California's Golden State Stimulus: What It Was, Who Got It, and What Came After
What was California's Golden State Stimulus and how much was it?
California's Golden State Stimulus was a one-time state payment program run in two rounds in 2021 and early 2022. The first round targeted lower-income filers and ITIN holders, with payments generally of $600. The second round reached households earning up to $75,000 and paid between $500 and $1,000 depending on household size and dependent status.
Is California issuing a new stimulus check in 2026?
As of late 2026, California has not authorized a new broad-based stimulus or one-time relief payment program. The Golden State Stimulus payments ended in early 2022, and the Middle Class Tax Refund that followed also concluded. Ongoing state tax credits like CalEITC remain available at tax filing time; check ftb.ca.gov for current eligibility.
I never got my Golden State Stimulus check - what should I do?
If you believe you were eligible for a Golden State Stimulus payment and never received it, contact the California Franchise Tax Board, which administered the program, at ftb.ca.gov. Payments that were issued but never cashed may also appear as unclaimed property under your name in the State Controller's Office database at sco.ca.gov, which is searchable for free.
Was the Golden State Stimulus taxable on federal taxes?
The IRS determined that California's Golden State Stimulus payments were not subject to federal income tax, treating them as disaster-relief payments. California did not count them as taxable income at the state level either. If you filed a return that included a Golden State Stimulus payment as income, you may have been able to amend that return - consult a tax professional or ftb.ca.gov for guidance.
What's the difference between the Golden State Stimulus and the Middle Class Tax Refund?
The Golden State Stimulus ran in 2021 and targeted lower- to moderate-income Californians who filed 2020 state returns, with income limits generally at or below $75,000. The Middle Class Tax Refund was a separate, later program issued in 2022 and early 2023 that extended one-time payments to households earning up to $500,000. Both programs have ended; neither is currently active.
Millions of Californians received one or two rounds of state-issued stimulus checks between 2021 and 2022, separate from federal pandemic relief. Those payments, issued under the "Golden State Stimulus" program, have since ended, but the California Franchise Tax Board still fields questions about missing checks, taxability, and what programs, if any, picked up where the stimulus left off. Here's what the program actually was and where things stand now.
Related: California's Golden State Stimulus: What It Was, Who Got It, and What Came Next · California's Golden State Stimulus: What It Was, Who Got It, and What Came After
What the Golden State Stimulus Was
California ran two distinct rounds of one-time payments funded by state budget surpluses that built up during the pandemic. The first round, Golden State Stimulus I (GSS I), was authorized in early 2021 and targeted lower-income Californians who qualified for the California Earned Income Tax Credit or had an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number and met income thresholds. Payments were $600 for most eligible filers, with an additional $600 available to ITIN filers who did not receive a federal stimulus payment.
Golden State Stimulus II (GSS II) followed later in 2021 and had a broader income range, reaching households with adjusted gross incomes up to $75,000. Payments were either $500, $600, or $1,000 depending on household composition and whether the filer had a qualifying dependent. Both rounds were administered by the Franchise Tax Board and distributed primarily by direct deposit or paper check based on 2020 tax return information.
The state later issued a third, separate round of relief called the Middle Class Tax Refund beginning in late 2022, which extended eligibility further up the income scale. That program has already been covered in a prior CALWIRE piece; it is separate from the Golden State Stimulus and should not be confused with it.
Who Qualified and Who Got Left Out
For GSS I, California residents who filed a 2020 tax return, were not claimed as a dependent by someone else, and who either received the CalEITC or filed with an ITIN were the core eligible group. Income had to fall below the CalEITC thresholds, which at the time generally meant earned income well below $30,000, depending on household size.
GSS II widened eligibility to include filers with Social Security numbers who earned up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income on their 2020 returns. Filers above that threshold, people who did not file a 2020 California return, and those claimed as dependents were excluded. The FTB used the 2020 return automatically to determine eligibility, meaning people who never filed that year had no path in, even if they otherwise would have qualified.
Non-filers were a persistent gap in the program. Unlike some federal pandemic programs, California did not create a separate non-filer portal for the Golden State Stimulus. If a person wasn't in the FTB's system via a 2020 return, they generally didn't receive a payment.
Why the Payments Ended
The Golden State Stimulus was explicitly a one-time emergency response, not a standing program. It was funded by surplus revenues and federal pandemic relief dollars that California received under the American Rescue Plan and related measures. As the state's budget picture shifted by 2023 and into 2024, California moved from significant surpluses to a substantial deficit, eliminating the fiscal conditions that made broad one-time payments practical. The program was never designed to recur on a set schedule, and the legislature did not authorize a follow-on round.
If You Think You Never Got a Payment You Were Owed
The FTB stopped issuing GSS payments in early 2022, and the window for those original payments is long closed. If you believe you were eligible and never received a check or direct deposit, the Franchise Tax Board is still the right place to start. The FTB has a "Check Your Refund Status" tool on its website and, for older payment questions, published lookup resources specific to the Golden State Stimulus during the program period. Whether any formal claims process for missed payments remains open should be confirmed directly with the FTB, as the agency's guidance on this has evolved since the program ended.
See also: California's Golden State Stimulus: What It Was, Who Got It, and Why It Ended · How California's State Disability Insurance Works: Who Qualifies, What It Pays, and How to File
Payments that were issued but never cashed became subject to California's unclaimed property process. The State Controller's Office maintains a searchable unclaimed property database at sco.ca.gov where Californians can search for checks in their name, including expired state warrants from relief programs.
What Replaced It, and What's Available Now
There is no direct successor to the Golden State Stimulus as of late 2026. The state has not authorized a new broad-based one-time relief payment program in the years since. What does remain are ongoing tax credit programs at the state level, including the California Earned Income Tax Credit and the Young Child Tax Credit, both administered by the FTB and claimable each year at tax filing time. Eligibility rules and credit amounts for those programs can shift year to year, so anyone who thinks they may qualify should check the FTB's current guidance at ftb.ca.gov.
Californians facing utility cost pressure may also be eligible for the CARE or FERA discount programs run by the state's major utilities, which are separate from tax-based relief but offer ongoing monthly bill reductions for income-qualifying households.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Details about the Golden State Stimulus program, any remaining claims processes, and current tax credit eligibility rules should be verified directly with the California Franchise Tax Board at ftb.ca.gov. For unclaimed property searches, visit the State Controller's Office at sco.ca.gov.