Target $994 Million Tariff Refund Lawsuits, What Shoppers Should Know

Consumers have filed putative class actions against Target Corporation, alleging the retailer raised prices to recover costs from 2025 tariffs and then kept a $994 million refund it received from the federal government.

Target’s own August 2026 SEC filing confirms it received and recognized $994 million in refunds for tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), recorded as a reduction of cost of sales. Target said it was continuing to pursue additional refund claims.

The lawsuits allege that Target had already passed tariff costs to shoppers through higher prices, so letting Target keep the refund would mean consumers effectively paid the tariff costs while Target received the refund. These are allegations, not court findings.

Is There a Claim Form or Deadline?

No. There is no settlement, no court-approved claim form, no settlement administrator and no claim deadline. No class has been certified in any of the Target cases. Consumers cannot currently submit a claim, and there is no guarantee anyone will receive money.

For the wider group of consumer tariff lawsuits, see our background article, IEEPA Tariff Consumer Class Actions, Were You Overcharged? Litigation Update.

The Target Tariff Refund Lawsuits: Quick Facts

Detail	Cavallaro v. Target	Lising et al. v. Target
Court	U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York	U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Case number	7:26-cv-06165	0:26-cv-04142
Filed	July 21, 2026	September 25, 2026
Plaintiff(s)	Patricia Cavallaro	Lissa Bernardo Lising and Carly Amundson
Plaintiffs’ counsel	Napoli Shkolnik	Zimmerman Reed LLP
Proposed class period	Purchases from February 4, 2025 to February 20, 2026	Purchases beginning February 1, 2025
Claims	State consumer-protection claims (including New York), unjust enrichment, money had and received	Money had and received, unjust enrichment, declaratory relief, California Unfair Competition Law
Status	Putative class action, early stage	Putative class action, complaint filed
Class certified?	No	No
Settlement?	No	No
Claim form or deadline	None	None

The federal docket in Lising shows the complaint, summons and case assignment to U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez, with Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster handling the referral.

What Do the Target Tariff Lawsuits Allege?

Both lawsuits allege that Target raised prices in response to tariffs imposed during 2025 and that consumers ultimately absorbed those added costs. They then point to Target’s later recovery of $994 million in IEEPA tariff refunds. The core theory is a claimed double recovery: shoppers allegedly paid prices that reflected tariff costs, while Target later received government refunds for those same tariff payments.

The Cavallaro complaint also alleges that Target spread tariff costs across its assortment, including on U.S.-sourced goods that were not tariffed, and argues that the federal refund process lets only the importer of record apply for and receive refunds, leaving consumers without a way to recover the money themselves. It also points to other companies, such as FedEx and UPS, that publicly committed to passing tariff refunds back to customers, while alleging Target has not said it will do the same.

Target has not been found liable on any of these allegations.

Why Did Target Receive a $994 Million Refund?

Target’s SEC filing reports that it paid IEEPA tariffs on certain imported merchandise beginning in 2025. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s February 2026 ruling on IEEPA tariff authority and the government’s creation of a refund process, Target began submitting refund claims.

For the three and six months ended August 1, 2026, Target recognized $994 million in IEEPA tariff refunds received in the second quarter of 2026, recorded as a reduction of cost of sales. Refunds still outstanding as of that date had not been recognized. Target separately reported that the refund benefited second-quarter operating income and contributed $752 million to net earnings.

What Did the Supreme Court Decide About the IEEPA Tariffs?

On February 20, 2026, in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court held that IEEPA did not authorize the president to impose the challenged tariffs.

That ruling did not decide whether Target, or any retailer, must return tariff-related amounts to customers. It affected the legal basis for the tariffs and was followed by a government refund process for importers that had paid the duties.

Did Target Say It Would Return the Refund to Shoppers?

Target’s SEC filing confirms the refund but does not say Target planned to pay it out to retail customers. The lawsuits argue that consumers who bore the alleged price increases should receive restitution. No court has ordered Target to distribute any of the $994 million to shoppers.

Who Could Be Included in the Proposed Classes?

The proposed classes are not court-certified, and a judge could narrow them, change them or reject certification. As currently proposed:

• Cavallaro: consumers who bought from Target between February 4, 2025 and February 20, 2026 where Target allegedly raised prices to pass along tariff costs, including a subclass covering U.S.-sourced goods.
• Lising: a proposed nationwide class of consumers who purchased Target products allegedly subject to tariff-related price increases beginning February 1, 2025, plus a proposed California subclass.

Consumers should not describe themselves as confirmed class members yet.

Can Target Shoppers File a Claim for the $994 Million?

No claim can be filed at this stage. There is currently:

• no settlement;
• no settlement administrator;
• no official claim form;
• no claim deadline;
• no court-approved payment amount; and
• no guarantee that consumers will receive money.

You do not need to pay anyone to “register” for the Target tariff lawsuits. If a class is later certified and a settlement or judgment creates a claims process, official notices would explain how eligible consumers can participate. Be cautious about any website or message claiming a “Target $994 million settlement claim” is already open.

