What IRS relief payments are and who might receive them
IRS relief payments in 2025 are direct payments from the Internal Revenue Service to taxpayers who meet specific conditions set by Congress or the IRS. These are not refunds of taxes you overpaid — they are separate payments made to address particular financial hardships or tax situations. The IRS does not send unsolicited relief payments; you must have a may have access to circumstance that the IRS recognizes.
Relief payments have included things like economic impact payments during national emergencies, payments to people harmed by IRS errors, and payments related to specific tax law changes. The payments available in 2025 depend on what Congress has authorized and what situations the IRS is currently addressing. There is no single "IRS relief payment" that applies to everyone.
If you have received a letter from the IRS saying you may be owed a payment, that letter will name the specific program and explain what you need to do. If you have not received a letter, you should not assume you are owed a payment straightforward because relief programs exist.
Key Takeaways
- IRS relief payments are authorized by Congress for specific situations and are not automatic — you must meet the conditions the IRS has set for each program.
- The IRS will contact you by mail if you are owed a relief payment; you do not need to search for it or call the IRS to claim it.
- Scammers impersonate the IRS to trick people into sending money or personal information, so verify any payment offer through IRS.gov or by calling the official IRS number on your tax return.
- Relief payments are separate from tax refunds and do not affect your regular tax filing or your refund amount.
- If you believe you are owed a relief payment but have not heard from the IRS, you can check your account on IRS.gov or contact the IRS directly.
How the IRS notifies you about relief payments
The IRS sends official notices by mail to your address on file. The letter will come from the IRS and will include the program name, the reason you may be owed money, and the exact steps you need to take. Real IRS letters have your name, a specific case number, and details about your tax account.
You should never trust a text message, email, or phone call claiming to be from the IRS about a relief payment. The IRS does not initiate contact by phone or email for payments you may be owed. If someone contacts you claiming to represent the IRS, hang up or delete the message and contact the IRS yourself using the number on your most recent tax return or on IRS.gov.
If you received a letter that looks official but you are unsure, you can verify it by calling the IRS at the number printed on your tax return or by logging into your account at IRS.gov. Do not use a phone number from the letter itself if you suspect it might be fraudulent.
Types of relief payments that have been issued
Economic impact payments were sent to millions of taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, 2021, and 2022. These were one-time payments authorized by Congress and were based on your income, filing status, and number of dependents. If you were owed one of these payments and did not receive it, the IRS may still owe you money, which you can claim on your tax return.
Injured spouse relief is a payment made to a spouse who filed jointly but was not responsible for a tax debt that the IRS offset from the joint refund. If your refund was reduced to pay your spouse's old tax debt, you may be owed a portion of that refund back.
Relief for IRS errors covers situations where the IRS made a mistake that caused you financial harm — for example, if the IRS incorrectly assessed a penalty or failed to process a payment you sent. These payments are determined on a case-by-case basis and require documentation of the error and the harm it caused.
Other relief programs may be authorized by Congress throughout 2025 for specific groups of taxpayers. The IRS will announce these programs on IRS.gov and will contact people who may be owed money.
How to verify a relief payment offer is real
Check the sender's address on any letter you receive. Real IRS mail comes from an IRS office and includes a specific address in the United States. Scam letters often have vague return addresses or addresses outside the country.
Look for specific details about your account. A real IRS letter will reference your Social Security number (usually the last four digits), your filing status, and details about your tax return. A scam letter will use generic language like "Dear Taxpayer" or will ask you to confirm information the IRS already has.
Never click links in emails or texts claiming to be from the IRS. Instead, go directly to IRS.gov by typing the address into your browser yourself. You can also call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 (the number on your tax return) to ask about any payment you may be owed.
If you believe you have received a scam letter or email impersonating the IRS, you can report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at tigta.treasury.gov or by calling 1-800-366-4484.
What to do if you think you are owed a relief payment
If you received an official IRS letter about a relief payment, follow the instructions in that letter exactly. The letter will tell you whether you need to take action, what documents to send, and where to send them. Do not send anything the letter does not ask for.
If you believe you are owed a relief payment but have not received a letter, log into your account at IRS.gov using your Social Security number and a password you create. Your account will show any payments the IRS has made to you and any amounts still owed to you. You can also call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to ask about a specific relief program.
If you were owed an economic impact payment from 2020, 2021, or 2022 and did not receive it, you can claim the missing amount on your current tax return. You will need to know which payments you received and which ones you did not. The IRS has a tool on IRS.gov called the "Get My Payment" tool that shows the status of economic impact payments.
Keep any letters from the IRS about relief payments. Do not throw them away, and do not send originals to anyone unless the letter specifically asks you to. If you need to send documents, make copies and keep the originals for your records.
Relief payments and your tax return
Relief payments do not reduce your tax refund or increase the amount of tax you owe. They are separate from your regular tax filing. If you receive a relief payment and then file your tax return, the payment will not be subtracted from your refund.
If you were owed an economic impact payment that you did not receive, you claim it on your tax return as a "recovery rebate credit." This is done on your tax return form, and it may increase your refund or reduce the amount of tax you owe. You will need to know the exact amount of the payment you did not receive.
Relief payments are not considered income for tax purposes, so they do not affect your income level for other programs or benefits you may be receiving. If you are unsure how a relief payment affects your specific situation, you can ask a tax professional or contact the IRS.
Common scams involving fake relief payments
Scammers send emails or texts claiming you are owed a relief payment and asking you to click a link to "claim" it. The link takes you to a fake website that looks like IRS.gov but is designed to steal your personal information. Never click links in unsolicited messages.
Other scams involve phone calls from people claiming to represent the IRS and demanding payment for a relief program or threatening arrest if you do not pay. The IRS will never call you demanding money, and relief payments are never sent in exchange for a fee.
Some scammers offer to help you "find" relief payments you may be owed in exchange for a percentage of the payment. This is a common fraud. The IRS does not work with third parties to distribute relief payments, and you do not need to pay anyone to learn about you are owed money.
If you have given personal information to someone claiming to represent the IRS, contact the IRS when ready and consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report with the three major credit bureaus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to do anything to get a relief payment if I am owed one?
If the IRS owes you a relief payment, they will send you a letter explaining what you need to do. Some relief payments are sent automatically without any action from you. Others require you to provide information or documents. Follow the instructions in the letter you receive.
Can I claim a relief payment on my tax return if I did not receive it?
Yes, if you were owed an economic impact payment in 2020, 2021, or 2022 and did not receive it, you can claim it on your tax return as a recovery rebate credit. You will need to know which payments you received and which ones you did not. The IRS website has a tool to check the status of these payments.
What should I do if I received a letter about a relief payment but I am not sure it is real?
Call the IRS at the number on your most recent tax return or go to IRS.gov and log into your account. Do not call any number listed in the letter if you suspect it is fraudulent. The IRS can tell you whether a relief payment is owed to you.
Will a relief payment affect my benefits or my tax refund?
Relief payments do not reduce your tax refund or increase the amount of tax you owe. They are separate from your regular tax filing. However, relief payments may affect your income level for certain government benefits, so check with the program that provides your benefits if you are unsure.
What if someone is asking me to pay a fee to help me get a relief payment?
Do not pay anyone to help you get a relief payment. The IRS does not work with third parties to distribute these payments, and you do not need to pay for help. If someone is charging you a fee, it is a scam. Report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at tigta.treasury.gov.