Stimulus Checks: There is a lot of talk about a new $2,000 stimulus check coming in July or August 2025. Not yet, though. Neither the IRS nor the US Congress have suggested or agreed to such a payment. Social media and unconfirmed accounts have spread the rumor, but it has no official support. In April 2025, the last day to get the third and final boost was. Some US states are still sending out small checks to help with inflation, but there is no plan for a fourth government stimulus.
Online rumors have been going around for a week now that a fourth stimulus check worth $2,000 will be sent out in July or August 2025. A lot of people on social media and in stories with sketchy sources are spreading these claims that new federal aid is on the way to help Americans who are having a hard time.
But there isn’t any clear proof. Not from the US Congress, not from the Treasury Department, and not from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
This spread of false information comes after a story by Rick Adams on July 19 that said lawmakers were thinking about new payments because of growing public pressure. The story said that single people making less than $75,000 a year and married couples making less than $150,000 a year would be eligible. It also said that dependents would get extra money, and that direct deposits might start in late 2025 or early 2026 if accepted.
However, that “if” is still just a guess.
These claims are not backed up by any draft law, budget allocation, or public statement. The most current update from the IRS, IR-2025-75, which came out on July 15, was mostly about tax security and extensions. It didn’t say anything about new ways to help the economy.
IRS and Treasury: No fourth cheque in the works
Neither the IRS nor the Treasury have done anything to make it look like they are planning another boost.
The last round of Economic Impact Payments happened in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan. That gave up to $1,400 to each qualified person. At this point, the only related payouts that are still being made are for the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, which is giving out $2.4 billion in unclaimed funds. But that process will be over in January 2025.
This is not a new check, according to notice IR-2024-314 from the IRS. It is just money that was left over from the third stimulus. Congress has not made any laws that allow a fourth round. And the last day to apply for the third boost was April 15, 2025.
Trump’s DOGE plan is still just an idea.
Trump brought up the idea of a one-time $5,000 “DOGE dividend” at a meeting in Miami in February. He linked it to how much money Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) thought it could save.
Trump said, “We are thinking about giving some of the 20% in savings that DOGE found back to taxpayers.”
But that idea hasn’t gone anywhere. There has been no follow-up from Congress, no official plan, and most definitely no time frame. It’s still just an idea because it doesn’t have any organization or money behind it.
Cost of living rising, relief still sparse
It’s clear that a lot of Americans are having a hard time. The rising prices of rent, food, and health care continue to put a strain on families, especially those with little or no money. Adams wrote about this in his piece, and there is some truth to that worry.
The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025 from Social Security is meant to help. But it’s not keeping up with the rate of inflation.
According to kiplinger.com, economists found that the proposed $130 billion in DOGE savings would only come to about $807 per taxpayer, which is a lot less than the $2000 that was claimed. That number also assumes full support from Congress, which has not been given.
Stimulus payment scams and fake forms on the rise
Scams get bigger as these rumors spread. People on X (formerly Twitter) have reported fake text messages and websites that offer early access to the fake check.
The IRS wants people to be careful. It told people in a statement to “check irs.gov for updates and avoid unsolicited payment requests.”
Also, it’s important to note that some states have come up with their own ways to fight inflation. These checks are not from the government, and the amounts are much smaller.
For instance, New York sent one-time inflation checks worth $200 to people making up to $75,000 a year and $400 to married couples making up to $150,000 a year. Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Colorado also gave what they called “rebate checks” to taxpayers or property owners who qualified. Each state has its own set of rules.
A quick look at past stimulus payments
Let’s look at the real history of the stimulus to put the $2,000 rumor in its proper place:
- In March and April 2020, the first check was sent out. It gave up to $1,200 to people and $2,400 to married couples, plus $500 for each eligible child under 17.
- The second check, which was sent by January 2021, was for up to $600 per person and $600 per child.
- The third check, which was sent out between March and December 2021, gave $1,400 to each qualified person and their dependents.
Any stimulus funds that were not claimed had to be sent in with the tax return for 2021. The last day to submit was April 15, 2025, and there were no extensions offered. For the aid claim, it didn’t matter if a taxpayer asked for more time to file. The IRS made it clear that “any stimulus payments that are not claimed become the property of the U.S. Treasury.”
How to track refunds or missing stimulus payments
If you need to find your tax return or think you may have missed a stimulus payment, the best thing to do is use the IRS’s online “Where’s My Refund” tool. It’s updated every day, and users can see how their federal return is coming along. To get into the tool, you will need your Social Security number, the state of your tax return, and the exact amount of your refund.
If you filed online and chose direct deposit, the refund should show up in your account in 21 days. It could take up to eight weeks for people who file on paper.
If you can’t use the internet, you can call the IRS helpline at 800-829-1954 instead.
For state refunds, you need to use each state’s own tax site to keep track of them. For instance, both the Delaware Division of Taxation and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue have their own websites.
