5 days ago
Are we getting stimulus checks in June? Update on 2025 Trump stimulus
Stimulus checks have been a huge topic for discussion for Americans over the last few months.
The opportunities to claim or file for the first stimulus payment (issued in March and April 2020) or the second stimulus check (issued by Jan. 15, 2021) or the third stimulus check (issued between March and December 2021) have now passed.
The deadline to file for the third and last stimulus check was April 15, 2025; it marked a three-year deadline to claim any tax refunds or in this case, the $1,400 Recovery Rebate Credit for 2021.
Even if you received a tax extension, you still needed to file your 2021 tax return by the April 15, 2025 deadline to claim that third stimulus check. There are no extensions or appeals available for missed deadlines, and any unclaimed stimulus payments become the property of the U.S. Treasury.
While speculation about a fourth stimulus check of $2,000 has surfaced on social media and unverified websites, there has been no official confirmation from Congress or the IRS to support this claim and any such news should be taken with caution as it could be misinformation or attempted fraud.
For months, there was a lot of talk about another round of stimulus checks sourced from funds billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency had freed up through workforce reduction and other cost-saving measures.
However, Musk announced last month he's leaving DOGE and will focus on his businesses.
The Department of Government Efficiency website cites an estimated $175 billion — approximately $1,087 per individual federal taxpayer — in savings through their cuts and reductions in government spending and proof in their "Wall of Receipts." However, only $70 billion is itemized thus far, raising doubts about accuracy.
Investopedia defines a dividend as "the percentage of a company's earnings that is paid to its shareholders as their share of the profits." They add that dividends are generally paid quarterly, with the amount decided by the board of directors based on the company's most recent earnings.
As for stimulus checks, they are money sent to taxpayers by the federal government, usually in an attempt to stimulate the economy by providing people with some spending money.
The DOGE stimulus checks, or sometimes referred to as "DOGE Dividends," would give taxpayers up to $5,000 back, which would come from the claimed savings that the Department of Government Efficiency accrues on the path to its savings goal of $2 trillion, President Donald Trump said in February.
According to USA TODAY, James Fishback, CEO of the investment firm, Azoria, first pitched the "DOGE dividend" concept back in February, saying on X that it would be "a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE."
In response to Fishback's idea, which he developed a proposal for, Musk said, "Will check with the President."
According to Fishback's proposal, the tax refund checks would be sent out after the expiration of DOGE in July 2026.
"American taxpayers deserve a 'DOGE Dividend': 20% of the money that DOGE saves should be sent back to hard-working Americans as a tax refund check. It was their money in the first place," Fishback said in a separate X post. "At $2 trillion in DOGE savings and 78 million tax-paying households, this is a $5,000 refund per household, with the remaining used to pay down the national debt."
In February, Trump said he would consider the plan to pay out $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a 'DOGE dividend' during a summit in Miami. He explained it as using part of the 20% of the savings identified by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and giving it back to taxpayers
As of June 2025, there has been no actual indication that DOGE will be issuing a stimulus check to taxpayers; nor have any stimulus checks from DOGE savings been formally approved by Congress.
While stimulus checks might not happen anytime soon, some Floridians can still expect to see their tax return this month.
If you filed your federal taxes electronically and included your banking information, then you may expect a direct deposit within 21 days. If you did not include banking information, then you may expect a paper check refund via the mail within 6-8 weeks.
Submitting your return is not the same as the IRS accepting your return. Once it is accepted, you will know it has if you see a "Refund Sent" alert when you check your tax return status online, at which point you won't have to wait too long for the funds to show up in your account.
Once the IRS approves your refund, it could hit your bank account within days via the direct deposit option.
The IRS has an online tool called "Where's My Refund" that allows you to check on the status of your refund. Click here.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Stimulus checks 2025: Will Floridians see a check coming in June?
