The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110–185 (text) (PDF), 122 Stat. 613, enacted February 13, 2008) was an Act of Congress providing for several kinds of economic stimuli intended to boost the United States economy in 2008 and to avert a recession, or ameliorate economic conditions. The stimulus package was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 29, 2008, and in a slightly different version by the U.S. Senate on February 7, 2008. The Senate version was then approved in the House the same day. It was signed into law on February 13, 2008, by President George W. Bush with the support of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. The law provides for tax rebates to low- and middle-income U.S. taxpayers, tax incentives to stimulate business investment, and an increase in the limits imposed on mortgages eligible for purchase by government-sponsored enterprises (e.g. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). The total cost of this bill was projected at $152 billion for 2008.

Tax rebates that were created by the law were paid to individual U.S. taxpayers during 2008. Most taxpayers below the income limit received a rebate of at least $300 per person ($600 for married couples filing jointly). Eligible taxpayers received, along with their individual payment, $300 per dependent child under the age of 17. The payment was equal to the payer's net income tax liability, but could not exceed $600 (for a single person) or $1200 (married couple filing jointly). Net liability can be found in these locations:

Those with no net tax liability were still eligible to receive a rebate, provided, they met minimum qualifying income of $3,000 per year. Rebates were phased out for taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes greater than $75,000 ($150,000 for couples filing jointly) in 2007. For taxpayers with incomes greater than $75,000, rebates were reduced at a rate of 5% of the income above this limit. Individuals who were claimed as dependents by another taxpayer were not eligible for the rebates.

The $3,000 of qualifying income included earned income (e.g., wages, self-employment income, Social Security), however Supplemental Security Income did not count as qualifying income for the stimulus payment. Also, low-income workers were required to file a return to receive the payment, even if they would not be required to file for income tax purposes.

Some taxpayers who exceeded the income limits, but had qualifying children, still received a rebate. For example, a single parent whose 2007 adjusted gross income was $90,000, paid more than $600 in 2007 taxes and had two qualifying children received a rebate of $450. The IRS added together a $600 rebate for the parent and $600 for the two children to get $1,200, then subtracted the phaseout reduction of $750 ($50 for each $1,000 income above $75,000) to get $450. According to the IRS, the stimulus payment did not reduce taxpayers' 2008 refunds or increase the amount owed when filing 2008 returns.

The payment schedule was based on whether the taxpayer's 2007 tax return listed direct deposit information as well as the last two digits of the social security number of the tax return's main filer, with direct deposits being sent between May 2 and May 16, and paper checks being sent between May 16 and July 11. On April 25, 2008, President Bush announced that the rebates would start going out on April 28, 2008 and the paper checks would be sent out starting on March 28, earlier than previously announced by the IRS.

Taxpayers who used direct deposit for their refunds received the stimulus payment that same way, provided they had not:

If any of these scenarios applied, the payment was sent as a paper check through U.S. mail.