Account Basics

What is this account?

A Trump account is a tax-advantaged investment account created by federal law for children under 18. It was established under Section 530A of the Internal Revenue Code as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025. The account is legally classified as a type of traditional IRA with special rules that apply during childhood. An IRA is a tax-advantaged retirement account. The Trump account uses the same legal structure but with special rules that apply while your child is young.

Who can open one

Any child under 18 who is a U.S. citizen with a valid Social Security number is eligible to have a Trump account opened on their behalf. The account must be opened before the close of the calendar year in which the child turns 18. A parent, legal guardian, grandparent, or adult sibling can open the account on the child's behalf.

Your child must have a Social Security number before the account can be opened. If your child does not yet have one, see the FAQ for how to apply.

Who receives the $1,000 federal seed

The $1,000 federal contribution is available only for U.S. citizens born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028. It is a one-time payment made by the Treasury directly into the child's account. It does not count toward the $5,000 annual contribution limit. It is not automatic — a separate election must be made on the data submission form at the same time the account is opened. Both elections must be completed on the same form or the account opens without the seed money.

Children born before 2025 or after 2028 are not eligible for the federal seed but can still open a Trump account, and may potentially qualify for the $250 Dell Foundation Contribution.

How the account is opened

Opening a Trump account requires one form: IRS Form 4547. You can file it in one of three ways: on paper, online through the official White House website or IRS website, or through the Trump Accounts app on your phone. The form handles two things at once — opening the account and electing the seed contribution if your child qualifies. Both elections must be completed together or the account opens without the seed.

Once you submit the form, the Treasury processes your election and creates the account at a financial institution it has selected. You do not choose the institution at this stage. After your form is processed, you will receive an activation email from no-reply@trumpaccounts.treasury.gov. This is the only legitimate way the Treasury will contact you about your account — they will never reach out by mail, phone, or text message. The email will direct you to complete the account activation through the Trump Accounts app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. During activation you will verify your identity and your child's identity by providing dates of birth and Social Security numbers for both. Activation emails are being sent in phases between May 28 and July 4, 2026. If you have not received yours yet, check your spam folder and keep watching. The $1,000 seed deposit arrives after the account is confirmed open. Accounts activate no earlier than July 4, 2026.

Moving the account to a different bank or brokerage

The Treasury chooses the initial financial institution. If you later want to move the account to a different institution you can do that at any point while your child is still under 18. The process is called a rollover Trump account. Essentially, the money moves directly from the current institution to the new one, but you never touch the money, no taxes are triggered, and no penalties apply. The entire balance must be moved at once, you cannot move just part of it. Once the transfer is complete, the original account closes automatically.

You do not need to decide this now. Open the account first, understand what you have, and revisit this option later if you want to move it somewhere you are more familiar with.

Open the account now

Enrollment is open. You have three options for enrollment: through the official White House website, through the IRS website, or through the Trump Accounts app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. All three file IRS Form 4547 on your behalf. The form takes about ten minutes to complete.

Here is what you need to complete it:

• Your child's Social Security number. This is required and the account cannot be opened without it. If your child does not yet have one, see the FAQ for how to apply.
• Your own Social Security number.
• Your spouse's Social Security number, if you file taxes jointly.

The form handles two things at once — opening the account and electing the seed contribution your child qualifies for. Both must be completed on the same form at the same time. Do not skip the seed election or the account opens without it.

After you submit, watch for an activation email from no-reply@trumpaccounts.treasury.gov. That email will walk you through completing account setup through the Trump Accounts app. You will verify your identity and your child's identity during this step. Activation emails are going out in phases between now and July 4, 2026. Don't worry if you haven't received yours — keep an eye out for it and check your spam folder.

The Treasury will never contact you about your Trump account by phone or text. If you receive a call or text about a Trump account, do not respond — it is a scam. All legitimate communication comes only by email from no-reply@trumpaccounts.treasury.gov.

If you have not yet gone through the interactive flow, start there first. It takes ten minutes and will show you exactly what your child qualifies for before you file. Start the walkthrough →