Target Lawsuit: Shoppers Want a Share of Target's $994 Million Tariff Refund
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After the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs on February 20, 2026, Target started claiming the money back from the government — and on August 19, 2026 it reported $994 million in tariff refunds received. At least three Target class action complaints say shoppers paid those tariffs through higher prices and should get the money. As of September 30, 2026, there is no settlement, no fund and no claim form. There is nothing to file — but your receipts are worth keeping.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Target Class Action Says
Target imports much of what it sells. The New York complaint, Cavallaro v. Target Corporation, cites Target's own annual report: about one-half of its merchandise is sourced outside the United States, with China the largest source. From February 4, 2025, tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) raised the cost of those goods. The plaintiffs allege Target passed that cost on to shoppers, quoting Target's then-CEO on CNBC on March 4, 2025: “the consumer will likely see price increases over the next couple of days.” The New York complaint goes further and alleges Target also raised prices on U.S.-made goods to spread the tariff cost across its shelves.
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court held 6–3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that IEEPA did not authorize those tariffs. Under the refund process, the complaint says, only the importer of record can ask for the money back — for Target's own imports, that is Target, not you. The lawsuits argue that keeping both the higher prices and the refund is unjust enrichment. These are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
Case Details
At least three Target tariff cases are on file in federal court: Martinez v. Target Corp., No. 3:26-cv-01807 (M.D. Fla.); Cavallaro v. Target Corporation, No. 7:26-cv-06165 (S.D.N.Y.), filed July 21, 2026, which pleads New York General Business Law §§ 349 and 350, unjust enrichment and money had and received; and Lising v. Target Corporation, No. 0:26-cv-04142 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, filed September 25, 2026 and assigned to Judge Katherine M. Menendez.
On August 14, 2026, plaintiffs asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to combine 25 retailer tariff class actions pending in 11 federal districts — against Amazon, Target, Walmart, Nike, Costco, Shein, Temu and others — into one case, In re: Retailer Tariff Litigation, MDL No. 3202, in the Northern District of Illinois. The Florida and New York Target cases are on that list. MDL No. 3202 was not among the matters on the Panel's September 24, 2026 hearing session order; as of September 30, 2026, the Panel's next scheduled session was December 3, 2026.
Status: Early Lawsuits, No Settlement
Meanwhile, Target said in its quarterly report filed August 28, 2026 that it continues to pursue additional refund claims. Refunds still outstanding on August 1, 2026 are not yet in its numbers.
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Who Would Be in the Class
The complaints propose classes of Target shoppers, in stores and on Target.com, during the tariff period. The New York case defines two groups for purchases from February 4, 2025 through February 20, 2026: people who bought imported goods whose prices Target raised to pass through the tariffs, and people who bought U.S.-sourced goods whose prices Target allegedly raised to spread tariff costs. The Minnesota case, according to a case summary published by ClaimDepot, proposes a class of anyone in the United States who bought a Target product with a tariff surcharge on or after February 1, 2025. Nothing is certified; any final definition is up to a court.
Your proof is your purchase history. You do not join a class action by signing up anywhere. If a class is ever certified or a settlement reached, notice comes from a court-appointed administrator. What helps then: Target.com and app order history, your Target Circle account history, and card statements showing Target purchases in that window. The New York complaint itself points to Target Circle records and digital order histories as the way to identify class members.
What a Tariff Refund Would Mean for You
For honest scale: the New York complaint estimates the class at “tens of millions” of people. Even the entire $994 million would be split across that many people, minus attorneys' fees and costs — and more class members means less per person. The lawsuits ask for the tariff costs passed on to shoppers or a proportionate share of Target's refund, not automatically the whole amount, and how much of any price increase was tariff-driven is exactly what Target can contest. Treat any per-person figure you see online as a guess.
Target Tariff Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
February 4, 2025 — The Tariffs Begin
An IEEPA executive order puts a 10% tariff on Chinese imports; by April 2025 most other trading partners are covered. The New York complaint's class period starts here.
- 2
February 20, 2026 — Supreme Court Strikes Them Down
In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, the Court holds 6–3 that IEEPA did not authorize the tariffs. Target later begins submitting refund claims.
- 3
July 21, 2026 — New York Class Action Filed
Cavallaro v. Target Corporation, No. 7:26-cv-06165 (S.D.N.Y.), seeks the return of tariff costs passed on to shoppers, with interest.
