Social media publications announcing that some states’ taxpayers should prepare to receive the government stimulus checks of $2,000 and above as Christmas approaches are false. This is one of those claims which has been seen before and is starting to gain traction once again even in absence of any current federal or state announcements. An investigation of the IRS website indicates that no economic stimulus payments are set for 2024 or 2025. The last time such payments were made by the government was nearly three years ago when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its worst. According to the IRS, all Economic Impact Payments have been made, and there is no possibility of checking the status of any payment through the “Get My Payment” application.
Even though there have been no federal checks issued as stimulus, some finance relief programs on state levels are still operational and helping the residents financially. For instance, residents of Colorado received TABOR refunds in 2024 of amounts varying from $177 to $1,130 depending on the income and the tax filing status. In the same vein, Michigan had extended its Working Families Tax Credit and provided an average of $550 rebate to qualifying families earlier this year. Also, in the year 2023 Minnesota gave out once and off payments to households with the average ranging up to $1,300 however there have been no similar programs announced for the year 2024.
For those who missed federal Economic Impact Payments, there remains an opportunity to claim them via the Recovery Rebate Credit, provided eligibility requirements are met. While the deadline to file a tax return for the 2020 credit has passed, taxpayers can still claim the 2021 credit until April 15, 2025. This credit is available for individuals who did not receive their full stimulus payments during the pandemic but meet the necessary qualifications.
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It is important to distinguish between the rumors of federal stimulus and the continuation of certain state level programs, as these programs tend to differ greatly in terms of who qualifies and how much they pay. To illustrate, Georgia had tax rebates of as much as $500 under House Bill 162 in the year 2023 but that program has since wound up. Equally, Maine gave Winter Energy Relief Payments of $450 per eligible individual to some residents early in 2023. While such state measures show that there exist a variety of relief measures that aid the citizens, none are in accordance with the viral message concerning a $2,000 federal holiday stimulus check.
The government inefficiency in managing the economy has resulted in a continued fallacy and distortions of facts concerning what is a foreign stimulus check. Taxpayers are encouraged to use updated information from government agencies like the IRS and state governments for their best interests. Social media offers people a platform to share information that is oftentimes not true and can distract and dissuade people from genuine aid.
To sum up, the assertion that the federal government plans to distribute stimulus checks in 2024 and 2025 is incorrect as stimulus checks will not be issued during such years. On the contrary, however, a few states still offer tax rebates or other relief payments but with limitations as to who qualifies and the amount. To benefit from any such programs where possible and not to fall victim to rumors, tax payers ought to seek information from official channels.
