Stimulus Checks in New York: Eligibility, Amounts, and Timing

New York sent one-time inflation refund checks of $150 to $400 to about 8.2 million residents beginning September 26, 2025, with mailings continuing through November. These New York stimulus checks went out automatically to people who filed a 2023 New York resident income tax return; there was no application. The amount depended on 2023 income and filing status, and payments arrived by mail only.¹

Who Qualified

Three conditions had to be met. You had to have filed Form IT-201, the New York State Resident Income Tax Return, for the 2023 tax year. You had to have been a full-year New York resident in 2023. And you could not have been claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.²³ There were no age restrictions.¹

Part-year residents and nonresidents who filed Form IT-203 instead of IT-201 did not qualify.³ Income over the upper threshold for your filing status also disqualified you.

How Much the Check Was

Amounts were tied to your 2023 New York adjusted gross income and filing status.²

Married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse: $400 for income up to $150,000, or $300 for income between $150,001 and $300,000.
Single filer: $200 for income up to $75,000, or $150 for income between $75,001 and $150,000.
Head of household: $200 for income up to $75,000, or $150 for income between $75,001 and $150,000.
Married filing separately: $200 for income up to $75,000, or $150 for income between $75,001 and $150,000.

Anyone earning above the top figure for their filing status received nothing.

When Checks Arrived

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the first mailings on September 26, 2025, and deliveries continued through October and November.¹ Checks were sent by mail only, not by direct deposit.⁴ Mailings did not follow a geographic order, so neighbors could receive their checks weeks apart.⁵

By November 25, 2025, the state reported that the main phase of mailing was complete, with 8.21 million checks processed and roughly $2.035 billion sent. Additional checks were expected in smaller batches as the Department of Taxation and Finance identified newly eligible taxpayers.⁶

If You Didn’t Get Your Check

If you moved after filing your 2023 return, update your address with the Department of Taxation and Finance through an online services account. Setting one up requires your Social Security number and details from your most recent tax return.⁴

For a check that was lost, stolen, or destroyed, the department advises calling the Personal Income Tax Information Center at 518-457-5181 with a copy of your most recent tax return available. If you received a check but never cashed it, you may receive forms DTF-32 and DTF-36 from the department, which can be returned by mail or uploaded through a QR-code mobile process.⁷

Is the Check Taxable?

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance confirmed the inflation refund is not taxable for state purposes. The federal picture is less clear. As of early 2026, the IRS had not issued definitive guidance on whether the payments count as federal taxable income. An IRS spokesperson pointed to Notice 2023-56, a rule addressing similar state payments from 2022 and early 2023 that were generally included in federal gross income, while acknowledging complications specific to sales tax rebates. As a precaution, New York issued digital 1099-G forms so recipients can report the payment on a federal return if needed.⁸

Watch for Scams

Within days of the first mailings, Governor Hochul warned about scammers targeting residents by text, email, and phone. The fraudulent messages told recipients they had to submit “accurate payment information” to have the refund deposited into a bank account, and some impersonated a fictitious “Department of Revenue.”⁹¹⁰

No legitimate agency will call, text, or email you to ask for personal information tied to the refund. The check arrives by mail. If you receive a suspicious message, block the sender, delete it, and report it to the Tax Department or the IRS. The state Division of Consumer Protection helpline is 1-800-697-1220.¹¹¹⁰

1
Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Governor Hochul Announces Inflation Refund Checks Are Now Being Sent to 8.2 Million New Yorkers
2
NYC 311. NYC Inflation Refund Check Information
3
TaxSlayer. New York Inflation Refund Checks
4
Yahoo News. New Yorkers Can Update Address Online for Inflation Refund Check
5
LocalSYR. New York State Inflation Refund Checks Are Beginning to Be Mailed Out
6
Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Governor Hochul Announces More Than 8 Million Inflation Refund Checks Have Been Mailed Out
7
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Replacement Checks
8
News10. NY Inflation Checks and IRS Taxes
9
Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Governor Hochul Warns Against Scams Targeting New York’s Inflation Refund Initiative
10
Lohud. NY Inflation Refund Check Scam Warning
11
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Consumer Alerts