Americans expecting a December stimulus check may need to adjust their financial plans. Despite persistent social media rumors, no new round of stimulus payments has been approved for December 2025, and the IRS hasn’t confirmed any such disbursements, according to reports.
The last official COVID-era relief payments — $1,400 Recovery Rebate Credits connected to 2021 tax returns — are now firmly in the rearview mirror, with the April 15, 2025 claim deadline having passed months ago.
Trump’s Tariff Dividend Proposal
What’s causing the confusion? President Trump has proposed what he calls “tariff dividends” that would provide Americans with direct payments funded by his administration’s aggressive trade policies. Trump has promised “a dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
But these aren’t stimulus checks in the traditional sense. They’re part of a broader economic strategy that hinges on increased tariffs on imported goods — a policy that comes with its own economic implications.
Top White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has been making the rounds to discuss the proposal, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicating that these payments would likely be targeted toward households making less than $100,000, according to CBS News.
The $600 Billion Question
Budget hawks are raising red flags. If designed similarly to COVID-era payments, budget experts estimate each round of tariff dividends would cost approximately $600 billion — a staggering figure that would need congressional approval.
Who would actually benefit? The administration has made it clear that these payments would be targeted toward low- and middle-income Americans, with an income cap likely hovering around the $100,000 mark, suggests tax analysts.
The economics get complicated quickly. While $2,000 checks would provide immediate relief to many households, the Tax Policy Center estimates that the administration’s tariffs would simultaneously increase the average federal tax rate by 1.6 percentage points to 21 percent and reduce after-tax income by 2.0 percent.
In other words, Americans might receive a check with one hand while paying more for goods with the other.
Looking Ahead
Could these payments materialize in 2026? It’s possible, but the proposal faces significant hurdles, including congressional approval and economic scrutiny.
For now, Americans should treat social media claims about imminent stimulus payments with healthy skepticism. The last official stimulus checks are firmly in the past, and any new direct payment program would require substantial legislative action before reaching Americans’ bank accounts.
