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.
When Will I Get The Recovery Rebate Credit
You will most likely get the Recovery Rebate Credit as part of your tax refunds. If you electronically file your tax return, you will likely receive your refund within 3 weeks. If you mail your return, it can take at least 8 weeks to receive your refund.
Claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit will not delay your tax refund. However, if you dont claim the correct amount of the Recovery Rebate Credit, your refund may be delayed while the IRS corrects the error on your return. The IRS will send you a notice of any changes made to your return.
You can check on the status of your refund using the IRS Check My Refund Status tool.
Fourth Stimulus Check: Are More Payments Coming
A fourth stimulus check from the government could take one of two forms: monthly checks in fairly small amounts, or one-time payments of up to $2,000.
Both options have been put forward by legislators in Congress as follow-ups to the third round of pandemic relief payments, which were made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021.
The U.S. economy is still recovering, with slow but steady job growth even as unemployment numbers hold steady and the Delta variant of COVID-19 causes hospitalization rates to soar.
The federal moratorium on evictions ended Aug. 26 with a Supreme Court ruling, and millions now face losing their homes. Inflation, however, appears to be on the rise, contributing to fears among economists and lawmakers that further stimulus payments could only fuel more price hikes.
As a result, there’s no legislation in Congress that’s likely to pass that would create a fourth round of stimulus payments, even though some Democratic lawmakers have called on President Joe Biden to consider recurring payments.
The White House has passed back the buck, stating that the president would consider whatever Congress comes up with.
At the end of July, Rep. Ilhan Omar , introduced a bill that would send $1,200 to each American making less than $75,000 per year, forever. But it has not moved forward in the House of Representatives and has little chance of passing.
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How Are Americans Using Stimulus Checks
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says that households are spending a smaller percentage of their stimulus checks and saving more. The that households set aside just under 25% of their third-round payments for consumption. This share fell from just over 29% of first-round payments reported in June 2020 and almost 26% of second-round payments reported in January 2021.
The table below is based on all three SCE surveys and breaks down the average percentage of stimulus payments spent, saved and used to pay off debt:
New York Fed SCE Breakdown of Stimulus Check Spending | |
Payment Round | |
37.4% | 33.7% |
The New York Fed also says that households expect to spend an average 13% of the third stimulus check on essential items and an average 8% on non-essential items.
For a comparison, preliminary data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau from shows that the majority of stimulus recipients are almost three times more likely to use checks to pay down debt than add to their savings.
An earlier showed that the majority of recipients who got the first stimulus check spent their payment on household expenses. Adults with incomes between $75,000 and $99,999 told the Census that they would most likely pay off debt or add to their savings. While adults making less than $25,000 said they would use their stimulus to pay for expenses.
For those households that spent their first stimulus checks, the study says:
What Is A Plus

A plus-up supplemental payment is a new or larger payment you may be eligible to get if you recently submitted your 2020 tax return and your income or number of dependents changed.
For example, if you received a partial third stimulus payment based on your 2019 income, but your income declined in 2020, you may receive another payment to make up the difference between the two amounts. Your original third stimulus payment and your plus-up payment together will equal the amount youre eligible to receive based on your 2020 tax return.
On April 1, the IRS announced that new payment batches include supplemental payments for these people. As of late June 9, more than 8 million plus-up payments have been issued.
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How Can Dependents Qualify For Their Stimulus Check
This depends on adjusted gross income in case you are filing taxes separately. But It is important to note that you may not get your stimulus check in case your parents file taxes and strongly claim you as dependents. Then payment of stimulus check will be added to your parents total. When you as dependents earn and partially have to depend on your parents income and fulfill the requirement to get your stimulus check under the IRS rules, you will be eligible to get your stimulus check.
Who Qualifies For The Fourth Stimulus Check
In order to qualify, you must have been a California resident for most of 2020 and still live there, filed a 2020 tax return, earned less than $75,000 , have a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number, and your children cant be claimed as a dependent by
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What Do I Do If I Didnt Get A Stimulus Check
If you didnt get the full amount of the first or second Economic Impact Payments, you may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return even if you dont normally file. The third Economic Impact Payment will not be used to calculate the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit.
