We Pay the Tariffs Responds to SCOTUS IEEPA Decision, Calls for Swift Refunds in Letter to President and Congress

Coalition of over 800 small businesses launches national sign-on letter that calls on Administration and Congress to deliver “Full, Fast, and Automatic” Tariff Refunds

Quotes from businesses across the country on tariff refunds included below

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Feb. 20 - Following the Supreme Court's decision striking down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), We Pay the Tariffs small business members from across the country discussed the importance of the decision and swift refunds. The coalition also launched a national sign-on letter campaign that has already been signed by hundreds of businesses calling for “full, fast and automatic” refunds. 

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.”

Patrice Gerber, Owner, Kouboo (CA):“In case the tariffs that have been collected over the past 5-6 months are refunded and no new tariffs to replace them are levied, then we will take back the 2 price increases we had to impose since April. We will also increase our product development activity and reconsider hiring the admin position that we put on ice.”

Rick Muskat, President, Deer Stags Concepts Inc. (New York, NY):“The burden on our business has been substantial leading to layoffs and halting all growth plans. The process for US Customs to process the refunds should be simple since Customs billed these additional tariffs at the line-item level on the Customs Entry forms. Since they collected in this manner, they can refund in the same manner. If we receive the refund, it will enable us to re-hire and resume the growth plans that were in place prior to ‘liberation day’.”

Sarah Wells, CEO & Founder, Sarah Wells Bags (Fairfax, VA):“If tariff refunds were returned quickly, our first priority would be rehiring American workers. We were forced to make layoffs and operational changes because of sustained tariff costs, and refunds would allow us to begin rebuilding our team here at home.”

Melkon Khosrovian, Co-founder & Spiritsmaker, Greenbar Distillery (Los Angeles, CA):“As a business that decided to absorb 100% of the increased tariffs — which have increased from 25% to 170% and back down to 55% since the start of 2025 on many of our ingredients and most of our packaging — we're eager for some relief! If we received a refund of the added tariffs because of the pending Supreme Court decision and knew that they wouldn't be reimposed in another fashion, we'd begin hiring again. We'd feel better that our customers would stop cutting back due to rising inflation and lower job prospects.”

Eddie Azar, Owner, Fantasia Accessories (NYC):“If tariffs were returned quickly we would: Give year end bonuses and raises to employees that have been frozen due to the tariffs. We would execute new licensing deals and hire design, merchandising and sales people to implement a new brand. Look for acquisition opportunities.”

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%.”

Richard Giron, Owner, Otaku Cafe (Leon Valley, TX):“Receiving a refund for our Tariff Expenses would put us back on stronger footing. Distributors in our industry rely on Pre-orders from retailers, like us, to gauge what product they order from Manufacturers. We have kept our Pre-orders low due to the tariffs we know will impact us on arrival.”

Jared Hendricks, Owner & CEO, Village Lighting (UT):“Best case, repealing the tariffs allows us to pay down the debt they created—costs we were unable to fully recoup because the current market simply cannot absorb extreme price increases. Any refunds would be applied directly to our bottom line, and we would responsibly pay taxes on the profits we earn. In this scenario, the government still receives its revenue, but in a way that doesn’t undermine the health of our business. With that relief, we can step back planned price increases for next year, adjust pricing downward where possible, and move forward confidently with our long-term growth plans. Worst case, if refunds are delayed, denied, or new tariffs are reinstated, we would be forced to revise our 2026 forecast downward to reflect higher costs and reduced sell-through.”

Amanda Kezios, Owner, Mojo Spa (Chicago, IL):“If tariffs were refunded quickly and reliably, my suppliers could lower ingredient and packaging costs, which would allow me to bring back our bestselling products, the ones that historically generated a significant portion of our revenue. Restoring these products would immediately help close the revenue gap created during the months we were forced to discontinue more than 50% of our line due to tariff-related cost increases. That revenue is critical for sustaining the business through slower seasons and gives us a real chance to survive and stabilize. If the refund process is unclear or unreliable, the relief becomes largely theoretical. Time is not a luxury, small businesses have.”

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.”

Beth Benike, Owner, Busy Baby (Oronoco, MN):“Even if we received our approximately $40,000 in tariff refunds quickly and without bureaucratic barriers, the damage from 2025 is already done. Beyond the $40,000 paid in tariffs, we've lost over $500,000 in revenue this year. More critically, the President has committed to finding other ways to reinstate tariffs. Until there's certainty that tariffs won't return under a different authority, we can't make any long-term decisions. If the Administration re-imposes tariffs under a different authority, we're facing potential closure.”

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.”

Julie Robbins, CEO, EarthQuaker Devices (Akron, OH):“The majority [of tariffs] that we have paid have been via a US based wholesaler who passed along the expense to us. It seems like it will be difficult to calculate, as the rates have changed many times. I do believe the administration will continue to add tariffs through other means, although they are extremely unpopular. The uncertainty is awful, it makes planning so difficult.”

Sarah Wells, CEO & Founder, Sarah Wells Bags (Fairfax, VA):“But if refunds are delayed, unclear, or tied up in years of legal or administrative hurdles, or if new tariffs are imposed under different authorities, that relief disappears before small businesses like mine can recover. Without certainty, we can’t responsibly rehire or invest, even if the courts ultimately rule the tariffs illegal. For some businesses, including mine, that uncertainty could mean closing in 2026.”

Joann Cartiglia, Owner, The Queen’s Treasures (NY):“I have chosen not to “gamble” on production subject to tariffs for most of my line. My “refund” would be insignificant. What is most important to me, is to feel a sense of assurance that I CAN go back into production and development of new products without being forced into a 30% increase in cost of goods. The volatility of the near-daily changes and threats of change in the tariff rates were a non-starter for us, after suffering losses stemming from the shipping crisis.”

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.

MEDIA CONTACT: press@wepaythetariffs.com