As of January 2026, there are no approved federal stimulus checks, but President Trump has proposed "tariff dividend" payments of at least $2,000 per person for middle- and lower-income individuals, potentially arriving in mid-to-late 2026. These payments are proposed to be funded by new tariffs, though legislative action in Congress may be required.
If you have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to $75,000 ($112,500 Head of Household, $150,000 Married Filing Kointly), you could be eligible for the full amount of the recovery rebate – $600 for eligible individuals, $1,200 for joint taxpayers, and an additional $600 for each dependent child under 17.
You can no longer claim the first or second stimulus payment(s) on a 2020 or tax return since that expired on May 17, 2024. If you did not receive your third stimulus check, this is to be claimed on your 2021 Tax Return as the Recovery Rebate Credit or RRC.
the first Economic Impact Payment was $1,200 ($2,400 if married filing jointly) plus $500 for each qualifying child you had in 2020; and. the second Economic Impact Payment was $600 ($1,200 if married filing jointly) plus $600 for each qualifying child you had in 2020.
The Third Round of Stimulus Checks
Eligible individuals will receive a payment of $1,400 ($2,800 for married couples), plus an additional $1,400 per eligible child.
While speculation about a fourth stimulus check has surfaced on social media and unverified websites, there has been no official confirmation from Congress or the IRS to support this claim and any such news should be taken with caution as it could be misinformation or attempted fraud.
All second stimulus checks were issued by January 15, 2021. If you didn't get a second stimulus check by then (mailed checks may take longer to deliver), you can claim your second stimulus check as the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit on your 2020 tax return. You must file a 2020 tax return by May 17, 2024.
The Internal Revenue Service has been sending out the second round of stimulus payments that were part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act of 2021.
Qualification for the $1,400 stimulus check (the third Economic Impact Payment) in 2021 depended on your 2021 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and filing status, with full amounts for single filers earning up to $75,000 (phasing out at $80,000) and joint filers up to $150,000 (phasing out at $160,000), plus $1,400 per dependent; you needed a valid Social Security Number and had to claim it as the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return if you missed the payment, with deadlines typically in April 2025.
To check if you're owed a past stimulus payment, use the IRS.gov website to access your online account and view payment records, or if you missed a payment, see if you're eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 or 2021 tax return, as the "Get My Payment" tool is no longer active for checking status, but the IRS has issued all primary payments.
Stimulus checks were sent out back in 2020 as part of COVID relief. In 2021, the Recovery Rebate Credit was available to claim on your return if you didn't receive your stimulus checks. Both of those initiatives have ended.
Paper checks started getting mailed on December 30, 2020, and the IRS has sent out approximately eight million prepaid debit cards loaded with the federal stimulus payments. You can follow up on the status of both your first and second checks by using the “Get My Payment” portal.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, is a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 116th United States Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020, in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Yes, it is too late to claim any COVID-19 stimulus money, as the final deadline to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit (the third stimulus payment) passed on April 15, 2025, and earlier deadlines for the first two payments also expired. The IRS only allows a three-year window to file for refunds and credits, meaning you can no longer claim these missed payments by filing old tax returns.
The IRS has issued all first, second and third Economic Impact Payments.
First and Second Stimulus Check
You will need to file a tax return for Tax Year 2020 (which you file in 2021). The deadline to file your taxes was last October 15, 2021. If you missed the October 2021 filing deadline, you can still file your tax return to get your first and second stimulus checks.
Taxpayers who've already checked the status of their stimulus check with the IRS Get My Payment tool and received the "Payment Status #2 – Not Available" message will not automatically receive a second check. Instead, they must wait until they file their 2020 tax returns to get the payment.
Visit the IRS Get My Payment (GMP) portal at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment to see if you can expect a 2021 Economic Impact Payment. The GMP portal will provide the date when your payment was or will be sent.
To check your U.S. federal tax refund status, use the IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool or IRS2Go app on IRS.gov, needing your Social Security number/ITIN, filing status, and exact refund amount; for state refunds, check your specific state's Department of Revenue website. Federal refunds are typically updated within 24 hours of e-filing, with most e-filed refunds processed within 21 days.
You ARE eligible for the second round of Economic Impact Payments if you are: • An individual with an adjusted gross income up to $75,000; • A head of household with an adjusted gross income up to $112,500; or • A married couple with an adjusted gross income up to $150,000.
Single filers: You qualify for the full $1,400 if your AGI in 2021 was $75,000 or less. The credit begins to decrease for incomes over $75,000 and is fully phased out at $80,000. Married filing jointly: You qualify for the full $2,800 (for two people) if your combined AGI in 2021 was $150,000 or less.
Families earning less than $150,000 a year and individuals earning less than $75,000 a year should get the full $1,400 per person. Families earning up to $160,000 per year and individuals earning up to $80,000 per year will receive prorated stimulus checks for less than $1,400 max.
The IRS allows you to amend returns from the last three years, which sometimes results in delayed or unexpected refund checks. While a few taxpayers are genuinely seeing deposits of $2,000 or $3,000, those refunds are tied to specific past errors or missed credits, not a general program available now.