Crestron Tariff Surcharge Investigation

Emery | Reddy, PC is investigating potential claims on behalf of Crestron’s authorized dealers, system integrators, and certified commercial AV partners nationwide who were charged a separate “tariff surcharge” line item on invoices for Crestron hardware between May 1, 2025 and May 29, 2026.

Crestron Electronics, Inc., a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of commercial and residential automation technology headquartered in Rockleigh, New Jersey, with roughly $2 billion in annual revenue, began applying a 5% tariff surcharge to the gross hardware total on all U.S. invoices starting May 1, 2025, according to the company’s own announcement. The surcharge applied only to hardware, not services or software subscriptions, and was calculated before any discounts, sales tax, or shipping. By the time Crestron phased out the itemized surcharge on May 29, 2026, dealers were paying a reduced 4% rate. In its place, Crestron rolled the cost into permanent price increases: about 5% on most hardware (a net 1% increase for dealers who’d already been paying the 4% surcharge), 10% on AV-over-IP products, and 15% on high-memory-usage products like control processors, touchscreens, and the Crestron Flex and Collab Compute video conferencing lines.

Why This Matters Now

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not authorize the tariffs the Trump administration had imposed beginning in 2025. Those tariffs officially terminated on February 24, 2026. Crestron continued charging its tariff surcharge for another three months after that ruling, through May 29, 2026, before folding it into the permanent price increases described above.

It isn’t currently confirmed whether Crestron is pursuing a federal refund for tariffs it paid during this period. But the surcharge’s own timeline raises a real question on its own: if the underlying tariffs were ruled unlawful in February 2026, why did a “tariff surcharge” continue to appear on dealer invoices for three more months? Emery | Reddy is investigating whether the surcharge was properly disclosed and justified throughout its full duration, and whether the businesses that paid it are entitled to relief.

Who May Qualify

We’re prioritizing outreach to businesses nationwide that:

• Purchased Crestron hardware directly from Crestron Electronics, Inc. between May 1, 2025 and May 29, 2026
• Bought hardware such as touchscreens, amplifiers, switches, or control processors, the categories now seeing the steepest permanent price increases
• Are Crestron-authorized dealers, system integrators, or certified commercial AV partners
• Have a receipt or invoice showing a separate tariff surcharge line item

This is a business-to-business claim. Crestron sells hardware indirectly through its dealer and integrator network rather than directly to the end-users who ultimately install and use it, so it’s dealers and integrators, not homeowners or corporate end-users, whose invoices would show this surcharge.

What to Look for on Your Invoice

We don’t yet have a confirmed example of exactly how Crestron’s tariff surcharge appeared on a dealer invoice, the wording may vary. Based on Crestron’s own statement, the surcharge was calculated on the gross hardware total, before any discounts, sales tax, or shipping, and applied separately from Crestron’s published price list. Look for a line item, likely referencing a tariff, tariff surcharge, or similar fee, shown as a percentage of the hardware subtotal. If you’re not sure whether a line item on your invoice qualifies, send it to us and we’ll help you figure it out.

What to Do If You Think You Qualify

• Find your Crestron invoices covering hardware purchases between May 1, 2025 and May 29, 2026
• Save or photograph the itemized invoice, including any surcharge line
• Note what was purchased, touchscreens, amplifiers, switches, and processors are the priority categories
• Submit your information to Emery | Reddy for a Free Case Review

Do You Have Legal Options?

Businesses may have legal rights when a supplier charges a separate fee tied to a cost, like a tariff, that is later found to have been unlawfully imposed, particularly if the fee continued to be charged after that legal basis fell away. We’re also reviewing Crestron’s dealer and partner agreements, which appear to include arbitration provisions that could affect how any claims are pursued, as part of our case evaluation.

Contact Emery | Reddy today for a Free Case Review if your business purchased qualifying Crestron hardware and your invoice shows a tariff surcharge.

FAQ

Who qualifies for this investigation?

Businesses nationwide, Crestron-authorized dealers, system integrators, and certified commercial AV partners, that purchased Crestron hardware directly between May 1, 2025 and May 29, 2026, and whose invoice shows a tariff surcharge line item. Touchscreen, amplifier, switch, and processor purchases are our priority.

What if I’m an end-user, not a dealer?

Because Crestron sells through its dealer and integrator network, end-users typically don’t receive invoices with this surcharge directly. This investigation is focused on the dealers, integrators, and AV partners who purchased hardware directly from Crestron.

Has a lawsuit been filed against Crestron over this?

Not yet, Emery | Reddy is currently investigating potential claims and gathering information from affected businesses.

Why did Crestron stop charging the surcharge?

Crestron folded the surcharge into permanent price increases effective May 29, 2026, increases ranging from about 5% to 15% depending on the product category.

Is Crestron pursuing a tariff refund from the government?

It isn’t currently confirmed whether Crestron is pursuing a refund for the underlying tariffs. We’re investigating this as part of the case.