The Us Federal Government Sent Out Three Waves Of Stimulus Payments Since The Start Of The Covid
The US is in the throws of another wave of covid-19 infections with case numbers surpassing all previous peaks. In the past this led to the federal government stepping up to help Americans left struggling in the disruption the pandemic has wrought on livelihoods and household finances. However, this time despite workers out sick or quarantining no new federal stimulus checks look set to be sent out.
In a recent press release the Internal Revenue Service put out its annual report highlighting the efforts of its employees in 2021. One of the accomplishments touted by the agency has been successfully delivering more than $1.5 trillion to people across the nation through Economic Impact Payments, tax refunds and advance Child Tax Credit payments. Here’s a look at the three Economic Impact Payments, better known as stimulus checks.
Will There Be A Fourth Stimulus Check
Many lawmakers are pushing for another round, but President Biden has yet to express support.
Nearly two dozen Senate Democrats sent a letter to Biden on March 31 urging him to implement recurring payments and automatic unemployment insurance tied to economic conditions, reported Insider’s Ayelet Sheffey. Some Democrats have taken to rather than stimulus checks.
And last summer, more than 150 economists wrote an open letter supporting recurring payments “for as long as necessary.”
Stimulus checks have proved effective thus far. The Economic Security Project released a report on April 14 that found the direct cash payments have played a critical role in fighting poverty, boosting small-business revenue, and increasing state and local revenues.
“Evidence from the last year shows stimulus checks to be the fastest and most impactful investments helping Americans get through this crisis, lifting more people out of poverty than any other single policy,” the report said.
The expanded child tax credit will also provide recurring cash payments to eligible parents during the second half of 2021. Democrats hope to make the expanded credit permanent. Learn more about the credit here »
How Much Is The Second Stimulus Check
The Internal Revenue Service has been sending direct payments to millions of Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began. But how many people have received the money so far?
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service as well as the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced Wednesday that another 2.2 million checks are on their way for distribution.
Since March 12, when the first stimulus checks went out, the IRS has sent out more than $400 billion in stimulus payments, meaning that in total more than 478 million stimulus checks have been sent out since the pandemic began.
The $1,400 stimulus payments are part of the $1.9 trillion package Congress passed in March. The IRS will continue to make the economic impact payments on a weekly basis.
The White House has so far downplayed talks of a fourth round of stimulus checks despite an online petition from more than 2.6 million people requesting recurring payments of $2,000 per month.
Relacionados
Don’t Miss: How Do I Get My Stimulus Check
People Who Don’t File A Tax Return
Question: What if I don’t file a 2019 or 2020 tax return?
Answer: Some people don’t file a tax return because their income doesn’t reach the filing requirement threshold. If that’s the case, the IRS will send a third stimulus check based on whatever information, if any, is available to it. That information potentially could come from the Social Security Administration, Railroad Retirement Board, or Veterans Administration if you’re currently receiving benefits from one of those federal agencies. If that’s the case, you’ll generally receive your third stimulus payment the same way that you get your regular benefits. If you supplied the IRS information last year through its online Non-Filers tool or by submitting a special simplified tax return, the tax agency can use that information, too.
Some people who receive a third stimulus check based on information from the SSA, RRB, or VA may still want to file a 2020 tax return even if they aren’t required to file to get an additional payment for a spouse or dependent.
How Many Stimulus Checks Have There Been
Three stimulus checks were approved between March 2020 and March 2021 to provide financial support to Americans struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
- $1,200 in the first stimulus check, plus $500 for dependents under age 17, sent in spring 2020
- $600 in the second stimulus check, plus $600 for dependents under age 17, sent in December 2020 and January 2021
- $1,400 in the third stimulus check, plus $1,400 for dependents of all ages, sent in March and April 2021
Read Also: I Never Got My First Stimulus Check
How Likely Is A Fourth Stimulus Check
Don’t hold your breath, according to Wall Street analysts.
For one, the Biden administration has focused on infrastructure spending to spark economic growth, betting that an investment in roads, trains and other direct investments will help get people back to work and spur the ongoing recovery.
Secondly, economists have pointed fingers at relief efforts such as the three rounds of stimulus checks for contributing to inflation. Because Americans had cash in their pockets, they boosted spending on goods such as furniture, cars and electronics. Combine that with the supply-chain crunch, and the result was sharply higher inflation, according to economists.
Without new stimulus efforts on the horizon, it’s likely that inflation could moderate in 2022, according to Brad McMillan, the chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network. “One cause of inflation has been an explosion of demand driven by federal stimulus,” he noted in a December report. “But that stimulus has now ended.”
He added, “Yes, we will continue to face inflation and supply problems, but they are moderating and will keep doing so.”
