What Was The First Stimulus Check Amount

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Stimulus Checks: Complete Timeline Of The First Economic Impact Payment

Hundreds yet to receive first stimulus check

As the outcry for a second stimulus check grows louder for millions of Americans, many are looking now back on the timeline of the first round for an idea of how much longer they might be waiting. In March, the U.S. passed a historic stimulus package, which included direct payments to individual taxpayers. It was the largest stimulus package ever passed, yet many people are already in dire need of more.

The stimulus check most Americans received this spring was included in the CARES Act the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. The U.S. Congress passed the bill in March and directed the Treasury Department to send the money out to Americans via the IRS, using the payment information included in the most recent round of taxes. This is one area where a second stimulus check would theoretically come much fast the IRS now has up-to-date payment information for most Americans. Still, there is a lot to consider with an operation of this size.

The CARES Act was not the U.S. government’s first bill responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and it was never really expected to be the last. As the timeline for this crisis extends, so does the planning for relief measures including more stimulus. Congress was ahead of schedule in this regard, passing the HEROES Act in mid-May, which could lead to another round of stimulus checks.

Find Out How Much Your Second Stimulus Check Will Be Using This Handy Tool

You probably heard that you’ll be getting a second stimulus check from the IRS as part of the latest economic stimulus law passed by Congress. This time, the base amount will be $600 per eligible person . However, not everyone will get the same amount. If you’re married or have children under 17 years of age, your family could get a larger second stimulus check. On the other hand, if your income is above a certain level, your second stimulus check will be loweror you might not get a check at all.

To see how large your payment will be, answer the three questions in the calculator below and we’ll give you a customized estimate of your second stimulus check amount.

Ways To Find The Amount Of Your First And Your Second Stimulus Checks

Hint: If you lost the letter on your payment the IRS sent you, you have options. We’ll tell you what you need to know.

Shelby Brown

Staff Writer

Shelby Brown is a writer for CNET’s services and software team. She covers tips and tricks for apps and devices, as well as Apple Arcade news.

The first and second stimulus payments still haven’t arrived for some folks. If this is the case for you, you can claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 tax return — oh, and don’t worry, the IRS extended the filing deadline. Taxes are now due on May 17, so you — and the IRS — have a bit more time.

If you want to check the amount of your first and second payments — for a jog to your memory, your records or for taxes — you can no longer view it in the Get My Payment tool. But we can help. Here are two ways to find out the amounts of your first two stimulus checks.

Recommended Reading: Get My Stimulus Payment 1400

First And Second Stimulus Check Amount

The first stimulus checks were sent in early 2020. Those who havent gotten their stimulus payments will receive it with the recovery rebate credit. The stimulus checks were actually an advanced payment of this credit taxpayers got in early 2020.

The first stimulus payment wasnt as low as this though. The IRS handed out $1,200 to every taxpayer who qualified for the full payment. If your AGI is below $75,000 you qualify for the full payment and it phases out completely at $99,000.

However, if your adjusted gross income is between $75,000 and $99,000, you get a partial check. Keep in mind that these AGI thresholds are for single filers. If youre a joint filer, simply double the threshold as well as the stimulus payment.

How Much Was The First Stimulus Check

Stimulus check 2021: What to do if you must file a tax return

The first stimulus check was $1,200 per adult and $500 per child.

$1,200 , plus

an amount equal to the product of $500 multiplied by the number of qualifying children ) of the taxpayer.

-SEC. 6428. 2020 RECOVERY REBATES FOR INDIVIDUALS

The first stimulus check was sent out starting around April 11th, 2020.

Also Check: H& r Block Stimulus Tracker

Can Creditors Take My Check

Can back taxes or child support be taken out of the checks? The stimulus payments are not taxable and are not subject to garnishment by the government for back taxes or student loan defaults. The same is true for past due child support payments or private debts–for the second and third stimulus checks.

Can my bank take my stimulus check? If your bank account is overdrawn because of overdrafts or outstanding fees, your bank may take part or all of your stimulus check to bring your account even. However, when the second stimulus check came out, many large banks stated that they would bring customers’ bank balances to zero, temporarily, so that customers could access their stimulus checks. This includes Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase.

