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With the holidays looming and high prices hitting Americans’ wallets, many are looking for extra money and a little relief.
While some are looking in the couch cushions for change or picking up a side hustle, others are hoping for a stimulus check from the federal government. There have been many unverified posts on social media and websites promising an IRS direct deposit or other payments of $1,702, $400 or other amounts.
Unfortunately, these payments are not coming. No Internal Revenue Service or Congressional officials have confirmed the checks, which is the first step in any stimulus checks being sent out. Americans must take any news of these stimulus checks with caution as they could be misinformation or attempted fraud.
Here’s the latest verified information on stimulus checks in 2025 and updates on previous talk of checks.
Are stimulus checks being sent out?
It seems highly unlikely that a stimulus check, tariff refund or IRS direct deposit will happen in 2025.
Though some lawmakers created proposals, there has been no action on them. In order for a stimulus payment to become a reality, Congress would have to approve the proposal, which has yet to happen. With those lawmakers focused on passing government funding legislation, there is no news, updates or movement on those proposals.
What happened with DOGE dividends?
Earlier in 2025, there was talk of a DOGE dividend, which would be funded by money the department cut from other groups.
Though politicians and President Donald Trump himself talked about the idea, the stimulus checks were never formally approved by Congress. There has been no news about this proposal for months.
What happened with tariff rebate checks?
There was also talk about using the funds generated from Trump’s tariffs to send a rebate check to some taxpayers.
After Trump commented on this idea, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley proposed the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025, which would have provided a minimum of $600 per adult and dependent child, or $2,400 for a family of four, according to news officials in August. The bill was referred to a Senate committee, but there were no updates on it as of September.
What about a $2,000 stimulus to offset tariffs?
Rep. Ro Khanna suggested a $2,000 stimulus check for families making under $100,000 a year to offset rising costs, the California Democrat said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in early October.
“2K stimulus check for Americans under $100K! Unfair tariffs jacked up prices—give it back with $300+ billion tariff revenue. And undo the blanket tariffs driving up the cost of housing & groceries,” the post read.
Khanna later added that he was proposing a bill to Congress to make his idea a reality.
“Trump’s blanket tariffs are hurting American families,” he told Newsweek in an email. “I’m looking at how we can provide stimulus checks to working class Americans based on the unfair tax collected on them.”
However, there has been no official news from Congress on the proposal.
Who is getting 2025 inflation refund checks?
Several states, including New York, have sent or are sending out “inflation relief checks” to residents who paid higher sales taxes due to inflation. These are one-time payments with varying amounts based on income, with individuals earning up to $75,000 receiving $200, and married couples filing jointly earning up to $150,000 receiving $400.
Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado also offered inflation refund checks to property owners or taxpayers in the same vein, but call them “rebate checks” with differing criteria and qualifications.
