Which eligibility criteria would apply if a December 2025 federal stimulus check is issued?

1. No December 2025 federal check has been authorized — that’s the baseline

Multiple news outlets and an IRS overview report that no new, Congress‑approved federal stimulus checks have been confirmed for late 2025; the IRS and Treasury have not announced an automatic December payment ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Coverage of proposed “tariff dividend” or $2,000 rebates notes those remain proposals, not law, meaning any concrete eligibility rules would depend on new legislation ^{[1] [5]}.

2. If Congress enacts a payment, past EIP/Recovery Rebate rules are the likeliest template

When the federal government previously issued Economic Impact Payments (EIPs), eligibility was tied to tax-filing status, valid Social Security numbers, income thresholds and dependent status — for example, the American Rescue Plan’s third round tied $1,400 per person (and $1,400 per dependent) to taxpayers earning under $75,000 (single) or $150,000 (joint) ^{[3] [4]}. The IRS’s historical guidance shows missing payments were handled through tax-year Recovery Rebate Credits for 2020 and 2021, a mechanism lawmakers could reuse if they design a new rebate ^[4].

3. Practical criteria that would likely matter: income, filing status, SSN, and dependents

Reporting on prior rounds emphasizes the same concrete elements that determined receipt: adjusted gross income caps for phaseouts, filing status (single, married filing jointly), valid Social Security numbers for recipients and dependents, and whether someone was claimed as a dependent on another return — these defined who got past federal checks and would be central to any new law ^{[3] [4] [6]}.

4. Deadlines and “claims” matter — look at the 2021 precedent

The last federal round included time‑limited opportunities to claim unreceived amounts via tax returns (notably a final April 15, 2025 deadline to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit for many taxpayers). That precedent means any new federal payment would likely create filing windows and instructions for people who normally do not file returns, and late-claim mechanisms would be bounded by statute or IRS guidance ^{[7] [4]}.

5. Political proposals exist, but they change eligibility details dramatically

Several proposals in 2025 — including a presidentially promoted “tariff dividend” and Sen. Josh Hawley’s American Worker Rebate Act — were reported but not enacted; those bills would set very different caps and amounts (e.g., Hawley’s bill described payments of $600 per person or $2,400 for a family of four), underscoring that eligibility depends entirely on the final legislative text ^{[5] [8]}. News outlets caution that talk of $600–$2,400 or $2,000 checks are political promises until Congress passes a law ^{[8] [5]}.

6. State or local “rebates” are separate and may follow different rules

Even while no federal payment is authorized, several states continue to run rebates or relief payments with their own eligibility rules; those state programs have different income thresholds and filing requirements and should not be conflated with a federal stimulus check ^{[3] [9]}. If you’re tracking a payment, check state announcements separately from IRS or congressional action ^[3].

7. What journalists and consumers should watch next

The definitive signal would be (a) a bill passed by both houses of Congress authorizing payments and (b) IRS implementation guidance specifying income limits, SSN requirements and mechanisms for non‑filers. Until then, fact checks from local outlets and federal pages repeatedly state there is no approved December 2025 federal check — treat announcements that don’t cite new legislation or IRS confirmation as premature ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

Limitations: available sources do not mention the exact eligibility language Congress would use for any hypothetical December 2025 payment; they only describe past EIP rules and reported proposals ^{[3] [4] [5]}.