Fourth Stimulus Check: Is Another Relief Payment Coming
— The pandemic continues, long after COVID first shut down the economy in early 2020. The Delta variant is still causing positive cases, albeit at a reduced rate, and the Omicron variant is now starting to show up across the country. President Biden has more strongly pushed to encourage vaccines. The economy as a whole has surpassed where it was before the pandemic. Still, shortages and inflation persist, and some people haven’t caught up to where they were early last year, even as unemployment nears pre-pandemic levels, with jobs widely available in certain sectors. Many people are even choosing not to return to the workforce for the time being. But many others still struggle to find suitable work. The federal unemployment bonus ended over two months ago, but millions of people remain short of food and behind on bills. A fourth stimulus check would help. A few places, including California, have recognized the need for more help and provided additional payments. But will the Internal Revenue Service be sending out another stimulus check in 2021?
That hasn’t been explicitly decided. But many clues point to where things are heading.
What Other Aid Is Out There
While a fourth stimulus check is improbable, more direct payments to Americans have already been signed into law. The American Rescue Plan includes an improved Child Tax Credit and extended unemployment benefits.
Under the revised Child Tax Credit, the Internal Revenue Service is paying out $3,600 per year for each child up to five years old and $3,000 per year for each child ages six through 17. Monthly payments of up to $300 per child started July 15 and will continue through December of 2021. The remainder is to be issued when the recipient files their 2021 taxes. The benefit does not depend on the recipient’s current tax burden. In other words, qualifying families will receive the full amount, regardless of how much — or little — they owe in taxes. Payments start to phase out beyond a $75,000 annual income for individuals and beyond $150,000 for married couples. The more generous credit will apply only for 2021, though Biden has stated his interest in extending it through 2025.
Additional money in people’s pockets from any proposed plan is still hypothetical, of course. Nothing has found its way through Congress yet.
Originally published Thursday, July 22 at 3:22 p.m. ET.
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Three Of States Distributing Stimulus Funds And Rebates
Though the dollar amount of the stimulus checks and rebates may not be as large as in a pandemic, this much-needed assistance has helped people cope with rising grocery prices.
For example, the cost of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs has risen by 13% since February 2021.
Fresh fruit has also increased by 10.6 percent during that time, while pre-packaged cereals and baked goods have increased by 7.7 percent.
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What Exactly Is A Recovery Rebate Credit
Taxpayers who did not receive a third stimulus payment or received less than the full amount may have been eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 federal tax returns.
In early 2022, the IRS sent Letter 6475 to addresses on file, confirming the total amount of third payments and any plus-up payments received for tax year 2021.
When filing their 2021 federal tax return in 2022, taxpayers needed the information to accurately calculate their 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit.
Fourth Stimulus Check Approval: Here’s What It’ll Take
The White House hasn’t responded to any of the proposals for additional stimulus checks, and the general sentiment is that a fourth stimulus check isn’t likely. Economists have suggested we’ve already moved past the pandemic’s worst financial woes, although there are signs that Americans could still use relief.
Experts certainly seem in agreement that there won’t be a fourth stimulus check. The latest stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan, is “gonna be the last on that front,” Deutsche Bank senior U.S. economist Brett Ryan told Fortune. “No more checks.”
Ed Mills, Washington policy analyst at Raymond James, agreed, telling CNBC recently “I think its unlikely at this time. D.C. has largely started to pivot towards the recovery and an infrastructure bill.”
Many economists and financial experts are worried that the third stimulus checks have contributed to a growing inflation rate. In June 2021, the core inflation rate, stripped of energy and food prices, rose 4.5% at an annual rate vs. the Dow Jones estimate of 3.8%. The overall consumer price index rose at an annualized 5.4% rate in June.
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Fourth Stimulus Check Update: How To Get Another $1400 Direct Payment
Some Americans will be eligible for a $1,400 stimulus check this year even if Congress doesn’t pass any legislation for another round of checks.
Republicans and Democrats fought hard over the issue of stimulus checks after passing the first round in 2020, so most Americans have already received all the money they’re likely to get. However, some Americans will be able to claim additional payments when they file their taxes and they could be eligible for the full $1,400 payment.
One way Americans could be eligible for a full $1,400 payment is if they had a child in 2021. Why? Because the 2021 Economic Impact Payments were based on a person’s 2020 or 2019 return. So, any eligible dependent that came into the family last year wouldn’t have been included in the payment amount.
Those who have a child who qualifies for the Recovery Rebate Credit can claim the dependent when they file their 2021 tax return this year. To be eligible, the child must be under 19 at the end of the year unless they’re a student and a child, brother, sister, foster child, stepsibling, half-brother or half-sister or a descendant of any of them.