Can I Receive A Stimulus Payment If I Normally Do Not File A Tax Return
Yes, the IRS will also use information provided through Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 to determine whether people are eligible for economic impact payments.
Due to the fact these tax forms do not include information about any dependents, taxpayers in this situation will need to inform the IRS through their 2020 tax returns that they are entitled to additional economic impact payments.
Also Check: Who Is Getting Stimulus Checks First
Stimulus Checks: Parents Who Expanded Families In 2021 Could Be Eligible For A $5000 Payment
As the pandemic enters its third year, there appears to be little momentum for another round of stimulus checks. However, there may be payments waiting for people whose family grew in 2021.
According to a report on Nasdaq.com, folks who added a child to their family in 2021, could be in line for a $5,000 check.
The total goes back to a stimulus payment that was meant for children under the age of 6, but was never paid.
Heres how it works, according to the report.
There was a stimulus payment of $1,400 per dependent from 2021 and an expanded Child Tax Credit worth $3,600 per child for children under the age of 6. That number is $3,000 for children ages 6-to-17.
For a child born last year, he or she would count as a dependent for both the stimulus check and the Child Tax Credit. Parents who adopted a child are also eligible.
For children born in 2021, its likely the IRS wouldnt have known about the child, even though the family was eligible for the payments. They are still eligible for the payments, just in 2022.
The same is true for parents who had twins or triplets, according to the report. That family would be eligible for $10,000 or $15,000.
To receive the stimulus money, new parents only have to file their tax returns.
Related Content:
Timing Of Third Stimulus Checks
Question: When will I get my third stimulus check?
Answer: Millions of Americans have already received their third stimulus check. And the IRS will be sending out more over the next several weeks. So, if you haven’t received your payment yet , it should arrive relatively soon.
How long it will take to send all payments is not known yet. The IRS has a lot on its plate right now. We’re in the middle of tax return filing season, so the IRS is already busy processing tax returns. The tax agency also has to send refunds for people who reported unemployment compensation on their 2020 return and come up with a way to send periodic child tax credit payments later this year. All of this could very well slow down the processing and delivery of third-round stimulus checks.
If the IRS already has your bank account information either from a recent tax payment that you made, a tax refund it sent you, or some other source then expect to get your third stimulus check faster. That’s because the IRS will be able to directly deposit the payment into your bank account. The IRS can also make a third stimulus payment to a Direct Express debit card account, a U.S. Debit Card account, or other Treasury-sponsored account. Otherwise, you’ll get a paper check in the mail.
If you already have a prepaid debit card from the IRS , you’ll get a new card if the IRS decides to send your third stimulus payment to you in that form.
Recommended Reading: Irs Where’s My Second Stimulus Payment
Back Taxes Child Support And Other Debts
Getty Image
Question: Can the IRS or other creditors take my third stimulus check if I owe back taxes, child support or other debts?
Answer: Your third stimulus check is not subject to reduction or offset to pay child support, federal taxes, state income taxes, debts owed to federal agencies, or unemployment compensation debts.
However, the American Rescue Plan doesn’t include additional protections that were included in the legislation authorizing the second round of stimulus checks. For example, second-round stimulus checks weren’t subject to garnishment by creditors or debt collectors. They couldn’t be lost in bankruptcy proceedings, either. The IRS also had to encode direct deposit payments so that banks knew they couldn’t be garnished.
Question: Can a dead person get a third stimulus check?
Answer: For the third round of stimulus checks, anyone who died before January 1, 2021, is not eligible to receive a payment. Essentially, they’re treated as if they don’t have a Social Security number.
There is an exception for military personnel. If a person who died before 2021 was married and a member of the U.S. military, the surviving spouse can still receive a third stimulus check even if he or she doesn’t have a Social Security number.
The extra $1,400 per dependent is also off the table if the parent died before 2021 or, in the case of a joint return, both parents died before then.
Question: Will I receive a notice from the IRS about my payment?
Second Round Of Direct Payments: December 2020
The second round of aid, a $900 billion package which was part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 was signed off by Trump on 27 December 2020. It provided a one-off check of up to $600, but this time, households were also able to claim an additional $600 for child dependents aged 16 or under. Those who earned under $75,000 in the 2019 tax year received the full stimulus check, while a steadily smaller figure was given to those on a higher annual income, up to a maximum phase-out limit of $87,000. The first payments, through direct deposit and paper checks with some later payments made by EIP 2 Cards, were issued between 29 December 2020 and 15 January 2021.
Those who didnt receive a stimulus payment either through the CARES Act or the December Covid-19 Relief bill were able to claim for it retroactively when they filed their federal tax returns for 2020 through the IRS Recovery Rebate Credit.
