Working families may receive $2,000 tariff rebate checks, Treasury Secretary says

The Donald Trump administration’s discussion of tariff rebate checks moved forward on November 16, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the payments would be directed to “working families.”  During an interview on Fox News with host Maria Bartiromo, Bessent emphasized that the rebates would include income limits designed to exclude high-earning households.

Details Still Under Negotiation

Bessent noted that the proposal remains unfinished and that key questions are still being negotiated. However, the framework reflects President Donald Trump’s plan to distribute $2,000 per person, funded by tariff revenue, while excluding what he described as “high-income groups.” Trump recently promoted the proposal on Truth Social, giving the idea additional political weight as lawmakers debate feasibility.

In addition, Bessent suggested that a household income limit of roughly $100,000 could be considered for determining eligibility. That threshold differs from the Trump administration’s pandemic-era stimulus checks, which phased out at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples.

Between 2020 and 2021, the federal government issued three rounds of stimulus payments totaling more than $814 billion across 476 million checks. Therefore, the new proposal may echo earlier efforts while targeting a narrower range of households.

According to the Department of the Treasury, tariff collections reached $195 billion during the first three quarters of this year. However, analysts note that this amount may be insufficient to cover nationwide $2,000 payments without additional revenue. As a result, fourth-quarter tariff receipts will be watched closely, and lawmakers are expected to evaluate whether the plan is financially sustainable.

The federal median household income in 2022 was $74,580, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Those numbers may influence congressional deliberations as lawmakers assess who would qualify for the payments and how widely they should be distributed.

Congressional Approval Required

For the tariff rebate checks to become reality, Congress must approve the proposal. Bessent also clarified that any rebate would not necessarily arrive as a physical check. Instead, he said the benefit could take different forms, including potential tax reductions.
In addition, lawmakers are expected to consider the administrative logistics of delivering benefits across varying income groups while ensuring that the rebate targets families identified as most in need of relief.

BY MOOYOUNG LEE  [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]