Anthony Burke, a spokesman for the IRS, had to talk about these claims because his office is getting more and more questions about them. When asked about the claims, Burke flatly denied them, saying that there are no plans for a fourth round of stimulus checks from the Treasury Department.
The source of these fake reports is still unknown, which is adding to the public’s confusion. It’s important to stress that the federal government has already sent out three rounds of official stimulus checks, which are called “Economic Impact Payments.” These payouts were made between March 2020 and March 2021. They helped the economy recover from the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak by providing much-needed cash. According to a study from a government oversight group, these payments had an estimated 476 million transactions worth a staggering $814 billion.
The IRS also established the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit to assist those who had a baby or adopted a child in 2021.
Even though it’s still not clear what started these false stories, people should know that any claims of a fourth round of stimulus checks are not true. In August, CBS News stated that people in Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, and New Mexico, among other states, might get checks from their state governments by the end of the year. However, this was said to be because of state budget concerns rather than the start of a new government recovery program.
To sum up, the IRS makes it clear that people in California and, by extension, other states shouldn’t expect a fourth round of stimulus checks from the government. This is a strong warning to stay alert to false information spreading on social media and to only trust official sources for correct and confirmed information.