President Trump has suggested giving working families $2,000 in tariff rebate checks with income limits, though the exact eligibility rules are still uncertain as the proposal waits for Congress to approve it.
In recent months, President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of sending most Americans $2,000 tariff rebate checks.
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Although the administration hasn’t released specifics on how these rebates would be distributed or who would qualify, Trump promotes his tariff plan as a way to bring in new revenue for the U.S.—though he made a notable mistake while doing simple math.
“A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post this month. He also gave an update on when they could be paid.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has noted that Congress would need to approve this rebate check plan, but one key factor is influencing how quickly that could happen.
When asked about the rebate payments on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Bessent responded, “We will see. We need legislation for that… Those could go out.”
He also said the payments would be “for working families,” with an income cap in place. This proposal comes as the Trump Administration’s tariff policy faces scrutiny from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Several justices have raised concerns about the president’s use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to authorize his tariffs.
“I don’t think this ruling is going to go against us, but if it does, what’s (the Supreme Court’s) plan for refunds? Because how is this going to get to consumers? Are they just going to hand some of these importers big windfalls?” Bessent said. He added, “I don’t think the Supreme Court wants to wade into a mess like that.”
Who will be eligible for a tariff rebate check?
The tariff rebate idea is still in its early stages, and there are few concrete details about how it would work.
Bessent told Fox News the checks would be for “working families” earning “less than, say, $100,000.”
During a White House briefing, Trump said his administration plans to issue the tariff dividends “probably the middle of next year, a little bit later than that,” according to Axios. He said “thousands of dollars” would go to “moderate income, middle income” Americans.
The president also said his administration has collected “tremendous amounts of money” through his tariff strategy.
How will Trump’s tariff rebate checks work?
Trump first introduced the idea of tariff rebate checks in July. On Truth Social, he wrote, “People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS! … A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people! ) will be paid to everyone.”
Still, some observers question how the proposal would work in practice.
In a post on X, Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, wrote, “If the cutoff is $100,000, 150M adults would qualify, for a cost near $300 billion. If kids qualify, that grows.”
She added, “Only problem, new tariffs have raised $120 billion so far.”
The U.S. Department of the Treasury reported that as of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, the federal government has collected $195 million from customs duties.
If the Supreme Court rules the president’s IEEPA tariffs unlawful, this rebate check proposal could face an immediate halt.
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