Ohio taxpayers could receive $5,000 refund next year

OHIO — Ohio taxpayers could receive $5,000 checks next summer if a new proposal backed by Elon Musk and the Trump administration moves forward.

The plan, known as the “DOGE Dividend,” would refund 20% of the savings generated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a quasi-government agency tasked with cutting federal spending.

Musk hinted at the idea in a post on X, saying he would “check with the president” on the proposal.

The concept gained traction after Azoria Partners CEO James Fishback publicly pitched the idea in a four-page letter, calling for stimulus-style checks to be sent to nearly 80 million households nationwide, including millions in Ohio.

“President Trump and Elon Musk should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’—a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE,” Fishback wrote.

Unlike past federal stimulus payments, the DOGE Dividend would function as a refund, only distributing a portion of the savings from government spending cuts.

So far, DOGE has canceled over 1,100 federal contracts, reportedly saving $55 billion. However, the plan has several conditions that could affect Ohioans.

First, checks would not be sent out until July 2026, when DOGE is set to conclude its work.

Second, only households that paid federal income tax would qualify, a requirement Fishback argues would encourage workforce participation.

Approximately 79 million households nationwide fit that description, meaning many Ohio families could be eligible.

The proposed $5,000 amount depends on achieving $2 trillion in government spending cuts—a goal Musk and President Trump discussed during their campaign.

If DOGE fails to reach that figure, checks would be smaller.

The proposal would likely require congressional approval, but with midterm elections approaching, Republican lawmakers may be inclined to support direct payments to voters.

While Trump has yet to publicly endorse the plan, stimulus checks issued under his and President Biden’s administrations remain a politically charged issue, with critics blaming them for inflation.

If the DOGE Dividend advances, it is expected to face significant opposition.

Thousands of federal employees have been laid off due to Musk and DOGE’s spending cuts, and Democrats are staging near-daily protests in Washington, D.C.