IRS relief payments in August 2025 depend on which program you received money from and whether you are due a second or third payment
The IRS does not run a single "relief payment" program. Instead, several different programs have sent money to taxpayers over the past few years — some tied to specific tax years, some tied to economic conditions, some tied to child dependents. If you received a payment and are wondering whether more is coming in August 2025, you need to know which program sent the money you got. The IRS website and your tax records will tell you which one.
August 2025 is not a standard payment month for any active IRS relief program. If you see a payment hit your account in August, it is either a late payment from an earlier program, a payment from a program that runs on its own schedule, or a tax refund unrelated to relief. The IRS does not announce relief payments through email or text — only through official IRS.gov pages and your tax return records.
Key Takeaways
- The IRS ran several relief programs in different years; which one applies to you depends on your tax filing status and the year the payment was sent.
- August 2025 is not a scheduled payment month for any current IRS relief program, so any August payment is likely a refund or a late payment from an earlier program.
- You can see all payments the IRS sent you by logging into your IRS account at IRS.gov or checking your tax transcripts.
- The IRS will never contact you by email or text to announce a relief payment; official notices come by mail or through your IRS account.
Which relief programs sent payments and when
The largest relief programs were the Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks) sent in 2020, 2021, and 2021 again. The first round went out in spring 2020 to people who filed 2019 tax returns. The second round went out in early 2021. The third round went out in spring 2021. If you did not receive one of these, you could claim it on your 2020 or 2021 tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit.
The Child Tax Credit expansion sent monthly payments from July 2021 through December 2021 to parents with children under 17. These were advance payments on a larger credit you could claim on your 2021 tax return. If you received these payments, you will have already filed your 2021 return and reconciled the amount.
Other programs included the Earned Income Tax Credit expansion (2021), the American Opportunity Tax Credit expansion (2021), and various state-level programs that used federal money. None of these are still sending new payments in 2025.
How to check what payments you received
The fastest way to see every payment the IRS sent you is to create or log into your account at IRS.gov. Go to "View Your Tax Account" and select "Tax Records." You will see a list of all payments posted to your account, the date they were sent, and the amount. This record is official and matches what the IRS has on file.
If you do not have an IRS account, you can request a tax transcript by mail or phone. Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 and ask for a "Tax Return Transcript" for the year you want to check. The IRS will mail it to the address on file. This takes about 5 to 10 business days. You can also order a transcript online at IRS.gov under "Get Your Tax Record."
Your bank or payment app will also show the deposit if the payment went to your account directly. Look for deposits labeled "IRS TREAS" or "US TREAS." If you received a check, the check itself will show the amount and the program it came from.
What to do if you received a payment in August 2025
If money arrived in your account in August 2025 labeled as an IRS payment, first check your IRS account to see what program it came from. If it shows as a refund, it is likely your 2024 tax refund being processed late, or a correction the IRS made to an earlier year's return. This is not a relief payment.
If the IRS account shows no record of the payment, contact the IRS before spending the money. Call 800-829-1040 and have your Social Security number and the deposit details ready. The IRS can tell you whether the payment is legitimate and what it covers. Scammers sometimes impersonate the IRS, so verify through the official IRS phone number, not a number from an email or text.
If you received a payment you did not expect and cannot find a record of it on your IRS account, do not assume it is yours to keep. The IRS may ask for it back if it was sent in error. Keep the money separate until you confirm what it is.
Why you might not have received a relief payment you expected
If you believe you were owed a relief payment and never got it, the reason usually falls into one of a few categories. You may not have filed a tax return for the year the payment was tied to — the IRS uses tax returns to identify who gets paid. You may have filed but used an address the IRS had on file from years earlier. You may have received the payment but not recognized it because it came as a check or direct deposit without a clear label.
For the Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks), you could claim any missed payment on your tax return for that year using the Recovery Rebate Credit. If you did not receive a payment in 2020 or 2021 and did not claim it on your return, you can file an amended return now. Use Form 1040-X for the year you missed the payment. The IRS will process it and send you the money, though this can take several months.
For the Child Tax Credit advance payments from 2021, if you did not receive them and did not claim them on your 2021 return, you cannot go back and claim them now. That window has closed. You can only claim the regular Child Tax Credit on your current return if you have children under 17.
Scams claiming to be IRS relief payments
Scammers regularly send fake emails, texts, and letters claiming you are owed an IRS relief payment and asking you to click a link, call a number, or provide personal information. The real IRS does not contact people by email or text about payments. The IRS sends official notices by mail to your address on file.
If you receive an unsolicited message about an IRS relief payment, do not click any links or call any phone numbers in the message. Instead, go directly to IRS.gov in your browser, log into your account, and check your payment history. If nothing shows there, the message is a scam. You can report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at tigta.gov.
Real IRS payments come to the bank account or address you provided on your tax return. You do not have to do anything to receive them — the IRS sends them automatically if you are owed one. If someone is asking you to take action to "unlock" or "claim" a payment, it is a scam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a relief payment if I did not file a tax return?
For the Economic Impact Payments (2020 and 2021), the IRS used tax returns to identify who got paid. If you did not file, you could still claim the payment on a return you file now using the Recovery Rebate Credit. For other relief programs, you generally had to have filed a return for the year in question.
What if I received a relief payment but it was the wrong amount?
Check your IRS account to see what the IRS shows you were owed. If the amount does not match, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 with your Social Security number and the payment details. The IRS can review your case and send a corrected payment if needed, though this can take several weeks.
Do I have to pay taxes on a relief payment I received?
No. Economic Impact Payments, Child Tax Credit advance payments, and other relief payments sent by the IRS are not taxable income. You do not report them on your tax return, and they do not reduce any refund you are owed.
Is there a new relief payment program starting in August 2025?
As of now, there is no new IRS relief payment program scheduled to begin in August 2025. If a new program is announced, the IRS will post details on IRS.gov and send official notices by mail. Do not rely on emails, texts, or social media for official announcements.
What should I do if I see a payment in my account but do not recognize it?
Log into your IRS account at IRS.gov and check your payment history. If it shows there, the description will tell you what program it came from. If it does not show on your IRS account, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 before spending the money. The payment may have been sent in error and the IRS may ask for it back.