No “relief” payments will be issued via direct deposit or check for the remainder of 2025, and none are planned for 2026.
Rumors about the issuance of $1,390 “stimulus” checks to taxpayers are frequently recurring and absolutely false. Phrased in terminology derived from past or proposed federal and state inflation relief payments, tax refunds, and even DOGE cost-saving refunds, it has been easy for scammers and clickbait artists to attract and mislead the public.
During a wave of misinformation this summer, the IRS posted an X warning about “stimulus check scams,” adding that “the Recovery Rebate Credit has expired.”
The Recovery Rebate Credit was the final round of government-sponsored “Economic Impact Payments” issued in 2021. The deadline to claim the stimulus checks was April 15, 2025. About 1 million checks were issued to taxpayers who had not previously claimed the payments.
The IRS maintains a comprehensive list of tax fraud scams and schemes that taxpayers commonly encounter.
However, even legitimate help can sometimes seem dubious.
“The last stimulus checks were during the pandemic, and for taxpayers who didn’t have a bank account on file for direct deposit, they were sent out as gift cards that really seemed like a scam,” Crystal Stranger, senior tax director at Optic Tax in Boulder, Colorado, told Yahoo Finance.
Read more: Why is my tax refund taking so long?
Michael Cohn, online editor-in-chief of Accounting Today in New York, has repeatedly seen and reported on these false rumors.
“Tax-related myths and scams seem to proliferate on a regular basis, especially around tax filing deadlines, but they can spread at any time of the year, especially through social media,” Cohn told Yahoo Finance. “Tax refunds and stimulus checks are a perennial source of speculation, particularly in times of economic uncertainty.”
Cohn suggested that anyone with concerns about such windfalls should check the official IRS website for up-to-date information on what tax exemptions and credits are still available and the deadlines for applying for them.
It may be helpful to remember that the IRS typically does not call taxpayers. And email and text messages are only used with prior permission; IRS communication is primarily handled by mail. And government-issued payments don’t charge “processing fees,” like some scams try to charge.
James Creech, director of specialty tax consulting at Baker Tilly in San Francisco, said one of his focuses at the firm is theft losses due to these types of scams.
“These scammers are out of control,” Creech said. “In times of inflation or uncertainty, the promise of a quick payment of $1,200 or $2,500 may seem too good to ignore, especially if it comes with a sense of urgency. But once you click on a fraudulent link and enter your banking information, scammers have everything they need to take your money instead of sending it to you.”
Creech added that the IRS will never ask you to enter your bank account information via an unsolicited text message, email, or website to claim a payment.
Read more: Where is my refund? How to check the status of your federal tax refund.
You may have heard of these proposed relief programs. None of them have been put into effect:
-
The DOGE dividend: When President Trump hired Elon Musk to find and reduce wasteful government spending by forming the Department of Government Efficiency, there was talk of issuing $5,000 dividend checks with the savings. The estimated $2 trillion in expected savings is about $214 billion at last count. There has been no more talk about issuing dividend checks.
-
Reimbursement to American workers: U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the legislation, aimed at sending at least $600 to every adult and child in a household. He remains on the Senate Finance Committee.
-
Refund of tariff revenue: Trump has proposed refund checks of between $1,000 and $2,000 from tariff profits. However, with the Supreme Court challenging Trump’s tariffs and the government standoff, this is a long shot for now.
Read more: What happens if I can’t pay my taxes? 5 ways to manage your bill.
With no federal aid payments in sight, it’s a good idea to check with your state’s revenue or tax department.
New York State this year started a refund check program for state taxpayers “who have paid higher sales taxes due to inflation.” Residents who filed a state income tax return in 2023 were eligible and no action was required: Qualified recipients would receive the one-time checks at the end of September.
Even the New York Department of Taxation and Finance has a banner on its website warning of scams related to such relief payments.
Other states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia and New Jersey, have implemented or considered relief payments to residents in various forms.
Visit Yahoo Finance’s tax center to get everything you need to file your taxes on time.