LOS ANGELES – A factual overview of stimulus and relief payments in the U.S. indicates that no new federal stimulus checks have been authorized by Congress or confirmed by the IRS for November 2025.
While President Donald Trump has proposed a $2,000 tariff dividend using tariff revenue, this remains a proposal that has not been approved.
Federal stimulus
What we know:
The last round of economic impact payments came in 2021, and any future federal payments would require new legislation from Congress.
In 2024, the IRS issued automatic payments to eligible people who did not claim the recovery rebate credit on their 2021 tax returns.
The maximum payment for this credit was $1,400 per individual.
SUGGESTED:
These payments went out automatically from December 2024 to January 2025.
The final deadline to claim the $1,400 recovery rebate credit was by filing a 2021 tax return before April 15, 2025, and this deadline has passed with no extensions available.
Tariff dividend proposal
What they’re saying:
Trump has publicly floated the idea of using tariff revenue to issue tariff dividends.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump wrote, “A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
SUGGESTED: Trump cutting tariffs on China after meeting with Xi
In the same post, he defended tariffs and pledged to begin paying down the country’s $37 trillion national debt, noting that leftover funds from dividend payments would go toward the balance.
Currently, these tariff revenue payments remain proposals. No payments have been approved.
IRS stimulus warnings
What you can do:
The IRS continues to caution taxpayers about fake stimulus payment messages designed to trick people into sharing personal information.
These messages often circulate through email, texts, and social media.
Here are official ways to verify if the IRS is reaching out:
- The IRS never makes contact first through email, texts, or social media. Scammers often use these channels with fake accounts or links.
- The IRS begins communication with an official letter or notice, which can be verified through a secure IRS online account or by contacting customer service.
- Agents may call after sending a notice, but they will not leave threatening, pre-recorded messages or demand payment.
- The IRS has ended most unannounced visits by revenue officers to improve safety for taxpayers and employees.
The IRS encourages reporting suspicious IRS, Treasury and tax-related emails, texts, social media accounts, phone calls and letters to help shut down scams and phishing attacks that trick people into sharing personal information online.
For more information, visit irs.gov.
The Source: This fact-check is built on official government status regarding past payment deadlines and current legislative requirements. The analysis of federal stimulus status and taxpayer warnings is based on information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), while the $2,000 tariff dividend proposal is sourced directly from a quote published in a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump. FOX 5 DC contributed.
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