Elon Musk, the head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, is actively tracking estimated savings on its official website.
As of Thursday morning, the estimated savings attributed to DOGE reached a staggering $55 billion. However, an investigation by USA Today revealed that the actual savings listed on its “wall of receipts” page amounted to around $16.5 billion.
These figures have spurred many social media users to demand that a portion of these savings be returned to taxpayers in the form of stimulus checks.
Here’s what we know.
Who proposed sending tax refund checks to taxpayers?
James Fishback, CEO of Azoria investment firm, has suggested stimulus payments from DOGE savings and called for Musk to issue checks to taxpayers based on the proclaimed savings.
Others on social media platforms, including TikTok, shared similar sentiments, with one video claiming, albeit with questionable accuracy, that taxpayers might receive up to $8,000. This video garnered over 5 million views since its release on Sunday and accumulated more than 28,000 comments, being shared almost 120,000 times by Thursday morning.
How did Elon Musk react to proposals for stimulus checks?
Musk responded to Fishback’s tweet, stating, “Will check with the President.”
Is President Trump considering stimulus checks derived from DOGE savings?
On Wednesday, President Trump indicated that he is contemplating this idea.
“We’re considering allocating 20% of DOGE savings to American citizens and another 20% to reducing the national debt,” Trump declared at the Saudi-sponsored FII PRIORITY Summit.
Any form of stimulus payment from the U.S. government would require Congressional approval.
Are the DOGE savings figures accurate?
USA TODAY investigated DOGE’s claim of saving the government $55 billion.
The verified canceled contracts, grants, and real estate leases listed on the “wall of receipts” totaled approximately $16.5 billion—an inflated figure that included a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract claimed to be valued at $8 billion but was actually assessed at $8 million.
As of Wednesday morning, itemized savings sat at $8.5 billion, subtracting the noted $7.9 billion error, falling short of the claimed $55 billion, according to USA TODAY.
Are there stimulus checks slated for 2025?
Yes, but these checks are unrelated to Trump or DOGE.
The Internal Revenue Service announced on December 20—just a month prior to Trump’s inauguration—that it would distribute $2.4 billion worth of checks.
Why is the IRS distributing 1 million stimulus checks?
These checks are being issued to “eligible individuals who did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns,” according to the IRS.
“Upon reviewing our internal data, we determined that one million taxpayers overlooked claiming this complex credit, even though they were eligible,” remarked IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.
“To streamline the process and ensure eligible taxpayers receive this money, we’re making these payments automatic, meaning these individuals won’t need to endure the lengthy procedure of filing an amended return to obtain it.”
Who qualifies for the IRS stimulus checks?
If you filed a tax return for 2021 as a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien—or haven’t filed yet—and didn’t claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, you could be among the 1 million eligible recipients of the IRS check.
The IRS previously issued three rounds of stimulus payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most taxpayers eligible for the Economic Impact Payments have already received their EIP or Recovery Rebate Credit, which are also referred to as stimulus payments, according to the IRS.
Contributing: James Powel, Greta Cross, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: DOGE stimulus check: Trump considering the idea of passing along savings
