President Donald Trump recently suggested that revenue from tariffs could be returned to Americans in the form of rebate checks. He floated the idea as a way to give back to "people of a certain income level," noting that the U.S. is generating "so much money" from tariffs.
The concept drew attention, especially as Trump said that tariffs once funded the federal government entirely — before the income tax was permanently established in 1913. Tariffs are taxes placed on imported goods, and while they're paid by importers, the added costs can trickle down to consumers.
