Despite the big promise, nothing is official. No legislation, no IRS plan, and no federal guidance exist yet. But some commentators have begun speculating about what eligibility might look like.
Social Security analyst and YouTuber Blind to Billionaire believes the threshold could be extremely simple, based almost entirely on income. According to him, the real question could boil down to: “Is your income below $75,000 a year as an individual?” If the answer is yes, he argues, “you are most likely eligible.” He noted that previous federal relief efforts relied on similar guidelines, typically capping individuals at $75,000 and married couples at $150,000.
That would mean many unemployed individuals, gig workers, and nontraditional earners could qualify — but again, nothing has been approved. Everything hinges on Congress.
And that is where the proposal faces its biggest challenge.
The IRS has not authorized $2,000 payments for 2025, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed uncertainty about the plan’s feasibility. When pressed, he simply said, “We will see,” while emphasizing that “we need legislation for that.” In other words, Congress would need to approve a spending package that could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
Some lawmakers remain unconvinced. Republican Senator Ron Johnson argued that any tariff revenue should go toward reducing the nation’s $1.8 trillion deficit instead of funding checks. “Look, we can’t afford it,” he said. “I wish we were in a position to return the American public their money, but we’re not.” Johnson pointed to ballooning deficits, calling them “completely unacceptable.” Continue reading…
