There is no scheduled stimulus payment right now

As of early 2025, there is no federal stimulus payment scheduled or announced. Congress has not passed legislation authorizing a new round of direct payments to households. Stimulus payments happen only when Congress votes to fund them—they are not automatic or recurring.

The most recent stimulus payments were issued in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan Act. Before that, payments went out in 2020 and 2021 under the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Each time, Congress had to pass a specific bill, the Treasury Department had to set up the payment infrastructure, and the IRS had to process and send the money. That process took weeks to months from the date the law passed.

If Congress does pass a new stimulus bill in the future, the timeline from passage to first payments would likely be similar: the IRS would need time to program the payment system, verify may be able to access, and process the transfers. You would not receive a payment the day the bill passes.

Key Takeaways

  • No stimulus payment is currently scheduled or announced by Congress or the Treasury Department.
  • Stimulus payments only happen when Congress passes a law authorizing them, which is not a regular or predictable event.
  • If a new stimulus bill does pass, the IRS typically takes several weeks to begin sending payments after the law is signed.
  • The IRS announces payment dates and methods through its official website and press releases, not through email or text.
  • Scams claiming to offer early access to stimulus payments or asking for personal information are common and should be ignored.

How to know if a new stimulus payment is actually coming

Watch for announcements from the Treasury Department and the IRS, not from news outlets or social media. The Treasury Department's official website (treasury.gov) and the IRS website (irs.gov) are the only sources that will announce a real stimulus payment. Both agencies post press releases when Congress passes a bill and when payment dates are set.

Congress must pass a bill first. You will see this reported in mainstream news outlets covering Congress—The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, and the Associated Press all cover major legislation. If a stimulus bill passes, it will be front-page news. If you have not seen it reported by multiple major news outlets, it has not passed.

Be skeptical of emails, texts, or social media posts claiming a payment is coming. The IRS does not contact people by email or text about stimulus payments. It does not ask for personal information, bank details, or Social Security numbers to process a payment. Any message asking for those details is a scam.

What happened with previous stimulus payments

The first round of stimulus payments went out in April 2020, after Congress passed the CARES Act in March. The IRS sent $1,200 per adult and $500 per child to people who had filed a 2019 tax return or met other income requirements. Payments took about three weeks to begin after the law was signed.

The second round came in January 2021, after Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2020. Those payments were $600 per adult and $600 per child. The IRS began sending them within days of the law being signed, because the agency had already built the payment system during the first round.

The third round came in March 2021, after Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act. Those payments were $1,400 per adult and $1,400 per child. The IRS began sending them within two weeks. By this point, the payment system was already in place, so the work was mainly verifying who was may be able to access and processing the transfers.

All three rounds used the same basic method: the IRS determined who was may be able to access based on tax returns and income, the Treasury Department transferred money to the Federal Reserve, and the Federal Reserve sent payments to banks, which deposited them into people's accounts. Some people received paper checks or debit cards instead of direct deposits, which took longer to arrive.

Who would be may be able to access if a new payment is announced

may be able to access for past stimulus payments was based on income and tax filing status. Generally, single people with income under $75,000 and married couples with income under $150,000 received the full payment. People with higher income received smaller payments or nothing. The exact income limits and payment amounts would depend on whatever bill Congress passed.

The IRS used tax returns to determine may be able to access—usually the most recent return on file. If you had not filed a return but had income, you could provide information to the IRS to be included. Non-citizens with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) were included in some rounds but not others, depending on the law.

If a new stimulus payment is announced, the IRS will publish the exact may be able to access rules, income limits, and payment amounts on its website. You would not need to do anything to receive a payment if you are may be able to access—the IRS would process it automatically based on your tax return or other records it already has.

How payments were sent in the past

The IRS used three methods to send stimulus payments: direct deposit to a bank account, a paper check mailed to your address, or a debit card. Direct deposit was fastest—payments arrived within days of the IRS processing them. Paper checks took one to three weeks to arrive, depending on mail speed. Debit cards arrived by mail and took similar time.

The IRS prioritized direct deposit. If you had filed a recent tax return with bank account information, the IRS used that. If you had not provided bank details, the IRS sent a check or debit card instead. Some people could update their bank information on the IRS website to switch from a check to direct deposit, but the window to do so was limited.

If you did not receive a payment you thought you were may be able to access for, you could claim it on your tax return the following year as a Recovery Rebate Credit. This was a way to get the money if the IRS had your address wrong, if you became may be able to access after the payment window closed, or if there was an error in processing.

Scams to watch for

Scammers send emails and texts claiming a stimulus payment is waiting, asking you to click a link or call a number to "claim" it or "verify" your information. These are always fake. The IRS does not contact people this way about stimulus payments.

Other scams offer to help you get a stimulus payment faster or to receive it early, in exchange for a fee or personal information. There is no way to get a payment faster than the IRS sends it, and no legitimate service charges money to help you receive a payment you are already may be able to access for.

If you receive a suspicious message about a stimulus payment, do not click any links or call any numbers in the message. Delete it. If you want to check whether a payment is real, go directly to treasury.gov or irs.gov by typing the address into your browser yourself—do not click a link from an email or text.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I received a stimulus payment?

Check your bank account or look for a mailed check or debit card. The IRS also sent letters to people's addresses confirming the payment. If you filed a tax return, you can also check the IRS website or call the IRS to ask about past payments. Keep any letters or documentation you received.

What if I did not receive a stimulus payment I was may be able to access for?

You can claim it on your tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit. This tells the IRS you did not receive the payment, and the amount is added to your refund or reduces what you owe. You will need to know the payment amount and the year it was supposed to be sent.

Can I get a stimulus payment if I am not a U.S. citizen?

It depends on the law Congress passes. In some rounds, people with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) were included. In others, they were not. If a new payment is announced, the IRS will publish the exact rules about citizenship and immigration status on its website.

Will I have to pay taxes on a stimulus payment?

No. Stimulus payments are not taxable income. You do not report them on your tax return, and they do not reduce any deductions or credits you are may have access to to. They are a direct transfer of money from the government, not a loan or advance on future benefits.

What if a scammer took my information after I clicked a stimulus payment link?

Contact your bank when ready and tell them you may have shared account information with a scammer. Ask them to watch your account for unauthorized activity and consider changing your passwords. You can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.