Will you be getting a $5,000 DOGE dividend check? Here’s what we know

“How much money does it save taxpayers?” asked another reader, from Ross Twp.

The Trump administration last month said it was considering a plan to use 20% of the $2 trillion goal in federal government savings to fund payments, or DOGE dividends, to taxpayers. Another 20% of savings would go toward paying down the national debt.

But a DOGE stimulus won’t be hitting your bank account anytime soon — that would need to be approved by Congress.

Here’s where things stand with stimulus checks:

Will I qualify for a dividend?

It’s too soon to say. But a proposal for the DOGE dividends created by Azoria investment firm CEO James Fischback, shared on social media platform X with Musk, suggests a $5,000 check could be sent to nearly 79 million taxpaying households if the $2 trillion goal is met.

“Will check with the president,” Musk replied in response.

As proposed by Fishback, only those who will pay federal income tax in 2025 would be eligible for a check. But as of this week, there’s no indication that this proposal will move forward.

Trump hasn’t shared any additional details regarding the possibility of DOGE dividends, but The Associated Press reported last month that Trump said he loved the idea.

What is DOGE?

The Department of Government Efficiency is an initiative of the Trump administration, and despite its name, it is not an official government department.

According to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January, DOGE is a temporary venture, with the advisory committee scheduled to wrap up in 2026.

In addition to the task of modernizing government technology and efficiency, DOGE staff also have the goal of reducing federal spending.

DOGE on its website estimates $105 billion in savings so far, with just a little more than $652 saved per taxpayer. Some of these reported savings included leases that ended early in the Dayton region.

That and other findings raise questions about how much the DOGE effort is actually saving.

When was the last stimulus?

This year, the Internal Revenue Service issued a stimulus check to taxpayers who did not claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns.

But this credit was for taxpayers who did not receive previous stimulus payments.

People who did not file a 2021 tax return could still be eligible for a stimulus check if they file their return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by April 15, according to the IRS.

Prior to now, the last stimulus check sent out to taxpayers was in 2021 as a part of pandemic-era federal relief plans. This round of congressionally approved checks, which included $1,400 payments to single individuals, was included in the American Rescue Plan Act.