--- title: IRS Tells Millions of Taxpayers Not to File Their Taxes Yet description: Are state stimulus checks and rebates taxable? While the IRS figures out answers, taxpayers in many states should wait to file returns. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 497 covers: - Taxes - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ editors: - name: Brad Tuttle role: Senior Editor url: https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/ bio: Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals. education: Columbia University School of Journalism, MS at_money_since: 2014 articles: 366 covers: - Taxes - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Technology social: - https://twitter.com/bradrtuttle - https://linkedin.com/in/brad-tuttle-834b225 former_staff: true published: '2023-02-08T17:50:30.000Z' modified: '2024-05-08T06:00:56.000Z' section: Taxes tags: - News - Taxes word_count: 404 canonical: https://money.com/irs-wait-file-taxes-stimulus-checks/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Internal Revenue Service federal building Washington DC USA](https://img.money.com/2023/02/News-IRS-These-States-Delay-Filling-Taxes.jpg) So much for [filing your taxes early](https://money.com/reasons-to-file-taxes-early/) this year. The IRS is scrambling to figure out if [state-issued stimulus checks](https://money.com/state-stimulus-checks-tax-rebates/) and rebates sent out in 2022 are taxable at the federal level. In the meantime, the IRS told those who received such payments to hold off on filling their tax returns until the agency releases clarification. ## Why it matters Last year millions of taxpayers across the country received relief payments from their state, which are similar to the federal stimulus checks that went out earlier in the pandemic. Those payments could end up being taxed at the federal level. - Many states framed the payments as aid from rapidly [rising prices due to inflation](https://money.com/fed-interest-rate-hike-february-2023/), while others considered the payments pandemic relief. The IRS may consider the purpose of the payments to determine whether to tax them federally. - California is one notable example. The state issued $9 billion worth of relief payments through its Middle Class Tax Refund program to more than 16 million residents. California officials said the payments are not taxable at the state level, but it’s unclear yet whether the IRS will consider the payments federally taxable. - “There are a variety of state programs that distributed these payments in 2022 and the rules surrounding them are complex,” the IRS said in a recent [statement](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-statement-taxability-of-state-payments). Money identified at least 19 states that issued refunds or rebates last year. Taxpayers in the following states may want to wait for an update from the IRS before filing: 1. [California](https://www.ftb.ca.gov/about-ftb/newsroom/middle-class-tax-refund/index.html?WT.mc_id=akBFF) 2. [Colorado](https://tax.colorado.gov/PTC-rebate) 3. [Delaware](https://finance.delaware.gov/2022-delaware-relief-rebate-program/) 4. [Florida](https://www.myflfamilies.com/newsroom/pressreleases/2022/20220718-In%20Case%20You%20Missed%20It%20First%20Lady%20Casey%20DeSantis%20Makes%20Major%20Announcements%20to%20Support%20Hope%20Florida.shtml) 5. Georgia 6. [Hawaii](https://tax.hawaii.gov/act-115-ref/) 7. [Idaho](https://tax.idaho.gov/taxes/tax-pros/tax-update/2022-tax-rebates/) 8. [Illinois](https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.25129.html) 9. [Indiana](https://www.in.gov/dor/individual-income-taxes/automatic-taxpayer-refund/) 10. [Maine](https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/relief-checks) 11. [Massachusetts](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/chapter-62f-taxpayer-refunds) 12. [Minnesota](https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/employment-practices/about-frontline-worker-pay) 13. [New Jersey](https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/individuals/mctr.shtml) 14. [New Mexico](https://www.tax.newmexico.gov/rebates-and-economic-relief-payments/#:~:text=How%20do%20I%20get%20the,refunds%20or%20made%20their%20payments.) 15. [Oregon](https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/individuals/Pages/OTAP.aspx) 16. [Pennsylvania](https://www.revenue.pa.gov/IncentivesCreditsPrograms/PropertyTaxRentRebateProgram/Pages/Bonus-Rebates.aspx) 17. [Rhode Island](https://governor.ri.gov/press-releases/governor-mckee-announces-new-rhode-island-child-tax-rebate) 18. [South Carolina](https://dor.sc.gov/rebate-2022) 19. [Virginia](https://www.tax.virginia.gov/rebate) ## What the experts say For those who want their [tax refund](https://money.com/wheres-my-refund/) as early as possible, experts generally recommend that they [file their taxes](https://money.com/how-to-file-taxes-for-free/) early. However, this wrinkle with state-level relief payments temporarily upends that common piece of advice. The IRS says it will have an update for taxpayers who received state-level relief payments as early as this week. Until then, sit tight. “For taxpayers and tax preparers with questions, the best course of action is to wait for additional clarification on state payments rather than calling the IRS,” the agency said. “We also do not recommend amending a previously filed 2022 return.” [Here's How Biden's Billionaire Tax Would Work](https://money.com/biden-billionaire-tax/) [10 Best Tax Software](https://money.com/best-tax-prep-software/) [The Fair Tax Act Aims to Abolish the IRS and Set a National Sales Tax. Here's How It Would Work](https://money.com/fair-tax-act-national-sales-tax/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/irs-wait-file-taxes-stimulus-checks/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Taxes", "item": "https://money.com/taxes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "IRS", "item": "https://money.com/irs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "IRS Tells Millions of Taxpayers Not to File Their Taxes Yet" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/irs-wait-file-taxes-stimulus-checks/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/irs-wait-file-taxes-stimulus-checks/", "name": "IRS Tells Millions of Taxpayers Not to File Their Taxes Yet", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2023-02-08T17:50:30.