Distributors LTD. (Hempstead, NY):
“I have held off on hiring as the money I would have used for salaries went right to the US Government for tariff payment. If there was an announcement that tariffs would not be reimposed, I would look to hire for two open positions I have.”
Refunds Lower Prices
Kacie Wright, Owner, Houghton Horns LLC (Keller, TX):
“Approximately 60% of the products on our website have higher prices now to accommodate the tariffs. The minute we hear the tariff rates are coming down, we’re bringing prices on most of our products down 10-20%.”
Some Damage Can’t Be Refunded
Tom Wetzel, Owner, Red Raven Games (Draper, UT):
“My two cents on a potential tariff refund is that a lot of the damage these tariffs caused cannot be refunded. Getting some or all the tariff money back would be great because we could import higher quantities again. However, many US consumers feel uncertain about their finances and consequently they are not buying as much, especially for discretionary expenses. When I say the damage cannot be refunded, I mean that our market has taken significant losses due to our customers job loss and inflation, and these issues would not be cured by a tariff refund.”
Certainty Matters
Greg Shugar, Owner & CEO, Beau Ties Ltd. (Middlebury, VT):
“If we were to get refunds, I would share them with each of our employees via a bonus. If the process is unclear or too difficult, I don't know if we would pursue getting them. And I worry that the Trump Administration knows that about small businesses and will take advantage of that.”
Small Businesses Available to Discuss Refund Needs:
We Pay the Tariffs can connect media with small business owners who can discuss what refunds would mean for their operations, employees, and communities, and share their experiences paying unlawful tariffs.
About We Pay the Tariffs:
We Pay the Tariffs is a grassroots coalition of over 800 small and micro businesses launched in 2025 to advocate against new tariffs imposed in 2025. The coalition filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the IEEPA tariff cases. Members include restaurants, manufacturers, retailers, game companies, and other businesses from every U.S. region. The vast majority of members are micro businesses with 10 or fewer employees.
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