Trump Account: How to Claim Your Child’s Account and the $1,000 Seed

Updated 10/24/2026

Quick answer: Treasury opened Trump Accounts automatically for eligible children starting 10/1/2026, but the account does nothing until a parent claims it in the Trump Accounts app. If your child was born between 1/1/2025 and 12/31/2028, is a U.S. citizen and has a Social Security number, you must also file Form 4547 and elect the $1,000 federal contribution. It does not arrive on its own.

What a Trump Account is

A Trump Account is a new type of IRA (individual retirement account) for children under 18, created by the 2025 tax law. Money goes in after tax, grows without yearly tax, and is taxed as ordinary income when it comes out. Think of it as a long-term investment account in your child’s name that family, employers and charities can add to.

Who gets the $1,000

The child is a U.S. citizen
The child has a valid Social Security number
The child was born 1/1/2025 through 12/31/2028
The child meets the IRS qualifying-child rules

Children born before 2025 can still have a Trump Account. They just do not get the $1,000 seed.

How to claim it, step by step

Download the Trump Accounts app or go to trumpaccounts.gov.
Claim your child’s account. An account that Treasury opened automatically must still be claimed before you can manage it.
For a child born 2025 to 2028, submit Form 4547 and select the $1,000 pilot program contribution. You can file it in the app, on the Trump Accounts website, or in your IRS Individual Account.
Have ready: your own identifying information, and your child’s legal name, Social Security number and date of birth. They must match Social Security records, or the request can be delayed.

How much you can add

Parents, relatives, friends and employers share one limit: $5,000 per child per year. Employers can put in up to $2,500 per year inside that limit, and that employer money is not counted as the employee’s income when it goes through a formal program. Government and charity deposits, including the $1,000 seed, do not count toward the $5,000.

What it can grow into

An illustration, not a promise: $1,000 at birth plus $100 a month, earning 7% a year, comes to roughly $45,000 at age 18. About $22,600 of that is money put in; the rest is growth. Markets fall as well as rise, so real results will differ. Try your own numbers in the Family Money Autopilot.

Kids born before 2025

They can still have an account, and family can still add up to $5,000 a year. Some children born 2016 to 2024 may receive a one-time $250 from the Dell pledge if they have a Social Security number and live in a ZIP code where the median family income is $150,000 or less. Philanthropic deposits like this go into eligible accounts automatically.

Put it on autopilot

Link a bank account in the app and set a monthly deposit, even a small one.
Ask HR whether your employer contributes. More than 70 companies have committed to Trump Account contributions for employees.
Ask relatives to give to the account for birthdays.

Common mistakes

Assuming “opened automatically” means the $1,000 is coming. You must elect it on Form 4547.
A name or Social Security number that does not match Social Security records.
Waiting too long: the election to open an account must be made before January 1 of the year your child turns 18.

FAQ

Is the $1,000 paid to parents?

No. It goes into the child’s Trump Account.

Do I pay tax on what I put in?

Contributions are made with after-tax dollars and are not deductible. Growth is tax-deferred, and withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income.

Can a grandparent open the account?

Yes. An authorized individual can open one: a legal guardian, parent, adult sibling or grandparent.

How many Trump Accounts can one child have?

One.

Sources

This is education, not tax, legal or financial advice. Check your plan documents or a tax professional for your situation.