Could $5,000 DOGE stimulus checks happen? Here’s what we know.
The proposal for $5,000 stimulus checks from the Trump administration aimed at cutting federal spending is gaining attention, but will it actually come to fruition?
Are you still anticipating the arrival of the elusive $5,000 DOGE dividend check? Here’s the latest update on its status and whether your income qualifies you for it, as per individual or household criteria.
During a recent speech, President Donald Trump mentioned he would consider issuing $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a ‘DOGE dividend.’ He articulated this as taking 20% of the savings identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and returning it to American taxpayers.
This concept of a “DOGE dividend” was initially introduced by James Fishback, CEO of Azoria investment firm, on Musk’s social media platform X, proposing that Trump and Musk should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’ — a tax refund check directed to all taxpayers, funded solely through savings generated by DOGE. Musk responded by stating, “Will check with the President.”
“The numbers are astounding, Elon. So many millions, billions — hundreds of billions,” Trump declared in his speech. “We’re contemplating giving 20% back to the American public, and 20% to reduce our national debt.”
In a recent interview with NewsNation, Fishback expressed optimism that a legislative proposal is on the horizon to implement President Trump’s vision for DOGE into law. He added, “It’s not enough just to identify waste, fraud, and abuse. We need to refund taxpayers their hard-earned money that was wasted and mismanaged, which is what the DOGE dividend aims to accomplish.”
Fishback characterized his discussions with lawmakers in the House and Senate as “very productive” and suggested that a proposal may be unveiled soon.
Additional details about the prospective ‘DOGE dividend’ have yet to be disclosed by Trump.
Fishback’s four-page outline of the ‘DOGE dividend’ indicates that it would be a refund “sent solely to tax-paying households.” He emphasized that unlike previous stimulus checks, DOGE checks would not contribute to inflation as they would be “entirely funded by DOGE-derived savings, contrasting with COVID stimulus checks that relied on deficit financing.”
Fishback’s proposal suggests that dividends would only be distributed to households earning above a certain income threshold, unlike pandemic-era checks that were distributed “indiscriminately.”
“A considerable number of low-income households received transfer payments that constituted 25 to 30% of their annual income,” Fishback noted regarding the pandemic stimulus checks. He added, “This initiative is exclusively designed for households that are net-payers of federal income tax, meaning they tend to save rather than spend transfer payments like the DOGE dividend.”
“I appreciate the president’s backing, but the plan is straightforward,” Fishback said. “DOGE is projected to save a certain amount of money over the coming years. Let’s allocate 20 percent of that and return it directly to the hardworking citizens who contributed it to D.C. initially.”
Defined as a distribution of profits by a corporation to its shareholders, a dividend differs from a refund, which is a payment returned to a user who previously paid for something. Conversely, a stimulus check aims to incentivize spending and stimulate the economy by placing funds directly into consumers’ hands.
Who would qualify for the DOGE dividend?
The proposed refund will be directed solely to households that pay net income taxes—those who contribute more in taxes than they receive back—with lower-income Americans excluded from eligibility, according to reports. The Pew Research Center indicates that most Americans with an adjusted gross income below $40,000 effectively pay no federal income tax.
The suggested DOGE refund check would be issued to households, rather than to each individual taxpayer, including those receiving Social Security benefits who meet income tax criteria.
Musk ramps up DOGE as Tesla stock tanks, backlash grows
Tesla’s stock saw a decline of approximately 15% on March 10. Despite this, CEO Elon Musk has no plans to reduce his involvement with the U.S. government.
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), officially known as the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is an initiative launched by Trump and driven by special government employee Musk.
The objective of DOGE was to cut down on federal expenditures, enact deregulation, and “modernize federal technology and software to enhance governmental efficiency and productivity.”
At its inception, DOGE aimed to save up to $2 trillion annually. According to DOGE, it has already achieved savings of $115 billion.
Maria Francis is a journalist based in Pennsylvania, working with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