When Will I Get My Check

The IRS has already started issuing electronic payments through direct deposit. This method of payment takes far less time than printing and mailing a paper check. The IRS will use bank account information from your 2018 or 2019 tax return , or from the Social Security Administration, Railroad Retirement Board, or Veterans Administration, to deposit stimulus payments into your account. If you don’t file a tax return or receive federal government benefits, there is a web-based portal that you can use to provide your banking information to the IRS online.

The IRS also has an online “Get My Payment” tool where you can check your payment status, confirm your payment type , and enter your bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn’t already have that information and they haven’t sent your payment yet.

If the IRS doesn’t have your bank account information, they will mail you a paper check. However, the first batch of paper checks isn’t expected to be mailed until late April. After that, the reported plan is to send out as many as 5 million checks each week, with lower-income people getting paid first. Higher-income taxpayers might not see a relief check until September under the IRS timetable.

For more information on the expected IRS payment schedule, see When Will I Get My Stimulus Check?

Don’t Miss: When Will The $1400 Stimulus Checks Be Mailed Out

Just Like That First $1400 Stimulus Checks Are Out

With reports of people seeing the third round of direct stimulus payments in their bank accounts just one day after President Joe Biden signed his American Rescue Plan into law, its time to dive into the details. Weve tried to answer the most important questions you may have about eligibility, amounts, timing and delivery methods.

The Latest On $1400 Stimulus Checks

What if I never got my first $1,200 stimulus check?

This tax season, the government is also issuing a third tranche of third stimulus checks for up to $1,400 per individual, plus $1,400 per eligible dependent.

Last week, the IRS and other agencies said about 127 million checks have been sent to date, for a total of approximately $325 billion.

Those $1,400 payments are generally based on 2019 or 2020 tax returns, whichever was most recently filed and processed by the IRS. Those who used the IRS non-filer tool last year should also automatically get their payments.

There are also advantages to filing a 2020 return in order to receive the $1,400 payment, according to the IRS.

If your income dropped from 2019 to 2020, you could be eligible for a larger payment. The IRS has said it may potentially send follow-on payments to those people after their 2020 tax returns are processed.

Filing a 2020 tax return also lets you update your direct deposit information.

This tax season, non-filers are also required to file a tax return in order to get their payment, provided they have not already submitted their information to the government.

Of note, people who receive federal benefits such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement Board and Veterans Affairs will generally receive their stimulus checks automatically, though there have been delays in processing some of those payments.

Recommended Reading: Recovery Rebate Credit Second Stimulus

See Also: 12 Ways Covid

However, even if you don’t get a check now, you won’t lose out on the money–you’ll just have to wait until next year to get it. As we already noted, the checks that will be sent now are really just advanced payments of a new 2020 tax credit. So, if you don’t get a stimulus payment in 2020, you can claim it next year as a refund or reduction of the tax you owe if you file a 2020 tax return by April 15, 2021.

Was I Eligible To Get A Stimulus Check

You were eligible to get a stimulus check and should have gotten the full amount if you filed taxes and had an adjusted gross income of:

  • up to $75,000 if single or married filing separately.
  • up to $112,500 if you filed as head of household
  • up to $150,000 if married and you filed a joint tax return.

Read Also: H& r Block Stimulus Check

What If I Had A Child In 2020

Unfortunately, if you had a child earlier this year and filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return, you will not get an additional $500 in your stimulus check for him or her. You can, however, get an additional $500 recovery rebate credit for your new baby on your 2020 tax return.

If didn’t file a 2018 or 2019 tax return, or you receive benefits from the Social Security Administration, Railroad Retirement Board, or Veterans Administration, you can use the IRS’s “Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info Here” tool to claim a new baby and to get an extra $500 added to your stimulus check .

How Much Was The First Stimulus Check Your Tax Return May Need That Total

How Much Was Received On The First Stimulus Check

Before you file your 2020 tax return, use this handy stimulus payment calculator to estimate how much your household should have received with the first payment.

Clifford Colby

Managing Editor

Clifford is a managing editor at CNET. He spent a handful of years at Peachpit Press, editing books on everything from the first iPhone to Python. He also worked at a handful of now-dead computer magazines, including MacWEEK and MacUser. Unrelated, he roots for the Oakland A’s.

Tax season is already underway , which means it’s time to gather your W-2s and 1099 forms. And this year, you may also need IRS notices 1444 and 1444-B, which verify how much stimulus check money you’ve received with the first and second checks .

