Second And Third Stimulus Checks

Amount Based On 2019 Or 2020 Tax Return

For third-round stimulus payments, eligibility and amounts were based on either your 2019 or 2020 return. If your 2020 tax return wasn’t filed and processed by the IRS by the time the tax agency started processing your third stimulus payment, then the IRS used information from your 2019 tax return. If your 2020 return was already filed and processed when the IRS was ready to send your payment, then your stimulus check eligibility and amount was based on the information on your 2020 return. If your 2020 return was filed and/or processed after the IRS sent you a third stimulus check, but before December 1, 2021, the IRS sent you a second “plus-up” payment for the difference between what your payment should have been if based on your 2020 return and the payment actually sent based on your 2019 return. As a result, your third stimulus check may have been higher or lower depending on when you filed your 2020 tax return.

Who Qualifies For The Third Stimulus Check

Millions of Americans who were eligible for the $600 second stimulus checks could qualify for the third round of stimulus payments up to $1,400. However, many high-earning taxpayers who were eligible for previous stimulus checks are now excluded. The plan narrows income eligibility to exclude individuals earning over $80,000 and couples making over $160,000:

• Singles phase out at AGIs between $75,000 and $80,000.
• Heads of household phase out at AGIs between $112,500 and 120,000.
• Couples phase out at AGIs between $150,000 and $160,000.

Keep in mind that this is different from the sliding scale that was used to determine eligibility for previous stimulus payments. The IRS reduced second stimulus checks by 5% for the total amount made over the AGI limit. This means that payments went down by $5 for every $100 over the limit.

The table below breaks down third stimulus payments based on narrower income ranges for singles and joint tax filers:

If you want to get a specific breakdown, SmartAssets third stimulus check calculator will give you an estimate based on your filing status, AGI and dependents.

Stimulus Checks: Marriages And Divorce

Q. We got married in 2020 how does that affect the amount we will get?A. Filing as jointly married versus separate for 2020 wont change the total maximum stimulus amount and you wont have to repay any stimulus you already received. However, now that youre married, you should determine whether it makes more sense to file jointly or separately, and its possible that one spouse with a higher income could affect eligibility for the recovery rebate credit.

For example, lets say you and your spouse had AGI amounts of $35,000 and $105,000 respectively. As single filers, youd receive the full stimulus payment because your AGI of $35,000 is below the threshold, but your spouses AGI of $105,000 would be over the limit and wouldnt qualify for a stimulus payment. However, if you file jointly for 2020, your combined AGI of $140,000 is below the threshold for joint filers, so you could claim your spouses portion as the recovery rebate credit.

Those who get married in 2021 will have a similar situation when they file their 2021 return.

Q. How does a recent divorce affect my stimulus check?A. What if you were married and filed jointly on your tax return and have since become separated or divorced? If the IRS issued a payment based on a jointly filed return, you will allocate half of each payment to each spouse when you calculate your credit on your single status returns.

Also Check: Irs Phone Number For Stimulus Check 2021

What Do The Experts Say

Some lawmakers have pushed back against limiting the payout to a smaller group of households, such as Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont.

“It is absurd that some Democrats think we should tell a worker making $52,000 a year that they are ‘too rich’ and cannot get the full $2000 benefit we promised,” he wrote last month on Twitter.

The ranks of adults experiencing financial hardship in January was little changed from December, despite the rollout of the second round of stimulus checks, according to Morning Consult economist John Leer. Most of the struggles were experienced by people earning less than $50,000 in annual income, he said.

A third round of $1,400 checks would allow 22.6 million adults to pay their expenses for more than four months without going into more debt or eating into any savings they may still have, his analysis found.

“Low-income households and parents were the most desperate to receive their second stimulus checks and are the most likely to need additional stimulus going forward,” Leer wrote in his analysis. “According to a survey conducted at the beginning of February, Americans with annual household incomes under $50,000 already spent roughly 67% of money they received.”

I Received A Second Payment But My Spouse Didn’t

There have been cases where a couple submit their tax returns as “married filing jointly,” and both spouses are eligible for a $1,400 stimulus check, but one spouse received a payment and the other did not . This is an error on the IRS’s part. Unfortunately, the spouse who didn’t receive a check will have to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on his or her 2020 tax return. See below for instructions on claiming the rebate on your tax return.

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How Will I Get The Third Stimulus Check

Most will arrive via direct deposit others will be mailed as a paper check or a prepaid debit card.

