A misinformation campaign on the internet has left Americans excited about possible another stimulus payments.
Social media and some blogs posted misinformation stating that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department had authorized $1,390 stimulus checks to be sent to low- and middle-class taxpayers by summer’s end.
These allegations are untrue. The IRS reports that there are no new stimulus checks in 2024. Stimulus payments, or economic impact payments, are only able to be approved through a law passed by Congress and then distributed by the Treasury Department. There is no such law currently enacted.
The Origins of the Rumor
The claim does seem to be picking up steam after reports of leftover Recovery Rebate Credits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, the IRS said it will send around $2.4 billion in refunds to taxpayers who did not report the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 return. That credit was as much as $1,400 per individual and only for people who did not receive one or more of the COVID-19 stimulus payments.
But that program ended on April 15, 2024, the tax filing deadline for late 2021 tax filings. An IRS official clarified that there isn’t a new stimulus credit option and that the agency isn’t gearing up to disburse further payments this summer.
Stimulus Checks Require Congressional Action
Previous stimulus checks have only been authorized by legislation. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, three significant bills authorized direct payments to Americans: the CARES Act (2020), the COVID-related Tax Relief Act (2020), and the American Rescue Plan Act (2021). Likewise, stimulus checks were distributed in the 2008 financial crisis under the Economic Stimulus Act.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a new bill, the American Worker Rebate Act, that would give tax rebates paid for by tariffs imposed by then-President Donald Trump. The new proposal could offer at least $600 per taxpayer with extra funds for children. The bill has yet to pass the Senate or the House, though.
Unless Congress enacts new law, there won’t be a new round of stimulus checks for American taxpayers this summer. The IRS has assured that recent speculation was false and that the only recent payments linked to stimulus programs were associated with the Recovery Rebate Credit, which no longer exists.
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