Read Also: Is There A Mortgage Stimulus Program
How Many Stimulus Checks Were Issued In 2021
Throughout the pandemic the federal government has sought to ease the financial consequences of covid-19 and the related restrictions by offering relief to Americans. This has been done in the form of the boosted unemployment benefits and the expanded Child Tax Credit, but by far the most far-reaching of those programmes has been the three rounds of stimulus checks.
First introduced in the CARES Act of March 2020, Economic Impact Payments are a direct cash injection into the bank accounts of individual people. As we approach one year since the last round of the payments was approved, we take a look back at the stimulus checks in 2021
Only one round of direct payments was distributed last year
2021 began with a change in the White House as President Biden was sworn into office, bringing with him an ambitious legislative proposal known as the American Rescue Plan. The bill comprised roughly $1.9 trillion of federal funding in total and while campaigning in the all-important Georgia Senate run-off election last January, Democrats vowed to pass a $2,000 stimulus check if they successfully retook the Senate.
BREAKING: Consumer spending rose 4.2% last month, the fastest pace in nine months, while incomes, boosted by stimulus checks, soared a record-breaking 21.1% in March. The gains offer more evidence the economy is poised for a robust recovery.
The Associated Press
What If You Didn’t File Tax Return Or Register With The Irs’s Non
You may still be eligible to receive a payment. If you didn’t receive a first or second round stimulus payment you may be able to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 federal income tax return. For the third round, we will update this page as additional information becomes available from the IRS.
Don’t Miss: Was The Stimulus Package Approved
Is There Hope For A Fourth Stimulus Check
Because the Democrats spread out the payments for the child tax credit, that may inhibit the opportunity to get a fourth stimulus check passed for the masses. But this also can depend on what state you live in. There are opportunities to get up to $3,000 if you live in certain states.
California has sent out Golden State stimulus checks for $600. Recipient households must earn between $30,000 to $75,000 to get the checks, and households with children can get an extra $500. Vermont is sending out reimbursement grants to frontline workers who move to the state. New Mexico is hooking up residents who may not have been eligible for the first three stimulus checks. Missouri took care of state corrections officers, boosting each of their salaries.
Those are just some of the states that are helping out residents. So consider which stimulus checks youve received and keep tabs on all that is being given out.
Andy is a reporter in Memphis who also contributes to outlets like Fast Company and The Guardian. When hes not writing about technology, he can be found hunched protectively over his burgeoning collection of vinyl, as well as nursing his Whovianism and bingeing on a variety of TV shows you probably dont like.
Millions Of Payments Went Overseas
Combined over all three rounds of stimulus, about 3.7 million payments worth $5.5 billion were sent to more than one-third of the 9 million or so U.S. citizens who live overseas, according to CNBC. The term overseas, however, can be misleading because it includes residents of U.S. territories like Puerto Rico. Many checks also went to military members stationed overseas and American citizens living abroad.
Find Out: All the States That Dont Tax Social Security
Recommended Reading: When The Next Stimulus Check Coming
Stimulus Checks In : How Will It Affect The 2022 Tax Return
The Economic Impact Payments, colloquially known as the stimulus checks, Were sent out again in 2021 to help people swamped under more covid-19 problems. Nearly a year later, the time is soon approaching that taxpayers will need to reconcile these payments with their 2021 tax returns. However, the news is mostly good, as the filing gives people the opportunity to receive payments that they did not fully receive last year.
Something that could be more of a concern is the Child Tax Credit. While many will receive the final six months as a lump sum, others may have to pay back the IRS if they received too much money in relation to their earnings.
How might your tax return be impacted?
Individuals who didn’t qualify for the third Economic Impact Payment, better known as the third stimulus check, or did not receive the full amount may be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit based on their 2021 tax information. They’ll need to file a 2021 tax return, even if they don’t usually file, to claim the credit.
Individuals will also need the amount of their third stimulus and any Plus-Up Payments received to calculate their correct 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit amount when they file their tax return. Ensuring they use the correct payment amounts will help them avoid a processing delay that may slow their refund.
What about the Child Tax Credit?
Florida Michigan Tennessee And Georgia Are Giving $1000 To Teachers
Florida will be distributing stimulus payments in December for first responders and educators who work with students. Teachers and principals are eligible for payments of up to $1,000.
Georgia has implemented a similar policy, giving teachers and principals $1,000 in stimulus cash for their work during the pandemic.
Michigan is giving $1,000 bonuses to every full-time child care professional as part of its Child Care Stabilization Grant. Licensed child care providers are eligible to apply and should visit Michigan.gov/childcare to apply. Child care professionals will be awarded bonuses directly from their employer and do not need to apply.
Tennessee will be doling out $1,000 of hazard pay bonus to full-time teachers and $500 to part-time educators. They should expected to receive their checks before Jan. 1. The hazard pay came at the cost of an expected 2% raise that educators had been expecting in a bill passed in June.
Read Also: Will Everyone Get A Third Stimulus Check