How To Claim The Second Economic Stimulus Check
A second round of stimulus checks is on the way for millions of Americans as part of a $900 billion coronavirus relief package. Therefore, you are most likely wondering how to claim the second economic stimulus check? In this article we will clarify this and other doubts you may have on this subject.
With the second Economic Impact Payment, qualifying single Americans will receive up to $600 each and married joint filers will receive up to $1,200, plus $600 for each dependent child.
Legislation requires the IRS and Treasury to finish sending payments by January 15, so most people should receive payments by that deadline.
Continue reading so you can clarify all your doubts about the second economic stimulus payment.
Article Index
You Havent Received Your Second Stimulus Payment Yet
Many people will receive stimulus payments by direct deposit, according to the IRS. If you paid 2019 federal taxes via direct debit or received a tax refund by direct deposit, you will likely receive your second stimulus payment the same way. The majority of these payments have already been issued. If the IRS does not have your correct, up-to-date banking information, youll receive payment by mail or debit card .
Social Security or other beneficiaries who use Direct Express cards and received the first round of stimulus on that card can expect the same this time. Otherwise, payment will come by mail.
Generally, you can expect to receive your payment in the same form you received the first stimulus payment under the CARES Act in early 2020. But thats not the case for everyone. If the IRS is unable to make a direct deposit, your payment may be sent by mail. And if your first stimulus payment arrived via paper check, you could receive a debit card this time, and vice versa.
The best way to track how and when youll receive your stimulus payment is with the IRS Get My Payment tool. This tool can tell you when your payment was sent and whether itll arrive via direct deposit or mail.
And while Jan. 15 is the IRS deadline, you may not actually receive payment by that date. After your payment reports as mailed on the Get My Payment tracker, it may take up to three or four weeks to receive the check or debit card, the agency says.
I Changed Banks Since The Last Stimulus Checks Were Distributed How Will I Get My Money
Yes, but you may need to wait until 2020 taxes are filed in Spring 2021. The IRS indicates that incorrect or outdated banking information cannot be updated.
If you were eligible for a CARES Act payment but did not receive one, the IRS says you can make a claim for the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return. You should have received IRS Notice 1444youll need to refer to this notice when you file your return.
You May Like: Latest News On Third Stimulus Check
How Is My Second Stimulus Check Calculated
The IRS relies on your tax return to calculate whether you qualify for the second stimulus check. So your eligibility was based on your 2019 tax returns, which you filed by July 15, 2020.
According to the text released by Congressional leaders, the COVID-19 relief bill notes those with an adjusted gross income over certain limits receive a reduced amount of money, with the checks phasing out entirely at higher incomes.
Your AGI is calculated by subtracting the deductions that you made during the tax year from your gross income .
Heres a quick breakdown of the AGI limits for the $600 stimulus checks:
- Single filer checks begin to phase out at AGIs above $75,000.
- Head of household checks start getting phased out at incomes over $112,500.
The IRS reduces stimulus payments by 5% for the total amount that you made over the AGI limit. This means that for every $100 that you make over the limit, your check goes down by $5. At high enough incomes, the checks phase out entirely. So if you earned over $87,000 as an individual taxpayer, $174,000 as a joint filer, or $124,500 as a head of household, you do not get a stimulus payment. The following calculator allows you to calculate your benefit amount:
This second round of stimulus checks is currently half the maximum amount of the first stimulus checks that were included in the CARES Act in March.
How To Claim Stimulus Funds In Your 2021 Tax Return
The third round of stimulus payments is worth up to $1,400 per person if your adjusted gross income is $75,000 or less as a single filer, or $160,000 or less as a joint filer. Families are entitled to $1,400 per dependent for dependents of any age.
Before claiming the funds, make sure they weren’t sent to you already. You can confirm the amount of the third payment and whether it was sent to you by logging into your IRS online account or the Get My Payment app. You can also refer to a letter sent to you by the IRS, known as Notice 1444-C, which will tell you how much is owed to you.
If you lost your stimulus check or suspect it was stolen, you can request the IRS to trace your payment and get the amount automatically reimbursed to you as a tax refund. If you’re filing your 2021 tax return before your trace is complete, do not include the payment amount on the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet, the IRS says.
Otherwise, you’ll need to complete the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit worksheet and submit it as part of your 2021 tax return. The worksheet will help you calculate how much you can claim. Then, claim it on line 30 in Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR of your 2021 tax return.
Tax software will also guide you through this process and automatically add all the information to your tax return.
And remember, you can file your tax return for free if your income is $73,000 or less, using the IRS Free File Program.
