US4 min(s) read
Published 12:12 05 Jun 2026 GMT
Here's the latest update on the $2,000 payment Trump promised to almost everyone in America.
Last November, President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he would be issuing the so-called "dividend" payment "probably the middle of next year, a little bit later than that".
The 79-year-old expanded on the idea in a Truth Social post, explaining that tariffs are bringing in huge amounts of money for the US and could eventually allow the government to share some of that revenue with Americans.
"People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS! We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k's are Highest EVER," he wrote on Truth Social.
He added: "We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion. Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place."
According to Delaware Online, Americans are asking if they’ll get a $2,000 payment after the first wave of tariff refunds is now being processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Earlier this year, a Supreme Court ruling found Trump's proposed tariff dividend plan was illegal.
As a result, the US Court of International Trade and CBP were tasked with returning billions of dollars to the businesses and customs brokers that originally paid the tariffs.
CBP launched its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) program on April 20 and has since begun processing refund claims.
The first round of payments is scheduled to be issued on May 12.
Although many Americans paid higher prices because of tariffs, the current refunds are only being sent to businesses that originally paid the import taxes.
Some companies have indicated they may pass any recovered funds on to customers.
"Our intent is straightforward," a FedEx spokesperson told Fortune. "If refunds are issued to FedEx, we will issue refunds to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges."
However, there is currently no approved federal program that would send tariff refund checks directly to individual Americans.
Some politicians, including Rep. Henry Cuellar, are trying to change that.
Cuellar introduced the American Consumer Tariff Rebate Act of 2026, which would provide rebates worth up to $2,040 per household.
He explained the proposal on X, writing: "Tariffs function as hidden taxes on families and create uncertainty for businesses. When companies pay more to import goods and materials, those added costs are often passed on to consumers, driving up prices on groceries, fuel and energy, vehicles and auto parts, building materials, and other everyday household items."
Several state leaders have also called for direct refunds, including Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Despite Trump's promise, there is currently no law authorizing the payments.
There are also questions about who would qualify. Trump has suggested high-income Americans would be excluded, but no official eligibility rules have been established.
In addition to this, the cost is another major obstacle as analysts estimate the program could cost anywhere between $300 billion and $513 billion, depending on how many Americans qualify.
Economist Erica York wrote: "If the cutoff is $100,000, 150M adults would qualify, for a cost near $300 billion. … Adjusting for that, tariffs have raised $90 billion of net revenues compared to Trump's proposed $300 billion rebate."
At this stage, there is no guarantee that Americans will receive a $2,000 tariff dividend check in 2026.
While Trump has repeatedly backed the idea and suggested payments could arrive by mid-2026, Congress has not approved the proposal, and no payments have been authorized by the IRS.
For now, the only tariff refunds being issued are to businesses and importers.
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