How The Third Stimulus Check Became Law
The American Rescue Plan was signed into law on March 11, authorizing a third round of stimulus checks that pay a maximum of $1,400 for millions of Americans. Targeted income limits, however, exclude individuals earning over $80,000 and joint tax filers making more than $160,000.
Biden said at the signing of the bill: this historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation working people and middle-class folks, the people who built the country a fighting chance. Thats what the essence of it is.
House Democrats had moved the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill to Bidens desk with a 220-211 vote just one day earlier. But progressives in the party expressed concern over Senate amendments that excluded higher-earning taxpayers from getting a stimulus payment.
Biden agreed to narrow income level requirements as a concession to moderate Senate Democrats who wanted to cap payments for individual taxpayers at $80,000 and joint tax filers at $160,000.
The Senate bill narrowly passed with a 50-49 vote on March 6 after an overnight marathon of disputed amendments and negotiations. A 50-50 tie between both parties was avoided because Senator Dan Sullivan could not vote after returning to Alaska for a family funeral.
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People Who Don’t File Tax Returns
As the IRS processes 2020 tax returns, it is also sending new $1,400 stimulus payments to those people it did not previously have on record.
If you do not typically file tax returns or receive federal benefits, the IRS urges you to submit a tax return this year so you can receive your stimulus check.
If you make $72,000 or less, you can file your federal tax return for free using the IRS’Free File program. In addition, the IRS provides more information on its website on submitting a tax return for people in this situation.
What If I Receive A Paper Stimulus Check
If you receive an Economic Impact Payment in the form of a paper check through the mail, a fast and safe way to deposit your money is with mobile check deposit.2 We encourage you to download the U.S. Bank Mobile App and use this free service.
Weve increased mobile deposit limits for many customers and removed the restriction on government checks to make it easier to deposit other checks, such as paychecks and Social Security payments, from home.
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Check The Status Of Your Stimulus Payment
You can now check the status of your 2021 Economic Impact Payment in the Get My Payment tool.
All first and second Economic Impact Payments have been sent and will no longer appear in Get My Payment. If you didnt get a first or second payment or got less than the full amounts, you may qualify for the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return even if you dont normally file.
Find help with this tool with Frequently Asked Questions.
Get My Payment updates once per day, usually overnight. Do not call the IRS. Our phone assistors don’t have information beyond what’s available on IRS.gov.
Previous payment information is no longer available in Get My Payment. See First and Second Payment Status.
If You Are Head Of Household And Not Married How Does Your Stimulus Payment Change

A Head of Household taxpayer isnt eligible if their income is $120,000 or greater, although there is a phase-out between $112,500 and $120,000. Otherwise, a Head of Household will receive a $1,400 stimulus payment for themselves and each qualifying dependent with a Social Security Number, regardless of age, according to Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt.
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Which Tax Year Will Be Used To Determine Eligibility
The IRS will use either your 2019 tax return or your 2020 tax return .
If your income has decreased during the pandemic, you could benefit from filing your 2020 taxes earlier, especially if you now qualify within the new AGI limits. But if you made more money and your income puts you above the requirements, you may want to delay filing and use your lower 2019 tax return.
Note that if you earned over the third check stimulus income limit for your 2020 tax year, and you use your 2019 tax year to claim the stimulus payment, the IRS will not mandate you to pay it back.
You should also keep in mind that the IRS will not treat your stimulus check as an advance or a federal government loan either. This means that it wont be deducted from your tax refund and you dont have to pay it back. And the agency wont tax your payment, so you will not have to report it as part of your yearly taxable income.
If you do not usually have to file a tax return, the IRS has created an online tool that allows you to enter your personal and bank account information to get your stimulus payment.
Consider saving or investing the money in your stimulus check. Speak with a financial advisor today.
No Sign Of Fourth Check
As the omicron variant stokes worries of another shutdown in the US, there has been no indication a fourth stimulus check will be sent.
