Alabama is not issuing a new stimulus check in 2026. The last direct payment from the state was a one-time tax rebate approved in 2023, and nearly all of those checks went out by early 2024. The relief Governor Kay Ivey signed into law in April 2026 is a tax cut, not a check: a deduction for overtime income and a short suspension of the state grocery tax.1Office of the Governor of Alabama. Governor Ivey Signs Bill to Provide Tax Relief to Hardworking Alabamians
If You Never Got the 2023 Rebate
The 2023 program paid $150 to single filers and heads of family, and $300 to married couples filing jointly. To qualify, you had to have filed a 2021 Alabama individual income tax return on or before the extended deadline of October 17, 2022, and you had to have owed Alabama tax for that year. Dependents, estates, and trusts were excluded.
Payments followed the same route as your 2021 refund. Direct deposit if that’s how your 2021 refund arrived and the account was still open; a paper check to your last address on file otherwise. If a bank account closed or you moved, the payment can get stuck, and you have to contact the Department of Revenue to sort it out. You can check status through your My Alabama Taxes account or the “Where’s My Refund” tool on the Department of Revenue website.2Alabama Department of Revenue. How Can I Check on My Individual Income Tax Refund? By phone, the Individual Income Tax Refund Hotline is 1-855-894-7391, and the general individual income tax line is 334-242-1170, Option 1.3Alabama Department of Revenue. Help Center – Phone Number List
Some people got less than they expected, or nothing, because the state intercepted the rebate to cover a debt. Delinquent child support is the most common reason: once the Child Support Enforcement Division certifies a debt of at least $25, the Department of Revenue can redirect the payment to the Department of Human Resources. If this happened to you, the state should have mailed a notice naming the debt and the person it was certified against. A joint filer who doesn’t owe the debt can apply for their share, and anyone who wants to contest the offset has 30 days from the notice’s mailing date to request a hearing in writing.4Cornell Law Institute. Alabama Admin Code 660-3-6-.03 – State Offset Program For federal offsets, the Treasury Offset Program line is 1-800-304-3107.5Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Treasury Offset Program
What Alabama Is Doing Instead in 2026
House Bill 527, which Governor Ivey signed in April 2026, delivers two pieces of relief. Alabama workers can deduct up to $1,000 in qualified overtime compensation from their state income taxes for tax years 2026 through 2028. And the state’s share of the grocery tax is suspended from May 1 through June 30, 2026.1Office of the Governor of Alabama. Governor Ivey Signs Bill to Provide Tax Relief to Hardworking Alabamians
Neither arrives as a payment. The overtime deduction lowers your taxable income when you file your 2026 state return next spring, which can mean a larger refund if you regularly work overtime. The grocery tax suspension shows up at the register during those two months.
Federal Money Still on the Table
Pandemic-era federal stimulus payments ended, but two refundable credits still move real cash to Alabama households at tax time.
Child Tax Credit
For 2026, the Child Tax Credit is worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17. You get the full amount if your income is at or below $200,000 ($400,000 for joint filers). The refundable portion, the Additional Child Tax Credit, is capped at $1,700 per child and requires at least $2,500 in earned income.6Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit
Earned Income Tax Credit
The EITC is aimed at low- and moderate-income workers and gets bigger with each qualifying child. For the 2025 tax year, the most recent figures the IRS has published, the maximum credits are:
- No qualifying children: up to $649
- One child: up to $4,328
- Two children: up to $7,152
- Three or more children: up to $8,046
Income limits depend on filing status and family size. A single filer with three or more children needs adjusted gross income at or below $61,555; joint filers, $68,675.7Internal Revenue Service. Earned Income and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Tables The 2026 thresholds will be adjusted for inflation and had not been published when this was written.
Watch for Fake Stimulus Texts
Any time a rebate or tax relief program is in the news, scam messages follow. The Alabama Department of Revenue has warned residents about fraudulent texts claiming a refund has been approved and asking for personal or banking information. ALDOR does not send text messages requesting that information. Don’t click, don’t reply, delete.8Alabama Department of Revenue. Scam Alert – Beware of Text Messages About Alabama Tax Refunds The IRS gives the same guidance federally: real agencies don’t demand immediate action, threaten arrest, or ask for your bank details by text or cold call.9Internal Revenue Service. Recognize Tax Scams and Fraud If you suspect identity theft tied to your Alabama tax account, ALDOR’s Taxpayer Identity Protection Program is at 1-800-535-9410.3Alabama Department of Revenue. Help Center – Phone Number List