Unlike the first two rounds of payments, which limited dependent eligibility to just children, the third stimulus check made accommodations for dependents of all ages. So, a person who adds a parent or grandparent or another eligible dependent to their household could also be eligible for a $1,400 payment.
Revised Child Tax Credit: Everything You Need To Know
14 Min Read | Mar 25, 2022
Update: If you received monthly child tax credit advance payments this year, be on the lookout for Letter 6419 the IRS started mailing out in December. The form lists the total amount of advance payments you received, and youll need it to file your 2021 taxes and receive the other half of your child tax credit.
If I Take the Advance Payment, How Does This Affect Next Years Taxes?All right, you guys, if you have kids like me, listen up: Some of you are going to get cash in your hands every month for the rest of 2021 thanks to the increased Child Tax Credit. I know what youre thinking: Isnt the Child Tax Credit just given out at tax time? And the answer isyep, normally thats how it works. But not this year. Which makes sense, because theres been a lot of extra money from the government lately.
First, there was stimulus number one, then number two, and then number threeand now the first of the Child Tax Credit payments just went out, and theyll keep coming for the rest of the year.
A lot of you still have questions about it, so lets talk about what the new beefed-up Child Tax Credit means for you and your money.
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Are New Stimulus Checks Coming For New States
The states considered for new checks will be California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico and New York. However, each of these states is going through a specific situation that we are going to address here. California has many stimulus packages running at the same time.
They have the Golden State Stimulus I for people who live in California who typically get the California Earned Income Tax Credit or file their taxes under Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Golden Stimulus II will go out to those who received wages from $0 to $75,000 for the 2020 tax year.
Delaware is offering a rebate to single tax filers of $300. Couples who file jointly get $600. Georgia is getting $250 to single tax filers, up to $375 to heads of household with dependents and $500 to married couples who file jointly. Hawaii residents who earn less than $100,000 will get $300 and families of four can get up to $1,200. Illinois will offer a suspension of inflation-based increase in the gas tax for six months and $300 rebate checks to homeowners.
Maine will offer $850 to single tax payers who earn less than $100,000. They will offer the same to heads of households who earn less than $150,000 and to married couples who file together and make less than $200,000. New Mexico will offer $500 to single tax payers and $1,000 to married couples who file together. In New York, the average benefit will be close to $425.
Residents In New Jersey May Be Eligible For Free Money As Part Of A Homeowner Program
Governor Phil Murphy announced the ANCHOR Property Tax Relief program, which will provide relief from high property taxes to over 1.8 million Garden State residents.
It will provide tax relief of up to $900 million to both homeowners and renters.
In FY2023, homeowners are eligible for an average rebate of $700 under the ANCHOR relief program.
Residents in other states may also receive rebate checks in the near future.
In Maine, approximately 850,000 residents will receive $850 rebate checks, while Governor Jared Polis announced in April that 3.1 million Coloradans would receive tax rebates ranging from $400 for individuals to $800 for joint filers.
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Hawaii: $300 Rebate Payments
In January, Gov. David Ige proposed sending a tax rebate to every Hawaii taxpayer. Taxpayers earning less than $100,000 per year would receive $300, and those earning more than $100,000 per year would receive $100. Dependents are eligible for the rebate, too.
The Hawaii legislature has approved the rebate, but details for distribution havent been released. Payments may begin processing in late August, per the state Department of Taxation.
These States Will Issue State
Some states using the allocated funds in the American Rescue Plan decided to use it to give stimulus checks to specific groups of people. Every state has different criteria. However, the common theme is that people from a particular income group or who experienced specific economic loss, such as unemployment, are eligible for the next stimulus checks or other pandemic assistance.
These U.S.state is distributing state and occupation-specific stimulus checks to their residents:
- Arizona: Benefits of up to $2,000 under Arizonas Back to Work Program.
- California: Checks are issued under the Golden State Stimulus program based on pre-pandemic income levels.
- Colorado: Focused on assisting unemployed individualsand benefiting them up to $375.
- Maine: Occupation-specific relief.
- : Up to $500 provided by the RELIEF Act for those who filed Earned Income Tax Credit in 2019.
- Vermont: Relief is provided under the Vermont Economic Recovery and Relief Package.
- Tennessee:Emergency cash assistance for low-income residents and families that lost employment due to the pandemic.
- Texas: Mortgage and rental assistance for Texas residents in need.
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Stimulus Checks: Which States Are Sending Tax Rebates To Residents
California, for one, is disbursing up to $1,050 in “inflation relief” payments to eligible taxpayers.
Dan Avery
Writer
Dan is a writer on CNET’s How-To team. His byline has appeared in Newsweek, NBC News, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, The Daily Mail and elsewhere. He is a crossword junkie and is interested in the intersection of tech and marginalized communities.