Recommended Reading: Sign Up For Stimulus Check
I Got A Notice 1444 In The Mail Should I Keep It
Yes. Notice 1444 specifies the payment amount you received for the first Economic Impact Payment in 2020, while Notice 1444-B will note the amount of your second stimulus payment. If you need to complete the Economic Recovery Rebate Credit worksheet on your 2020 tax return, youll need to refer to Notice 1444 and Notice 1444-B for the amount you received. Even if you received the full stimulus payment amount, retain this notice with your 2020 tax records.
Will You Get A Paper Check Or A Debit Card
If you are eligible for the second round of stimulus payments and you did not get a direct deposit by early January, chances are your payment was supposed to arrive by either a paper check or a debit card. If you got a paper check for your first stimulus payment last year, you might still get a debit card this time. And some people who got a debit card last time may receive a check now.
IRS and Treasury urge eligible people who dont receive a direct deposit to watch their mail carefully during this period for a check or an Economic Impact Payment card, which is sponsored by the Treasury Departments Bureau of the Fiscal Service and is issued by Treasurys financial agent, MetaBank®, N.A, the IRS explained. The Economic Impact Payment Card will be sent in a white envelope that prominently displays the U.S. Department of the Treasury seal. It has the Visa name on the front of the Card and the issuing bank, MetaBank®, N.A. on the back of the card. Information included with the card will explain that this is your Economic Impact Payment.
More information about the debit cards is available at EIPcard.com.
Dont Miss: How Often Are Stimulus Checks Deposited
Don’t Miss: Where’s My Second Stimulus Check Irs
How Will I Get My Stimulus Check
If the IRS has your current bank information and you set up direct deposit to receive your 2019 tax return, you will receive the stimulus payment via direct deposit.
If you’re eligible for a second stimulus check but do not have direct deposit set up, you will likely receive a check or a debit card in the mail. It can be different than it was last time if you received a paper check then, you might receive a debit card now, or vice versa.
Keep in mind some eligible Americans still haven’t received the first stimulus checks. While the IRS has until Dec. 31, 2020 to mail those, you can claim both the first and second payment when you file your taxes next year if you still don’t receive them. And if you didn’t file a 2019 tax return and didn’t register with the non-filers tool earlier this year, you can also claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 tax return.
Are Adult Dependents Eligible For A Payment
No. Only dependent children who are under 17 years old are eligible for an additional $600 stimulus payment, which goes to the taxpayer who claimed them on their 2019 tax return.
Some stimulus proposals have included adult dependents, including approximately five million 17- and 18-year-olds, four million college students aged 19-23 and five million adult dependents like elderly parents. Most recently, Bidens American Rescue Plan includes $1,400 payments for adult dependents.
Read Also: Can I Cash My Stimulus Check At Any Bank
Second Stimulus Check: Who Is Getting $600 How To Track Your Payment
The second round of stimulus checks may soon start arriving in bank accounts after President Donald Trump signed the $900 billion stimulus bill. The last-minute signing was a welcome development for the 6 in 10 people who have suffered a financial setback due to the pandemic, but millions of people may find themselves in for disappointment if they are among the groups who dont qualify for the payment.
Its most likely that the checks will amount to $600 for each adult and child, or half the amount of the $1,200 checks sent out earlier this year. The $600 per-person payments are part of the stimulus bill passed by Congress earlier this month and signed by Trump Sunday evening.
Still, Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have called for lawmakers to boost the amount to $2,000 per adult a request that Wall Street analysts say has a slim chance of moving forward, considering the additional hundreds of billions of dollars such a raise in the amount would cost.
Children will be eligible for the same benefit amount as eligible adults, and families with members of mixed immigration status with a valid Social Security number for one spouse are also eligible for the payments, unlike with the CARES Act rebates, noted the Tax Foundation.
Chief among them: Child dependents who are 17 years old and adults who are claimed as dependents on another persons tax return, such as is typical with college students.
Youre Not Sure About Eligibility
Payments being sent out this month are largely based on the most recent tax returns the IRS has available, for 2019. The amount you receive as an initial payment will be based on that data, though you may be eligible for more.
Eligible individuals with an adjusted gross income under $75,000, heads of household under $112,500, and married couples filing jointly under $150,000 are eligible for the full $600 payment. After that, payments phase out with reduced payments up to $87,000 in income for individuals, $124,500 for heads of household, and $174,000 for married couples filing jointly. Children under 17 claimed on 2019 federal tax returns each qualify for an additional $600, while children 17 and older and adult dependents are not eligible.
Even if you dont typically file tax returns, you can still receive your stimulus payment. It wont be issued automatically, but you can get it in the form of the Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 taxes.