Exactly how much money you get and how it’s delivered depends on the information provided on your 2020 tax return. If it hasn’t been filed or processed yet, the IRS will look at your 2019 return.

In most cases, your payment will be delivered to the bank account or mailing address that’s listed on your tax return. If you used the nonfilers tool because you don’t file taxes, the IRS will use that same information to deliver your third payment, either to your bank account or address.

Social Security retirement and disability beneficiaries, railroad retirees, and people who received veterans’ benefits in 2020 don’t need to do anything to get the third stimulus check. They will get their payment the same way they normally receive benefits.

The IRS’s “Get My Payment” tool is the only place to check how and when your payment is going to be sent .

Your Stimulus Payments Won’t Be Taxed But There Is One Exception

The IRS doesn’t consider stimulus payments to be income, which means you won’t be taxed on your stimulus money. That also means a direct payment you get this year won’t reduce your tax refund in 2021 or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2020 tax return. You also won’t have to repay part of your stimulus check if you qualify for a lower amount in 2021. If you didn’t receive everything you were owed this year, you can claim your full stimulus check amount as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 federal income tax return when you file this month .

However, another big caveat here: If you are filing for any missing stimulus money as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return this year, the IRS can potentially garnish that money to pay for any back taxes you owe. Again, an independent taxpayer advocacy group within the IRS is working with the agency to address this issue to protect those funds for vulnerable taxpayers.

Is the stimulus money really yours? That depends.

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How Do I Get Help Filing A 2020 Tax Return To Claim My Eip

The IRS recommends electronic filing, and we agree. It is a faster, more secure option. Paper forms will take much longer to be processed by IRS. You may qualify for free e-file software.

You can also call the Vermont 2-1-1 hotline and follow the menu options for tax preparation. Through this service you may be able to schedule an appointment with a free Volunteer Income Tax Preparation Assistance site. These sites are staffed by trained volunteers. They provide free preparation services to taxpayers who meet eligibility requirements.

Also, you can find Form 1040 and Form 1040 instructions on the IRS website. The instructions for the “Recovery Rebate Credit” are found on pages 57 – 59.

Who Is Eligible For The Recovery Rebate Credit 2021

Single filers who had incomes between $75,000 and $80,000 in 2020 but had lower incomes in 2021 married couples who filed a joint return and had incomes between $150,000 and $160,000 in 2020 but had lower incomes in 2021 and head of household filers who had incomes between $112,500 and $120,000 in 2020 but had lower …

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If I Am The Custodial Parent And Im Currently Receiving Or Have Ever Received Tanf Or Medicaid For My Child Will I Receive Any Money From A Tax Return Intercepted By The Federal Government From The Noncustodial Parent On My Case

• Maybe. Federal law dictates how monies received by a state child support agencyunder the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program are distributed. In Texas, federal tax offsets are applied first to assigned arrears, or arrears owned by the state, and then to arrearages owed to the family. If there is money owed to the state in your case, the intercept stimulus payments up to the amount owed to the state will be retained by the state. The remainder of money will be sent to you, up to the amount of unassigned arrears owed to you by the noncustodial parent.The amount of the money you are entitled to receive will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of the tax refund intercepted, the amounts owed to you in your case, and the number of other child support cases in which the noncustodial parent owes child support arrears.You must also have a full-service case open with the Child Support Division to be entitled to receive any monies from an intercepted tax return.

Rd Stimulus Check Eligibility: Who Gets The Third Stimulus Check

The American Rescue Plan is a $1.9 trillion relief package to help alleviate the hardship that millions of Americans feel right now including checks directly to families and individuals like you. Here are the details about who qualifies for the third stimulus checks. Visit our other blog post for more details about other benefits.

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If Your First Or Second Stimulus Check Never Arrived You Can Claim A Rebate When You File Your Taxes

If you were eligible for a first or second stimulus check but still haven’t received a direct deposit, check or prepaid EIP debit card from the IRS, you may have mistakenly been overlooked, or you may have a problem that you need to resolve. Certain groups who were eligible for that first payment, such as some older adults, retirees, SSDI recipients, noncitizens and those who are incarcerated, can file a claim for payment.

Even if you don’t typically file taxes, you’ll have to submit a 2020 tax return using a 2020 Form 1040 or 1040SR to claim your money. This credit would either increase the amount of your tax refund or lower the amount of the tax you need to pay by the amount of stimulus money you’re still owed.

Again, just be aware that if you do file for a Recovery Rebate Credit and owe any back taxes, the IRS may garnish that money to pay those debts.