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/irs-wait-file-taxes-stimulus-checks/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/irs-wait-file-taxes-stimulus-checks/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-05-08T06:00:56.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "IRS Tells Millions of Taxpayers Not to File Their Taxes Yet", "articleSection": "Taxes", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2023/02/News-IRS-These-States-Delay-Filling-Taxes.jpg", "width": 2880, "height": 1920, "caption": "News-IRS-These-States-Delay-Filling-Taxes" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Hardy", "url": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/#author", "description": "Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers.", "image": "https://img.money.com/2022/01/a_adam-hardy.jpg?quality=85&w=400&h=440&crop=1", "email": "adam.hardy@money.com", "jobTitle": "Lead Data Reporter", "alumniOf": "University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism", "subjectOf": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/", "name": "The Penny Hoarder" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.forbes.com/advisor/", "name": "Forbes Advisor" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://creativeloafing.com/", "name": "Creative Loafing" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/opinion/biden-trump-harris-2024.html", "name": "The New York Times" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/26/flexible-spending-account-is-flawed-benefit/", "name": "The Washington Post" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-09-20/-100-000-h-1b-visa-fee-is-a-gamble-that-could-protect-us-jobs", "name": "Bloomberg" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/08/whoop-and-the-irs-how-tax-avoidance-helps-health/", "name": "Harvard Law School" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b#footnote-33-p60883", "name": "The Federal Register" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nclc.org/resources/what-states-can-do-to-stop-credit-reporting-abuses/", "name": "National Consumer Law Center" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/open-enrollment-irs-changes-fsa-hsa-flexible-spending-account-health-savings-account-2023/", "name": "CBS News" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/rankings-and-ratings/20-top-us-hospitals-for-2025-per-money/", "name": "Becker's Hospital Review" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/using-chatgpt-ai-write-cover-letters-job-applications-2023-2", "name": "Business Insider" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/a-major-strike-of-beef-workers-pauses-in-colorado-but-workers-say-the-fight-isnt-over/", "name": "Mother Jones" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://theweek.com/business/economy/job-market-frozen-thawing", "name": "The Week" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://fortune.com/2023/12/20/workers-lose-money-on-unused-fsa-accounts-deadlines-what-companies-should-do/", "name": "Fortune" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/liberation-day-tariffs-economy-stock-market-trump-20250401.html", "name": "The Philadelphia Inquirer" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/37955/Student_Loan_Changes_2026_New_Repayment_Options_Taxable_Forgiveness_and_More_on_the_Way", "name": "National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://eab.com/resources/blog/adult-education-blog/graduate-funding-shift-pricing-aid-strategies-aligned/", "name": "Education Advisory Board (EAB)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://ticas.org/california/state-private-loans-protections-blog/", "name": "The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://thismorningwithgordondeal.com/b/This-Morning-with-Gordon-Deal-August-04,-2026/421564107823081285.html", "name": "This Morning with Gordon Deal" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.empower.com/the-currency/life/pumpkin-spice-season-spending", "name": "Empower" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Economics/comments/1va10oa/comment/p0i9bju/", "name": "Reddit" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/" ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2023-02-08T17:50:30.000Z", "description": "Are state stimulus checks and rebates taxable? While the IRS figures out answers, taxpayers in many states should wait to file returns.", "abstract": "Are state stimulus checks and rebates taxable? While the IRS figures out answers, taxpayers in many states should wait to file returns.", "@id": "https://money.com/irs-wait-file-taxes-stimulus-checks/", "inLanguage": "en-US", "dateModified": "2024-05-08T06:00:56.000Z", "editor": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brad Tuttle", "url": "https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/#author", "description": "Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals.\r\n\r\n", "image": "https://img.money.com/2014/01/Brad-Tuttle.png?w=226&h=247&crop=1", "alumniOf": "Columbia University School of Journalism, MS", "sameAs": [ "https://twitter.com/bradrtuttle", "https://linkedin.com/in/brad-tuttle-834b225" ] } ], "wordCount": 404, "keywords": [ "News", "Taxes" ], "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tax", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Internal Revenue Service", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Revenue_Service" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tax return", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_return" ] } ] } ] } ```