In fact, anyone who believes they didnt receive the full payment for which they are eligible can reconcile the lost amount as a Recovery Rebate Credit on 2020 federal tax returns using Form 1040, the basic form most people will use when they file taxes.
Also Check: How Many Stimulus Checks In 2021
What If The Irs Sent The Check To A Closed Account
Because people can’t update their bank account information on the “Get My Payment” site, there’s concern that some checks might be sent to accounts that were recently closed. If that’s the case, the IRS says you’ll have to wait until you file your 2020 tax returns.
The stimulus checks are actually a tax rebate that can be applied to your annual tax returns but that means people may be waiting weeks or even months for their stimulus money to show up through their tax refund.
Who Is Eligible For A Stimulus Check
The vast majority of Michigan residents are eligible to receive a stimulus check from the federal government this year. Even if you have no income, you are still eligible, but need to take action to receive your stimulus payment. This includes individuals with low or no earnings who normally don’t file taxes. Every American adult earning less than $75,000 is eligible for a stimulus check from the federal government this year. While this site is geared toward Michigan residents, the information is applicable nationwide.If you still have questions about your stimulus check after reviewing this website, call the IRS at or, United Way at .
After you sign up, make sure to add your account information on the IRS website. If you dont want to sign up for a bank account, you can also link to your prepaid debit card instead.You can also receive your funds through the Cash App, by providing the IRS with the routing and account numbers connected to your Cash App. You can download the Cash App or locate your Cash App account information here.
What if I havent filed taxes?
What if I dont qualify – where else can I get help?
If you dont qualify for the stimulus payment, we recommend reaching out to Michigan 2-1-1. They can connect you to resources in your community.
Will my payment be reduced or offset if I owe tax, have a payment agreement with the IRS, owe other Federal or State debt, or owe other debt collectors?
Don’t Miss: How Much Is The Second Stimulus Check
Didn’t Get The First And Second Payments Claim The 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit
If you didn’t get the full amount of the first or second payment you were eligible for, you may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return even if you aren’t required to file. The third payment will not be used to calculate the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit.
Office Locations
You Might Not Get Your Payment By Jan 15
Use the IRS Get My Payment tool to track the status of your payment. If you receive a Payment Status #2 Not Available notice, you should prepare for a longer wait: your payment will likely not be processed by Jan. 15.
Instead, youll need to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax returns. If you end up owing money on your 2020 taxes, it will reduce the amount you owe, Cagan says. If you get a refund, youll get a bigger refund. If you have zero income, youll just get the full amount back.
There are several reasons why your payment may not arrive, but here are a few common issues:
Don’t Miss: Stimulus Check Direct Deposit 2021
Distribution Of The Second Stimulus Payment: Faqs
In late December, lawmakers passed a coronavirus relief package that provides essential economic relief for millions of workers and people with low incomes. One component of the package is a second round of economic stimulus payments. See below for FAQs regarding distribution of the second stimulus payment. Additionally, we have general FAQs regarding the payment, Mixed-Immigration Status Families and the Stimulus Payment, and How to Claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.
When will the IRS make the second stimulus payments?
The IRS will send the second stimulus payments to taxpayers through January 15th.
Will I receive a letter or notice from the IRS about my second stimulus payment?
Yes, the IRS will issue a notice, or letter, about the second stimulus payment. Please keep your notice, formally called Notice 1444-B, with your tax records. You will need it when you file your 2020 tax return.
How can I check on the status of my second stimulus payment?
You can use the IRS Get My Payment tool to check on the status of your second stimulus payment.
Will the IRS Get My Payment tool give me the status of my second stimulus payment?
You will be able to check the status of your first and second stimulus payments using the Get My Payment tool. The status includes the date of the payment and the method . Mailed payments will require more processing and mailing time. As more information becomes available, the IRS will provide updates.
Who Gets A Stimulus Check
Your eligibility will be based on your most recent tax return and your adjusted gross income. For the second round of checks, the Internal Revenue Service will use your 2019 tax return to determine if you qualify for the direct payment.
Social Security beneficiaries, Disability Insurance beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income recipients, Railroad Retirement Board beneficiaries, and Veterans Administration beneficiaries all are eligible for the payment even if they didnt file a 2019 tax return.
Read more: Here’s what the new coronavirus stimulus deal means for your wallet
Eligible taxpayers who used the IRS Non-Filer tool for the first round of checks will be treated as providing returns and will also receive payments.
Single adults with income up to $75,000 will get the full $600 payment. Married couples with income up to $150,000 will get $1,200. Single parents who file as head of household with income up to $112,500 will get the full $600 check.
Additionally, Americans who qualify for the stimulus payment and have children will get an additional $600 per child under 17.
You May Like: Do We Have To Pay Back The Stimulus Check