The first two stimulus checks were issued in 2020, and if you received any amount from these payments, you’ll need to know how much before you file your 2020 taxes. Here’s why: If you didn’t receive your checks in full , your 2020 tax return is your opportunity to file for the Recovery Rebate Credit and recoup that missing stimulus money.

In the meantime, the IRS is sending third stimulus checks for up to $1,400 apiece to people who qualify for the new eligibility rulesand income limits. Whether you already got your third stimulus check or you’re still waiting, it’s important to look back at what you received — or didn’t receive — from checks one and two. . This story was updated.

Also Check: When Can Social Security Recipients Expect The Stimulus Check

How Will I Get My Payment If I Got A Refund Anticipation Check Or Refund Anticipation Loan When I Filed My Taxes

The IRS will attempt to deliver your payment to the account information provided on your tax return. Some RALs and RACs are issued through debit cards. If the card is still active, you will receive your payment on the card. If the account or card is no longer active, the deposit will be rejected, and the IRS will send a paper check to the address on the tax return.

You can request a payment trace to track where and how your payment was delivered. You should only request a payment trace if you received IRS Notice 1444 showing that your first stimulus check was issued or if your IRS account shows your payment amount and you havent received your first stimulus check. See Question 24 to learn more about how to request a payment trace.

What If I Don’t Receive A Third Stimulus Check

Those who don’t file tax returns, including those who earn little income and recent college graduates, may have to wait until they file a tax return in April 2022 to get their stimulus rebate if they didn’t file a tax return for 2020 taxes or submit “non-filer” information to the IRS last year. Married couples with incomes below $24,400 and individuals with incomes under $12,200 fall into this category.

The IRS is still updating its Get My Payment tool with new payment information. Once it’s loaded with up-to-date information, individuals can check when their stimulus payment went out. If you have any issue with getting your second or third payment, see our article on what to do if you haven’t received your stimulus check.

Filing a tax return for 2020. If you don’t receive government benefits, and you didn’t file a tax return for 2019 or 2020 taxes or submit “non-filer” information to the IRS by November 21, 2020, you may not automatically get a third stimulus check. You might need to wait to file a tax return for the 2021 tax year and request a “Recovery Rebate Credit.” You will fill in the amount you are owed on line 30 of IRS Form 1040 .

Also Check: Third Stimulus Check File Taxes

If I Owe Child Support Will Mytax Return Be Applied Tomychild Supportarrears

  • Maybe.Federal law and regulationsdetermine when federal payments are intercepted and applied to child support arrears.

  • IfTANFhas been received for your child,thetotalamount of past due supportonall ofyourchild support cases must be at least $150

  • IfTANFhasnotbeenreceivedfor your child,thetotalamount of past due supportonall ofyour child support casesmust be at least $500

I Already Filed My Tax Return And Still Havent Gotten My Payment What Can I Do

Third Stimulus Checks: When and How Will You Get $1,400?

If you filed a 2019 tax return and it wasnt processed in time to issue your first stimulus check by December 31, 2020, you can claim your first stimulus check as the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit on your 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.

If you filed your 2020 tax return, the IRS may still be processing your return. The fastest way to receive the payment is through direct deposit. Your first stimulus check, which you claim as the Recovery Rebate Credit, will be sent as part of your tax refund. You can check the status of your tax refund using the IRS tool Wheres My Refund.

Because of COVID-19, it is taking more than 21 days for the IRS to issue refunds for certain mailed and e-filed 2020 tax returns that require review.

Americans Who Didnt Receive Any Stimulus Checks At All

Many Americans out there just havent received any of their promised stimulus checks. If thats you, you should jump at the opportunity to claim your credit.

A number of circumstances can cause these delays for you: Perhaps youve moved and the IRS doesnt have your new address on file. Maybe the IRS did have the correct address or bank account information, but it never hit your checking account or perhaps got lost in the mail. All of these would be instances when you should apply to reconcile your payment on your tax return.

As always, its good practice to go back through your records and find any documents from the IRS showing your designated stimulus amount, if you have them. Then, look back through your deposit statements around the time when both stimulus checks mightve been cashed or deposited .

The IRSGet My Payment tool will be helpful for tracking both of those checks statuses. That portal should also give you information showing the date of payment and the method , according to the IRS.

If all of your research validates these suspicions, its time to claim your Recovery Rebate Credit.

The Us Federal Government Sent Out Three Waves Of Stimulus Payments Since The Start Of The Covid

The US is in the throes 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.

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