There may have been rumors in the news or online that you could get a “DOGE dividends check this week.” Does it really sound like the government wants to give taxpayers back thousands of dollars?
The thing is making waves, memes, and even hopes… But what is the truth about all of this? Let us talk about what you know, what you do not know, and the secrets that might change the way you see things. Do not give away any more of the story just yet; it is about to get interesting.
Interesting numbers are going around: $5,000 per family, with payments “covered by mystery savings.” This is supposed to stop inflation… Does not it sound almost too good to be true? Like many things these days, it all began with a tweet.
James Fishback, CEO of an investment firm, told Elon Musk and Donald Trump about an idea in February: Why not send checks to people with money saved by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)? Musk’s answer, which was typical of him, was vague: “I will talk to the president.” And that is where the noise began.
What did Musk really say about DOGE dividends – stimulus checks?
Someone asked him directly, “Are we going to see those DOGE checks or not?” not long ago in Wisconsin. Musk’s answer was… well, typical of him. Not either yes or no. He said that Congress and the president would decide if the payments are made.
However, he promised that the economy would get better “in one way or another” if government spending was cut. To put it another way, he said, “Trust the process. The savings will help us even if we do not get a check.” Positive? Yes. Hard stuff? Not at all.
This is an important detail that many people miss. Many experts blame the fact that the pandemic stimulus packages were paid for with debt (basically printing money) for the inflation that followed.
Fishback is adamant that the DOGE Dividend would be different because it would only use money that has already been saved and not add to the deficit. Also, not everyone would like it.
People who pay more in taxes than they get in benefits would be the only ones to get money from his plan. That is, if you have a low income and do not pay federal taxes, you probably do not qualify.
Who would get into the $5,000 stimulus check club?
The goal is for the refund to reach “net taxpayers,” or people who owe the IRS more money than they get back. Almost half of Americans do not pay federal taxes because their gross income is less than $40,000.
Do not expect a surprise envelope if you are in that group. But if you are middle- or upper-class, you might get a payment for your whole family instead of just one person. Even retirees who still pay taxes would be on the list.
In front of the press, President Trump said that he would “consider” the idea, but there has been no word from him since then. A few weeks ago, Fishback said that he was “optimistic” that a bill would be introduced soon. His talks with lawmakers are moving forward, but until there is a formal document, everything is still just a promise, according to him.
Musk made it clear that DOGE will keep looking for ways to save money, but the issue of checks depends on how politics work. Since elections are coming up soon, it is hard to say if people will want to approve a dividend.
In addition, the 20% refund is not a given, even if the $1 billion in cuts are made. Musk said that the project has made “advances,” but there is not any good news yet.