If you got a letter from the IRS confirming either your first or second payment, but never actually got the money, you can try filing a Payment Trace through the IRS to track it down.

If you owe child support, all or part of your stimulus check could be used to cover the expense.

Can My Third Stimulus Check Be Garnished For Unpaid Debt Or Taxes

These payments are protected from all federal and state offset. That means you’ll get the full amount you qualify for even if you have past-due federal or state debt, such as child support, or you owe taxes from previous years.

But, because Congress used a process called “budget reconciliation” to pass this stimulus bill which only allows certain types of legislation to pass through Congress private collectors will have the right to garnish stimulus check money that lands in your bank account to cover unpaid debts. This is different from the previous $600 stimulus check, which had protections against garnishment.

Several consumer and banking trade groups signed a letter to Congress pushing for legislation to protect the new stimulus check funds from garnishment.

“We believe it is imperative that Congress ensure that these next stimulus payments are treated as ‘benefits’ subject to the federal exemption from garnishment,” the groups wrote. “Otherwise, the families that most need this money those struggling with debt and whose entire bank accounts may be frozen by garnishment orders will be not be able to access their funds.”

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Tips For Individuals During The Coronavirus Pandemic

• If you dont need to use your stimulus check for anything urgent, consider investing or saving the money. A financial advisor can help you get started if you need help managing your money or investments. SmartAssets free tool can match you with financial advisors in your area in just five minutes. Get started now.
• If you are struggling to keep up with loan or credit card payments, you can take steps to protect your credit score and speak with your bank directly to see whether you can defer loan payments or waive certain fees.
• If you can afford it, investing in index funds during a recession is a safe option. But if youre looking for a slightly more aggressive approach, check out some free investment classes to learn more.

What If I Am Eligible For The Stimulus Checks But I Didnt File A 2019 Or 2020 Tax Return And Didnt Use The Irs Non

File your 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.

You can file a tax return even if you dont have a filing requirement to get other tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.

If you didnt get your first or second stimulus check or didnt get the full amount that you are eligible for, file a 2020 federal tax return and claim them as part of your tax refund or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement. The deadline to use GetCTC.org is November 15, 2021.

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Was There A Third Stimulus Check

The vast majority of the third stimulus payments were automatically delivered to taxpayers’ bank accounts or via a check in the mail last spring. The payments were authorized by the American Rescue Plan in March 2021 and were meant to help people struggling financially because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Are Stimulus Checks Helping The Economy

The U.S. economy continues to struggle with higher-than-normal layoffs and other setbacks. Roughly 730,000 people filed for unemployment benefits in the week ended February 20, a drop of 111,000 from the previous week yet still higher than prior to the pandemic. New economic data released on February 17 indicates that the second stimulus check is working to stoke the economy, with retail sales jumping 5.3% in January, or five times higher than expected.

“Those outsized gains in big-ticket discretionary items suggests the $900 billion fiscal stimulus passed late last year is working as intended with most Americans receiving $600 per person stimulus checks early in the month, while monthly unemployment insurance payments were increased,” noted Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, in a report.

“The economy remains weak, the jobs recovery has lost momentum, and there are nearly 10 million fewer jobs than in February of 2020,” the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in a February report. It added that millions should be helped by Mr. Biden’s proposed stimulus package.

Here’s what the experts are saying about the next stimulus check and who may be eligible.

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What Comes Next

Congressional debates about a fourth stimulus check have all but evaporated, but some groups are still fighting for more direct stimulus relief for American families.

A new Omicron variety has led to an increase in vaccinations, with the US now distributing the third dosage to persons aged 16 and older.

Although the countrys economy has been disrupted, the relaxation of limitations has helped local and national enterprises recover from the epidemic. Businesses are still having difficulty finding enough workers despite the recent drop in unemployment. Two years after the epidemic began, the good news isnt good news for those who are still battling to lift their heads above water.

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How Do I Get It

• The stimulus payments will be processed by the IRS.
• If you have already filed a 2019 tax return, you will get the stimulus payment automatically. You will receive it in the same form as your tax refund. If you requested direct deposit, then the stimulus will be direct deposited. If you requested a paper check, then the stimulus will be mailed to the same address on your 2019 tax return.
• If you entered your information into the IRS non-filer portal earlier in 2020, you will get the stimulus payment automatically. You do not have to do anything.
• If you receive one of the following benefits, you will get the stimulus payment automatically. You do not have to do anything.
• Social Security

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