- 4
August 14, 2026 — Request to Combine Retailer Cases
Plaintiffs ask the JPML to centralize 25 retailer tariff class actions, including two against Target, as MDL No. 3202 in the Northern District of Illinois.
- 5
August 19, 2026 — Target Reports $994 Million in Refunds
Target's second-quarter results include $994 million of tariff refunds received, booked as lower cost of sales. Its August 28 quarterly report says it is pursuing more.
- 6
September 25, 2026 — Minnesota Class Action Filed
Lising v. Target Corporation, No. 0:26-cv-04142, is filed in Target's home state and assigned to Judge Katherine M. Menendez. None of the cases has a settlement.
Three Things to Watch For
A big headline number with no claim form is exactly the gap scammers fill:
“Claim your Target tariff refund” texts and emails
There is no Target tariff refund program for shoppers and no claims site. A message with a link asking you to log in to your Target account or enter a card number to “receive your refund” is phishing. Open Target.com or the app yourself, never through the link.
Paying to “join the Target class action”
You do not pay to be in a class. If a class is certified, it includes you unless you opt out; if there is ever a settlement, the claim form is free. A fee for “registration” or a “guaranteed payout” is a red flag. Signing a lawyer's retainer is a different, real decision — read it first.
Services that offer to file your own tariff refund
Shoppers cannot claim IEEPA duties back from U.S. Customs — under the refund process only the importer of record can, which is the whole point of these lawsuits. Anyone charging you to file a personal “tariff refund” with the government is selling something that does not exist for consumers.
Target Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the Target lawsuit about?
Several class actions say Target raised prices to cover the IEEPA tariffs from February 2025, then got those tariffs refunded after the Supreme Court struck them down on February 20, 2026 — and kept the money. Target reported $994 million in tariff refunds received in its second quarter of 2026. The plaintiffs want the tariff costs, or a share of the refund, returned to shoppers.
Is there a Target tariff refund I can claim?
No. As of September 30, 2026, there is no settlement, no claims process and no deadline. Customs pays tariff refunds to importers, not to shoppers. If the Target class action ever produces money, you will hear about it through an official notice from a court-appointed administrator, not a text message.
How much did Target get back?
Target reported $994 million in tariff refunds received during its second quarter of 2026 (the quarter ended August 1, 2026), booked as a reduction of cost of sales. It said the refunds added $752 million to net earnings, that it continues to pursue additional refund claims, and that its guidance excludes any future refunds.
Do I have to sign up for the Target class action?
No. No class has been certified. If one is, Rule 23 includes you automatically unless you opt out by the deadline in the official notice. There is nothing to register for today.
What should I keep, just in case?
Anything that shows what you bought at Target between February 2025 and February 2026: receipts, Target.com and app order history, your Target Circle account history, and credit or debit card statements. Downloading or screenshotting your online order history now costs nothing.
What happens next?
First a procedural decision: the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has been asked (MDL No. 3202) whether to combine 25 retailer tariff cases, including two Target cases, in the Northern District of Illinois. That request was not on the Panel's September 24, 2026 hearing list; as of September 30, 2026, its next scheduled session was December 3, 2026. The key legal question — whether a retailer owes customers any part of a government tariff refund — has not been decided by any court.
I got a check or notice from a “Target settlement.” What was it?
Not the tariff case — it has no settlement. Two recent Target settlements involved workers and job seekers, not shoppers. Sadler v. Target Corporation (D.N.J. No. 1:23-cv-00030) is a $4.6 million wage settlement for about 13,700 employees of New Jersey distribution centers in Burlington, Perth Amboy and Logan Township; the court ruled on the settlement motion on February 24, 2026. According to Top Class Actions, Brinkman v. Target Corporation (King County Superior Court, Washington) is a $2.225 million settlement for Washington job applicants from January 1, 2023 through July 26, 2025; its claim deadline was March 31, 2026.
Are other retailers facing the same kind of lawsuit?
Yes. The August 14, 2026 motion lists 25 tariff class actions against major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Nike, Costco, Shein and Temu as well as Target. For other retailer cases, see our pages on the Walmart weighted-goods settlement, the Costco rotisserie chicken lawsuit and the Amazon Prime settlement, or browse open class action settlements you can still claim.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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