What Should Target Shoppers Do Right Now?

You can preserve records that may later help show your purchases, such as:

1. Target receipts;
2. Target Circle purchase history;
3. online order confirmations;
4. product names and prices;
5. dates of purchase; and
6. other records of purchases between February 2025 and February 2026.

You do not need to submit these records to the court or to lawyers at this time.

What Happens Next?

Both cases are at the earliest stages. Next steps could include Target responding to the complaints, motions to dismiss, discovery, and eventually proceedings on whether a class should be certified. A court could dismiss some or all claims, let the cases proceed, modify the proposed classes or address the disputes some other way. The outcome cannot be predicted from the filings alone.

According to a legal news site, plaintiffs also asked a federal judicial panel in late August 2026 to consolidate the Target and Amazon tariff-refund suits with more than two dozen similar cases in Illinois federal court. Check the case dockets for the current status, since consolidation rulings can change where and how these cases proceed.

How Do the Target Cases Relate to Other Tariff Class Actions?

The Target lawsuits are part of a broader wave of consumer litigation following the Supreme Court’s IEEPA decision, with cases filed against many retailers and brands over similar allegations. These are separate lawsuits. A settlement or ruling in one does not automatically decide what happens in another.

Key Dates

Event	Date
Alleged start of class period in Cavallaro	February 4, 2025
U.S. Supreme Court decides Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump	February 20, 2026
Cavallaro v. Target Corporation filed (S.D.N.Y.)	July 21, 2026
Target discloses $994 million tariff refund in second-quarter results	August 2026
Target Form 10-Q filed	August 28, 2026
Lising et al. v. Target Corporation filed (D. Minn.)	September 25, 2026
Class certified	No
Settlement announced	No
Consumer claim deadline	None

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Target tariff refund class action?

Yes, more than one. Cavallaro v. Target Corporation, No. 7:26-cv-06165 (S.D.N.Y.), was filed July 21, 2026, and Lising et al. v. Target Corporation, No. 0:26-cv-04142 (D. Minn.), was filed September 25, 2026. Both are putative class actions.

Did Target receive a $994 million tariff refund?

Yes. Target’s SEC filing says it recognized $994 million related to IEEPA tariff refunds received during the second quarter of 2026.

Will shoppers receive part of the $994 million?

Not at this point. The lawsuits seek monetary relief, but no court has ordered Target to distribute the refund to consumers.

Has a class been certified?

No. Both cases are at an early stage and no class-certification order has been entered.

Is there a claim form or deadline?

No. There is no settlement, claim form or claim deadline.

Who are the plaintiffs?

In Cavallaro, the plaintiff is Patricia Cavallaro. In Lising, the plaintiffs are Lissa Bernardo Lising and Carly Amundson. Target Corporation is the defendant in both.

What did the Supreme Court decide about the IEEPA tariffs?

On February 20, 2026, in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, the Court held that IEEPA did not authorize the president to impose the challenged tariffs.

Should Target shoppers save their receipts?

Yes. Although no claim can currently be filed, consumers who believe they may fall within a proposed class can preserve receipts, Target Circle records and other purchase documentation.

Related AllAboutLawyer Coverage

• IEEPA Tariff Consumer Class Actions, Were You Overcharged? Litigation Update
• Sony PS5 Tariff Refund Class Action Lawsuit

Sources and Court Records

1. Lising et al. v. Target Corporation, No. 0:26-cv-04142 (D. Minn.), docket: https://dockets.justia.com/docket/minnesota/mndce/0%3A2026cv04142/236370
2. Cavallaro v. Target Corporation, No. 7:26-cv-06165 (S.D.N.Y.), class action complaint filed July 21, 2026
3. Target Corporation, Form 10-Q for the period ended August 1, 2026: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/27419/000002741926000042/tgt-20260801.htm
4. Target Corporation, second-quarter 2026 earnings release: https://corporate.target.com/press/release/2026/08/target-corporation-reports-second-quarter-earnings
5. Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, Nos. 24-1287 and 25-250, U.S. Supreme Court (Feb. 20, 2026): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1287_4gcj.pdf
6. Zimmerman Reed LLP, description of the Lising lawsuit: https://www.zimmreed.com/target-got-a-994-million-tariff-refund-consumers-have-filed-a-class-action-to-recover-the-tariff-costs-they-paid/
7. Top Class Actions, “Target class action claims company owes consumers refund of Trump tariffs”: https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/target-class-action-claims-company-owes-consumers-refund-of-trump-tariffs/
8. Open Class Actions, tariff refund class action tracker: https://openclassactions.com/tariff-class-actions.php
9. Lawfold, “Target Lawsuit 2026: Claims, Settlements & Who Qualifies”: https://lawfold.com/target-lawsuit/

About the Author

Israr Ahmad researches U.S. lawsuits, class actions and settlements for AllAboutLawyer.com, using court records, government filings and official case materials to explain legal developments in plain English.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The Target tariff refund lawsuits contain allegations that have not been proven in court. Case status, proposed class definitions and available remedies can change as the litigation proceeds.