Jared Slipman Featured in BBC on Tariff Refund Challenges

Jared Slipman, Chair of Obermayer’s Tax Department, was quoted in the April 10, 2026, BBC article, “This coat cost $248 in illegal tariffs. Will he ever get the money back?” In the piece, Jared discussed the implications of a Supreme Court ruling invalidating many of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, setting in motion a refund process that is poised to become the largest refund program in U.S. history.

However, many people and businesses who ultimately paid these costs may not receive refunds. The ruling only covers importers who paid the tariffs directly, leaving out those who paid indirectly through higher prices or fees, costs that were often passed on to consumers.

Jared explains that Customs has put the responsibility on businesses to gather and submit the information needed to claim refunds. He notes that some companies, especially smaller ones,may decide it’s not worth the time or cost, saying the “juice is not worth the squeeze.” Others may have to turn to litigation to recover what they believe they are owed.

Consumers, he adds, “get the worst of it.”

“It may very well be the case that this is an orchestrated theft from the American consumer… and that would be very unfortunate,” Jared says.

Read the full article here.