Could Floridians Get $5,000 by the End of 2025?

• The DOGE stimulus initiative, sometimes referred to as “DOGE Dividends,” proposes to distribute up to $5,000 to taxpayers from savings claimed by the Department of Government Efficiency.
• Although President Trump has shown interest in the DOGE dividend idea, there is currently no official endorsement or Congressional approval for these stimulus payments.

Could taxpayers potentially receive thousands of dollars by year’s end? The answer remains unclear.

Discussions have arisen regarding another round of stimulus checks coming from funds that billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have saved through workforce reductions and various cost-saving strategies.

“We’re contemplating allocating 20% of the DOGE savings back to American citizens and another 20% for debt reduction,” stated President Donald Trump during the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami last month.

Stimulus payments were distributed during Trump’s first term, albeit only after the COVID-19 pandemic began. In 2020, Congress passed—and President Trump signed—a $2 trillion bipartisan stimulus package to counteract the economic challenges resulting from the pandemic.

Are these DOGE checks actually going to be realized? Here’s the origin of the idea and its status among lawmakers.

Understanding ‘DOGE’: What Role Does It Play for the US Government?

On January 20, Trump authorized the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency to execute the President’s DOGE Agenda by “modernizing Federal technology and software to enhance government efficiency and productivity.”

According to Trump himself last year, DOGE aims to provide advisory support from outside the government and collaborate with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to “instigate large-scale structural reforms and introduce an entrepreneurial approach to government that has never been witnessed before.”

What does ‘DOGE’ mean? The new government department’s name has roots in a popular viral meme from the 2010s.

Despite the name, it is not an official department. Trump appointed Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as heads of the advisory group. Ramaswamy stepped down from the role last month to pursue the Ohio governorship.

Trump also signed an executive order last month directing the federal government to conduct a “workforce optimization initiative” developed by DOGE, which has been swiftly moving across various departments to cut costs, eliminate programs, and reduce staff.

Newsweek reports that approximately 62,530 federal employees have been dismissed in the initial two months of 2025.

What Are DOGE Stimulus Checks? How Did the Concept of ‘DOGE Dividends’ Emerge?

The DOGE stimulus checks, often referred to as “DOGE Dividends,” could potentially provide taxpayers with up to $5,000 based on savings claimed by the Department of Government Efficiency, working towards a $2 trillion savings target, as stated by Trump in February.

Per USA TODAY, James Fishback, CEO of Azoria Investment Firm, first proposed the “DOGE dividend” idea in February, stating on X that it would be “a tax refund check provided to every taxpayer, exclusively funded by a fraction of the total savings generated by DOGE.”

In response to Fishback’s proposal, which he initially developed, Musk commented, “I will check with the President.”

Fishback’s proposal suggests that tax refund checks would be issued after the conclusion of DOGE in July 2026.

“American taxpayers deserve a ‘DOGE Dividend’: 20% of the money saved by DOGE should be returned to hard-working Americans as a tax refund check. It was their money to begin with,” Fishback emphasized in a separate post on X. “With $2 trillion in savings and 78 million tax-paying households, this represents a $5,000 refund per household, with the remainder allocated to reducing national debt.”

Defining Dividends and Stimulus Checks

According to Investopedia, a dividend is “the proportion of a company’s earnings that is distributed to its shareholders as their share of profits.” They note that dividends are generally issued quarterly, with amounts determined by the board of directors based on recent earnings.

In contrast, stimulus checks are funds distributed to taxpayers by the federal government, usually intended to invigorate the economy by providing additional spending money.

Are DOGE Stimulus Checks on the Horizon?

As of March 14, there has been no definitive confirmation that DOGE will issue stimulus checks to taxpayers, nor have any payments from DOGE savings been formally authorized by Congress.

Despite DOGE and Musk reportedly claiming the government has accrued over $115 million to date, it remains uncertain whether this figure is accurate or if the $2 trillion savings goal will be met.

The progression of any stimulus checks through Congress is also unclear, even with Trump in office and Republican control of both congressional chambers.

Some lawmakers have expressed opposition to the stimulus checks, including House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“Politically, that might be favorable for us, because everyone receives a check,” Johnson remarked to attendees. “However, if we consider our fundamental principles, fiscal responsibility is our priority as conservatives. We face a federal debt of $36 trillion and a significant deficit. We must focus on reducing this debt,” he added.

Eligibility for a DOGE Stimulus Check

The original concept for DOGE stimulus checks indicated they would be distributed to taxpayers.

Fishback’s four-page proposal for the DOGE dividend described it as a refund “provided only to tax-paying households.” He assured that the checks would not lead to inflation as they would be “fully funded by DOGE-driven savings, unlike the COVID stimulus checks which were financed by deficit spending.”

Fishback’s proposal also suggests that dividends would be distributed to households within a specific income bracket.

In February, during an appearance on Steve Ram’s podcast, Fishback mentioned that he believes employment should be a criterion for receiving the checks.

“Consider this—if you are a working-age individual not currently employed, knowing there’s a potential DOGE dividend check with your name on it next summer could serve as a strong incentive for you to find a job and rejoin the workforce,” he remarked.

USA TODAY contributed to this report.