Is There A Fourth Stimulus Check In 2025? Trump Tariff Rebate?

Rumors of a fourth stimulus check in 2025 continue to swirl, but there is no official confirmation from the U.S. government.
A proposed bill, the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025 has been introduced in Congress.
The IRS warns citizens about scams related to stimulus payments that seek personal and financial information.

Rumors are once again circling around further stimulus checks coming in 2025. Is anything coming to U.S. residents this time?

Previous Citizen Times coverage addressed the multiple similar rumors that have swirled during the course of the year, from unsupported reports of $2,000 stimulus checks to Trump campaign emails suggesting the possibility of $5,000 DOGE payouts.

Unfortunately, according to reports, rumors of further stimulus checks in amounts ranging from $1,390 to $2,000 remain false. No official confirmation has been made by the U.S. Congress, the Internal Revenue Service or any other official source to support these claims.

There were three prior stimulus checks tied to COVID-era stimulus programs, the third and last of which had a deadline of April 15, 2025, to claim.

Here’s everything North Carolina residents should know about the latest round of false rumors, including the shreds of truth in the mix.

What is a rebate? Stimulus payment?

According to the Legal Information Institute, a rebate is a partial refund of a payment or a deduction from an amount that has already been paid. It can also refer to a government subsidy to assist with rent payments.

For example, the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit was given to those who didn’t claim their stimulus payments during the pandemic.

As for stimulus checks, they are funds sent to taxpayers by the federal government, typically aimed at stimulating the economy by providing people with additional spending money.

What is the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025?

Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley’s bill, called the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025, would provide a minimum of $600 per adult and dependent child, or $2,400 for a family of four, according to news officials back in August.

“Americans deserve a tax rebate after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families’ savings and livelihoods. Like President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country,” Hawley said in a press release.

The bill would allow for a larger rebate if the tariff revenue exceeds projections. See PDF of Hawley’s bill here.

Has the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025 passed?

As of Sept. 23, it has not passed through Congress.

Is there a fourth stimulus check in 2025? Trump tariff rebate?

While speculation about a fourth stimulus check has surfaced on social media and unverified websites, there has been no official confirmation from Congress or the IRS to support this claim.

The IRS has issued warnings against text scams and impersonators that may mislead you about tax refunds, credits, payments, or new stimulus check amounts by pressuring people for personal and financial information about themselves.

Other rumors of government payments have come from ideas floated by President Donald Trump on using part of government revenue generated by new tariffs to provide rebates to taxpayers in certain brackets.

In February, Trump also mentioned considering the plan to distribute $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a “DOGE dividend.” However, he has not shared any further specifics or details about the possibility of any payments since then.

Is North Carolina giving out inflation relief checks?

While several states have sent or are sending out “inflation relief checks” to residents who paid higher sales taxes due to inflation, North Carolina is not among them.

Where is my federal tax refund?

If you already filed, you can check the status of your federal tax refund on the dedicated IRS webpage. You’ll need your Social Security or individual taxpayer ID number, your filing status, and the exact refund amount on your return.

The status will appear 24 hours after you e-file a current-year return, three or four days after you e-file a prior-year return, or four weeks after you file a paper return. The site also states that refund status info is updated overnight once every 24 hours.

Here’s how to decipher the status of your federal tax return:

Return Received – The IRS received your return and is currently processing it.
Refund Approved – The IRS has approved your refund and is preparing to issue it. The issue date should be included.
Refund Sent – The IRS has sent the refund by direct deposit or by mail. Keep in mind that it could take five days for it to show up in your bank account, or several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail after the IRS sends it.

Where is my NC state tax refund?

The NCDOR webpage states that its review process typically takes three to six weeks after the electronic submittal date, or up to 12 weeks if you filed a paper return.

To check the status of your state refund, you’ll need the first social security number shown on the return and the exact amount of refund shown on your return. The NCDOR has a few more possible statuses for your rebate compared to the IRS:

Refund Issued – The NCDOR has issued your refund.

Return Received – The NCDOR has received your return.

Processing and Validating Return Information – The NCDOR is processing and validating your return.

Return Under Initial Review – The NCDOR is reviewing your return for identity verification and refund fraud protection measures.

Return Requires Enhanced Protection Measures – You may see this status if the NCDOR decides to complete further review of your return to ensure the security of your information.

Return Requires Further Examination – You may see this status if the NCDOR deems it necessary further to examine your return before approval of a refund.

Refund Approved – The NCDOR has approved your refund and is working to issue it as soon as possible.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].

Maria Francis and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY Network, contributed to this report.