A new advisory has been issued for married couples regarding Donald Trump’s proposed $2,000 “tariff dividend” payments. Although full guidelines are still unclear, more details are slowly emerging about who might qualify. Trump recently said that money generated from tariffs on foreign imports would be returned directly to Americans. He promised that nearly every citizen would receive “at least $2,000,” excluding high-income earners. On Truth Social, he argued that tariff revenue is strong enough to both fund these payments and help reduce the national debt, which he estimates at $37 trillion.
While many remain skeptical about whether these checks will actually happen, Trump’s team has offered hints about eligibility and timing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that payments would likely go to families earning “less than, say, $100,000.” YouTuber Blind to Billionaire, known for covering Social Security and income programs, broke down what is currently known.
He said eligibility appears to depend strictly on income. Individuals earning under $75,000 and married couples under $150,000 would likely qualify. He reassured viewers that being unemployed, receiving Social Security, or not filing taxes in recent years would probably not disqualify them. Trump has suggested the checks could begin “in the middle of next year” and would target people with “moderate incomes.”
Still, experts warn of major challenges. Erica York of the Tax Foundation noted that paying $2,000 to around 150 million adults would cost about $300 billion — far more than the revenue generated so far by the new tariffs. The Treasury Department recorded $195 billion in customs duties for the most recent fiscal year, raising doubts about how such payments would be funded.