As inflation continues to soar and motorists feel the pinch at the pump, states across the country are looking for ways to ease the economic hit. Some have paused the state gas tax, but others are taking another route to put money back in people’s pockets and are digging into revenue surpluses from 2021 to give back some of what residents have paid in.
California, most notably, will soon send “inflation relief” checks of up to $1,050 to about 23 million residents, thanks to a budget compromise reached by Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers on Sunday that includes a $17 billion relief package.
Other states have launched or are considering similar disbursals.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has issued three rounds of stimulus checks: Eligible Americans received up to $1,200 starting in April 2020, up to $600 beginning in December 20201 and up to $1,400 starting in March 2021.
For more about the economy, check out the latest on gas tax holidays, learn how to save money around the house and find out whether a recession is in the cards.
How Will Child Support Arrears And Payments Be Impacted With Stimulus Check
I seem to be getting a lot of comments on this question around child support. The IRS has confirmed that the stimulus check payment will NOT be offset or intercepted for those owe tax, have a payment agreement or owe other federal or state debts. It will however be OFFSET for past-due child support. This is because a court order for child support continues until it is modified or terminated. Similarly with unemployment compensation stimulus increases, your child support may be withheld from the UI payments. You will get a notice from BFS if this happens.
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A Look At The First Three Rounds Of Stimulus Payments
To help low and medium-income citizens through this crisis, the federal government has distributed large swaths of stimulus checks to eligible adults three times to date.
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan passed. $195 billion was given to 50 states, i.e., approximately $500 million for each state. The states have until 2024 to decide what they want to do with the money and until 2026 to spend it.
To provide direct assistance, the federal government distributed the first stimulus check of $1,200 in April 2020 for individuals, $2,400 for married couples, and an additional $500 per child under 17.
The second stimulus check of $600plus an additional $600 for each dependant aged 16 and underwas distributed in December 2020.
Finally, the third stimulus check was sent in March 2021 as an advance payment of the tax year 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit. Along with this, many Americans received a child tax creditand an advanced child tax credit which allowed the IRS to deliver money to millions of bank accounts for filers who claimed a dependent. Those who opted out of the advance payments would be able to claim the child tax credit and receive a higher refund when filing their tax return.
How To Opt Out Of Monthly Child Tax Credit
If you dont want these advance payments, youll have to go through a few steps to opt out. But its pretty simple really. The IRS set up a Child Tax Credit Update Portal for you to opt out and make any changes.
Dont worryeven though the first payment has already gone out, its not too late to opt out of the advance Child Tax Credit payment. Actually, you have the chance to opt out each month. Really! You just have to do it at least three days before the first Thursday of the month.8 So if you want to opt out in September, make sure to opt out by August 30, just to be safe.
Pro tip: If youre married and filing jointly, then both you and your spouse need to opt out of the Child Tax Credit.
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Fourth Stimulus Check Amount
The fourth stimulus check amount depends on several factors. If passed, it would probably look similar to the previous checks, although that’s not guaranteed.
For reference, the first stimulus check amounted to as much as $1,200, while the second stimulus check brought $600 to eligible Americans. The third stimulus check, which the IRS is still in the process of distributing, is worth up to $1,400 per person, although the eligibility requirements are narrower.
All three checks gave the full amounts to taxpayers who made up to $75,000 a year, according to their most recent tax returns. Couples filing jointly got the full payment if they had a joint total income of $150,000 or less.
With the first two checks, those making up to $99,000 alone or $198,000 as a couple received prorated payments. With the third check, individuals who earned more than $80,000 per year or $160,000 per year as joint filers got nothing. Our guide to the stimulus check calculator can show you what your own eligibility looks like.
A Fourth Stimulus Check In 2022 Under Biden Bbb Bill
There has plenty of talk of a fourth stimulus check towards the end of 2021 or in early 2022 as part of Bidens build Back Better Bill being debated in Congress.
However this bill has stalled in Congress due to lack of agreement among Democrats on what to include in the bill and what they can sell to their constituents. Further while the advance child tax credit is being extended and tax rates are being adjusted to provide relief for middle class families, at this stage there are no provisions for another stimulus payment in the new bill.
With the economy rebounding strongly, higher inflation and unemployment claims falling, it was hard for most Democrats in Congress to justify spending billions of dollars on even more stimulus payments.
Some states like California however, are making state specific stimulus payments to lower income workers which may be replicated in other states.
There is also the expanded monthly Child Tax Credit stimulus payment for families who have qualifying dependents. While this is not technically a fourth dependent stimulus and rather more of an advanced tax credit it will act like a stimulus payment because it is being paid directly by the IRS to nearly 70 million dependents and their families. This has provisions for another 12 month extension under the BBB.
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