Planet Money

Should we all be getting tariff refunds right now?

October 9, 2026
Should we all be getting tariff refunds right now?
Companies are getting billions of dollars back. How about us? 

It seems simple, right? We paid higher prices for imported goods because of tariffs. Then the tariffs were ruled illegal. Courts said the money paid to the U.S. government had to be refunded. Companies are getting that money now. 

It would seem like we, the customers, should get paid back, too. But … it’s not so simple. 

Once again, we’re dipping back into the drama of import tax law. We’re engrossed in the ups, downs, betrayal, and romance of … the Days of our Tariffs. 

In this edition:  “Refunds and Regrets.” 

How and why some companies and people are getting their IEEPA tariff refunds and other people are out of luck. 

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This episode was hosted by Kenny Malone. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and James Sneed. It was edited by our executive producer Alex Goldmark. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was engineered by Jimmy Keeley and Cena Loffredo. Special thanks this week to everyone who wrote in with a tale of tariff drama.

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