On November 26, the World Health Organization designated omicron as a Covid-19 variant, and labeled it as a very high global risk.
The Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned Congress that the new variant could have a negative impact on the economy.
The recent rise in COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the Omicron variant pose downside risks to employment and economic activity and increased uncertainty for inflation, he wrote.
Greater concerns about the virus could reduce peoples willingness to work in person, which would slow progress in the labor market and intensify supply-chain disruptions.
Millions of Americans have signed petitions calling for additional payments, but the White House has not proposed another round of checks.
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Can A Debt Collector Take My Stimulus Check
Child support, taxes, and other debts to the federal government are exempt from garnishment, but a private debt collector can try to take your stimulus payment. While previous rounds of aid prohibited debt collectors from garnishing stimulus payments, that protection was not included in this third round.
Congress may consider new, separate legislation to shield this round of payments from debt collectors.
Those Born Between The 11th And 20th Will Be Paid On
Here’s when exactly you could expect the stimulus checks and who are eligible for more. In 2022, social security benefits and supplemental security income payouts will increase by 5.9% for over 70 million americans. According to marca, the senior citizens league is forcing a new round of stimulus checks on congress.
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When Will I Get My Money
With Biden having signed the legislation on March 11, 2021, payments could begin going out as soon as the week of March 15.
Taking a more conservative approach, using the IRS timeline for the second round of stimulus checks as a guide, direct deposit payments could begin as soon as March 22, 2021, for those who previously received their second stimulus check.
How To Get Your Stimulus Check
Using stimulus funds can help you manage your entire financial picture, including getting a handle on The guide helps you understand if you are eligible in these cases:
- If you havent filed federal taxes or have no income
- If you dont have a bank account or a pre-paid debit card
- If you have moved since you last filed taxes
- If you receive Social Security Benefits
- If youve already filed taxes and are signed up for direct deposit
The vast majority of Americans will be eligible to receive a third stimulus check from the federal government. Even if you have no income, you are still eligible but need to take action.
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What Can I Do If I Have Not Received My Eip Money By Those Deadlines
If you have not received all or some portion of your Economic Impact Payments by the deadlines above, you will have to file a 2020 tax return and claim these amounts. You claim them on line 30 of the 2020 Form 1040 as a “Recovery Rebate Credit“. This is another name for the EIP stimulus payments. If you did not get all or a portion of the EIP payments in advance, then you can claim them on line 30 of your tax return for 2020.
What Type Of Credit Is The Stimulus Payment

The third stimulus payment is actually an advance payment of a refundable credit that will be calculated with your 2021 taxes .
If you made too much money in 2020 to get the full stimulus payment, but you end up making less income in 2021 than you did in prior years, you could get a stimulus payment as a rebate in 2022. Luckily, if you make more money in 2021 than you did in 2020, you will not have to pay back part or all of your stimulus payment in 2022.
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Is It Possible To Get A Stimulus Check If I Was Claimed As A Dependent
The stimulus check amount and eligibility will depend on either the 2019 or 2020 tax return. 2019 and 2020 are the main criteria to calculate stimulus checks. In case you didnt file a tax return for the year 2020, the IRS authority will get information on the tax return filed in 2019. So it is still possible to get a stimulus check if you were claimed as a dependent in 2019. Even you may file a tax return for the year 2020, then the IRS will get information on your 2020 tax return.
But you get a third stimulus check and then your 2020 tax return is being filed and processed now. In this case, the IRS will make sure to send you additional payment for the difference between your actual payment in 2019 and 2020. The final amount of the third stimulus check will be based on after filing the 2020 tax return.
The taxpayer who has already claimed a dependent needs to follow the income criteria to make sure they are eligible for the payment of the third stimulus check. Those who earn $75,000 are entitled to get $1400. This amount may be doubled when the married couple filed a tax return jointly earning up to $2800 with payments for any dependent.
The third payment as a stimulus check will be determined based on income earned in the years 2019 and 2020. This can be exactly figured out when the taxpayer filed their tax return for the last year. Then the taxpayer must have claimed dependent in that last years tax return.