If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you’ve probably seen the headlines. "New NC stimulus check 2025 coming!" or "Check your mail for $1,390 from the state!" It sounds great. Honestly, who wouldn't want an extra thousand bucks in their bank account right now?
But here’s the thing. There is no official "stimulus check" program for North Carolina in 2025.
Wait. Don't close the tab yet.
While the "stimulus" name is mostly being used by people looking for clicks, there is actually a lot of movement in Raleigh regarding your money. Between a massive delay in tax refunds, a proposed new child tax credit, and a weird quirk with old pandemic funds, thousands of North Carolinians are actually due for a check. It’s just not technically a stimulus.
The Great Refund Bottleneck of 2025
If you filed your state taxes and are still staring at an empty mailbox, you aren't alone. In May 2025, the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) dropped a bit of a bombshell. Their third-party printing vendor—the folks actually responsible for stuffing checks into envelopes—suddenly shut down.
This created a massive backlog.
Basically, if you didn't opt for direct deposit, your money has been stuck in a digital limbo. The NCDOR has been scrambling to onboard a new vendor, but for months, paper checks were just... not moving. Most of these "stimulus" rumors started because people finally began receiving these delayed 2024 tax refunds in early 2025 and thought it was a new government handout.
Governor Stein vs. The Senate: Two Very Different Wallets
Politics in North Carolina is kinda messy right now when it comes to the 2025-2027 biennium budget. You've got two different plans on the table, and both of them could affect your wallet, just in different ways.
The Governor’s "Family" Plan
Governor Josh Stein released his budget proposal in March 2025. He isn't pushing for a one-time stimulus check. Instead, he wants a permanent Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
This would basically act like a recurring stimulus for parents. If you're paying through the nose for daycare in Charlotte or Raleigh—which, let's face it, everyone is—this credit would offset those costs. He’s also pushing for "free community college" and teacher raises. To pay for it, he wants to freeze the current tax rates instead of letting them drop further.
✨ Don't miss: Mercury credit card app: What most people get wrong about the IO card
The Senate’s "Tax Cut" Strategy
On the other side, Senate Republicans have a different idea. They aren't into the "one-time check" vibe either. Senate leader Phil Berger mentioned back in 2024 that giving $500 to every household would cost billions.
Instead, they are doubling down on income tax cuts.
The current plan is to keep dropping the state income tax rate. It’s sitting at 4.25% now and is scheduled to hit 3.99% in 2026. The Senate wants to eliminate the "triggers" that were supposed to slow these cuts down. Their logic? You don't need a stimulus check if the government just takes less of your paycheck every month.
The "Extra Credit" Ghost
You might remember the $335 "Extra Credit Grants" from a few years back. Those were the real deal—actual checks sent to parents. Every now and then, a rumor pops up that a new round is coming in 2025.
Currently, there is no new legislation for an Extra Credit Grant.
However, there is a tiny silver lining. The IRS recently noted that about a million people nationwide never claimed their 2021 Recovery Rebate Credits (the $1,400 federal stimulus). The deadline to file an amended return for that was April 15, 2025. If you missed that, that ship has mostly sailed, but it’s a big reason why people are still talking about stimulus checks this late in the game.
📖 Related: Park National Bank Stock Price: Why This Quiet Performer Still Matters
What About the "Tariff Dividend" or "DOGE" Checks?
You've probably heard the national buzz about $2,000 "tariff checks" or $5,000 "DOGE" (Department of Government Efficiency) payments.
Let's be real: these are mostly political concepts right now.
Sen. Josh Hawley introduced the "American Worker Rebate Act" in 2025, which suggested $600 rebates funded by tariffs. But as of now, it hasn't passed Congress. It’s a "maybe for 2026" situation at best. As for the DOGE checks, economists are skeptical. Saving $130 billion is great, but that only works out to about $800 per taxpayer—not $5,000—and it would still need a vote from Congress that hasn't happened.
So, is an NC stimulus check 2025 actually happening?
The short answer? No.
The long answer? You might still have money coming.
North Carolina is sitting on a surplus, but the state is choosing to spend it on Hurricane Helene recovery and long-term tax cuts rather than direct checks. If you get a check in the mail this month, it is almost certainly one of these three things:
- A delayed 2024 tax refund (finally catching up after the vendor crash).
- Unclaimed Property. Seriously, check NCCash.gov. The state is holding millions in "forgotten" money from old utility deposits or uncashed checks.
- Local Relief. Some cities are running their own "Guaranteed Income" pilots, but these are very small and specific.
Your Next Moves
Don't just wait for a check that might not exist. If you need financial breathing room in North Carolina this year, do this instead:
- Switch to Direct Deposit: If you're still waiting on a state refund, call the NCDOR at 1-877-252-4983. If they haven't printed your check yet, you might be able to update your info and get it faster.
- Search NCCash.gov: It takes two minutes. Type in your name and see if the state owes you money from years ago. You’d be surprised how often people find $50 or $100 they forgot about.
- Adjust Your Withholding: Since the NC income tax rate is dropping, you might be overpaying. Talk to your employer about updating your NC-4 form so you get more money in each paycheck rather than waiting for a refund in 2026.
- Watch the Budget Votes: The fight between Governor Stein and the Senate will wrap up later this summer. If the Child Tax Credit makes it into the final bill, you'll want to be ready to claim it on next year's taxes.
There's plenty of "free money" noise out there, but in NC for 2025, it’s all about the fine print. Stay sharp.