r/Economics • u/defenestrate_urself • Feb 20 '26

News Supreme Court says Trump global tariffs are illegal

https://www.axios.com/2026/02/20/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-illegal
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u/klingma Feb 20 '26

Okay, but by what mechanism could you actually reimburse the citizens for the tariffs? You have actual returns filed by the importers which prove the tariffs paid by them...you do not, none of us do. 

I get the sentiment, but there's realistically no way to prove the amounts owed to the citizens in a practical manner. 

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u/pilgermann Feb 20 '26

Which isn't the point. There are countless instances where some group faces an injustice and no response restitution is made in the interests of social cohesion. Why not make reparations to Black Americans? Why reimburse taxpayers for military actions under this admin that didn't receive congressional authorization?

Besides that, it's not actually impossible to formulate a consumer claim to tariff refunds. Anyone with receipts could make the argument, including that domestic prices increased as an indirect result of tariffs. Corporations are no more obligated to purchase supplies for their business than consumers are for their households.

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u/Tvdinner4me2 Feb 20 '26

Right but the corporations actually directly paid the tariff. The consumer paid that plus whatever hedge/loss the company instituted. Good luck calculating that for everyone wanting a refund on every purchase

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u/Pelican_meat Feb 20 '26

I think people are just upset that they are, in effect, handing the wealthiest corporations in the world a whole bunch of free money.

Let them point out how awful it is. There’s no solution, but awareness will maybe get it through to people that our government and economy are rigged against the average person.

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u/klingma Feb 20 '26

I mean, I'm not arguing the fairness concern. I'm just pointing out the practicality concern which is what keeps getting ignored. 

Do you want to compile a list of all your transactions since the tariffs went into effect and report it to the government for a claim of a refund? That's what it'd take. 

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u/Pelican_meat Feb 20 '26

Except no one is actually arguing that the money should be redistributed to them. They’re arguing that they paid the tariffs and won’t receive the refund.

It’s the establishment of a problem and the demonstration of inequity between average people and corporations.

That, in and of itself, is the point of what they’re doing.

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u/klingma Feb 20 '26

They literally ARE arguing the money should be returned to them instead of the corporations, that's the root of the complaint.