As of early 2026, there is no federal 4th stimulus check authorized by Congress, and the deadline to claim previous pandemic-era payments (2021 Recovery Rebate Credit) passed on April 15, 2025. While some states may offer local relief,, no new national, direct cash payments are currently being issued by the IRS.
According to Forbes Advisor, the 14 states that are eligible include: California.
Stimulus payments
Single taxpayers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $75,000 or below. Taxpayers filing as heads of household with AGIs of $112,500 or below. Married couples filing jointly with AGIs of $150,000 or below.
You can no longer claim the $1400 stimulus payment (the third Economic Impact Payment) because the deadline to file a 2021 tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit was April 15, 2025, and that deadline has passed. While the IRS issued some payments automatically in late 2024/early 2025 to those who hadn't filed, the opportunity to claim missing amounts by filing a return is over.
e-File your current year return on eFile.com, however there is no Recovery Rebate Credit or Stimulus 4 payment on any return after 2021 returns. In other words, you cannot claim any stimulus payments by e-filing the 2025 year return.
Check the status of your stimulus check on the IRS Get My Payment website.
Check the Status of Your Economic Impact Payment
If you haven't claimed the third economic impact payment yet, now is your time to do so. April 15, 2025, will be the last opportunity to claim the third payment.
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.
Eligibility for the $1400 third stimulus check (Economic Impact Payment) was based on your 2019 or 2020 tax information, requiring you to be a U.S. citizen/resident with a valid Social Security Number (SSN), not a dependent, and within certain income limits (AGI up to $75k single, $150k married). The payment provided $1,400 for eligible individuals and an additional $1,400 for each qualifying dependent, including adult dependents, regardless of age, as long as they had a valid SSN or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN). If you missed it, you could claim it as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return (filed in 2022).
Your family income must be under 200% of the federal poverty level. For a own family of four, that's kind of $62,400 consistent with year. Applications closed in advance in 2025, and only 200 households were picked via a random lottery. You also can't be enrolled in every other guaranteed income program.
$1,400 for an eligible individual who has a valid Social Security number (SSN) ($2,800 for married couples filing a joint return if both spouses have a valid SSN or if one spouse has a valid SSN and one spouse was an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the taxable year) plus.
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.
Economic Impact Payments (Stimulus Checks)
No, the IRS is not currently sending out new $1400 stimulus checks in 2026, but they did wrap up sending out final automatic payments for unclaimed 2021 Recovery Rebate Credits in late 2024/early 2025, with the deadline to claim these missed payments passing on April 15, 2025; new checks would require new Congressional action, and any texts about current stimulus payments are scams, say FOX 5 DC, CNBC, and IRS.gov.
If you did not receive the first or second Economic Impact Payment, or received a partial payment, you can still claim your full amount. According to the IRS, you should file a 2020 tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.
File A 2021 Tax Return If You Haven't Already
You must submit a 2021 Form 1040 (or 1040-SR for seniors) to claim the credit, even if you have little or no income and don't usually file taxes. The IRS explicitly urges eligible non-filers to file a return by April 15, 2025, to get their $1,400 credit.
Deadline to file with the IRS for a missed $1,400 stimulus check is April 15.
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.
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 – The period to claim unpaid Economic Impact Payments has ended. In December 2024, the IRS sent payments to people who didn't receive them or claim the Recovery Rebate credit by April 2025. Read about the IRS' payments of the recovery rebate credit.
You can't track a current $1400 stimulus check, as all three rounds of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) are finished, but you can check your IRS Online Account for past payment amounts and use the Recovery Rebate Credit page if you missed yours and need to claim it on your 2020 or 2021 tax return, though deadlines have passed for claiming those credits. The Get My Payment tool is no longer active for tracking; you must use your online IRS account to view your payment history.
The opportunities to claim or file for the first stimulus payment (issued in March and April 2020) or the second stimulus check (issued by Jan. 15, 2021) or the third stimulus check (issued between March and December 2021) have now passed.
Payments will vary but the maximum amount will be $1,400 per individual. In total, the IRS will be distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. The IRS has posted information online about eligibility and how the payment was calculated.