Third Round Of Stimulus Checks: March 2021
Barely a week after the second round of stimulus payments were completed, new president Joe Biden entered office and immediately unveiled his American Rescue Plan, which proposed a third of round of payments to Americans, including some of those who might have missed out on the first two rounds.
On Thursday 11 March, Biden signed his $1.9tn American Rescue Plan into law. The third payment provided eligible individual taxpayers for a check of up to $1,400, while couples filing jointly could receive a maximum of $2,800. In addition, families with dependents were eligible for an extra payment of $1,400 per dependent, regardless of the dependent’s age this time, there was no limit to the number of dependents that could be claimed for.
The first stimulus payments were issued swiftly – just hours after Biden has signed the bill, the first batch of 164 million payments, with a total value of approximately $386 billion, arrived by direct deposit in individuals bank accounts. Some received their payments on the weekend of 13/14 March 2021. Since then, payments had been sent on a weekly basis including “plus-up” payments until the end of the year. Like before, those who didn’t get all the EPI3 funds in 2021 due to them will be able to claim them when they file their tax returns in the spring of 2022.
Why Are States Giving Out A Fourth Stimulus Check
It all started back when the American Rescue Plan rolled out. States were given $195 billion to help fund their own local economic recovery at the state level.1 But they dont have forever to spend this moneystates have to figure out what to use it on by the end of 2024, and then they have until the end of 2026 to spend all that cash.2That might sound like forever, but the clock is ticking here.
Some states have given out their own version of a stimulus check to everyone, and others are targeting it at specific groups like teachers. And other states? Well, they havent spent any of it yet.
Some states like Colorado, Maryland and New Mexico are giving stimulus checks to people who make less than a certain amount of money or who were on unemployment. So far, California is the only state to give out a wide-sweeping stimulus check.3 Other states like Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas are putting the money toward $1,000 bonuses for teachers.
Will There Be A Fourth Stimulus Check From The Government
Some lawmakers pushed for a fourth stimulus check to help Americans who were struggling to rebuild after COVID-19 and its economic impact. But that stimulus never happened.
With the economy and jobs both on the upswing after the country started to reopen, another federal stimulus check didnt seem necessary. But some states took matters into their own hands and sent out a fourth stimulus check to their residents.
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Can I Claim A Stimulus Check For Someone Who Is Deceased
Yes. For the third stimulus check, people who have died on or after January 1, 2021, are eligible to receive the third stimulus check. However, for married military couples, the date of eligibility is expanded. If the person who died was a member of the military and died before January 1, 2021, the surviving spouse can still receive the third stimulus check, even if they dont have an SSN.
For the first and second stimulus check, the IRS has stated that people who died on or after January 1, 2020, are eligible to receive both payments.
If they didnt receive the stimulus payments or didnt receive the full amounts that they are eligible for, spouses or other family members can file a 2020 federal tax return and claim it as part of their tax refund or use GetCTC.org if they dont have a filing requirement. The deadline to use GetCTC.org is November 15, 2021.
Projected Timeline For Sending Third Stimulus Checks
The IRS delivered virtually all of the second round of stimulus checks in less than a month, starting Dec. 29, 2020, two days after then-President Donald Trump signed the $900 billion bill into law.
Congress gave the IRS until Jan. 15, 2021, to issue the bulk of the 147 million payments so that the agency could quickly pivot to preparing for tax-filing season. After that, taxpayers were instructed to claim any missing stimulus money from the first or second rounds on their 2020 tax returns in the form of a tax credit.
The third round of payments hit at the height of the 2020 tax-filing season, and it was difficult for the IRS to ship all of the stimulus checks in less than a month and process millions of returns at the same time. To give itself some breathing room, the IRS moved the deadline for filing and paying federal income taxes to May 17.
The third stimulus payments are being rolled out in tranches, or groups, by direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card. The vast majority of all economic impact payments will be issued by direct deposit, the IRS says, and it will continue to send batches of EIPs every week.
The IRS, via the Treasury, sent the first tranche of payments on March 12, a total of 90 million payments worth about $242 billion. Most of these payments went to people who had filed 2019 or 2020 federal income taxes, or who had used the online IRS Non-Filers Tool.
May 5
May 12
May 26
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How Much Does The Third Stimulus Check Pay
The $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan includes a third round of $1,400 stimulus payments, topping off the $600 checks that were already approved by Congress in December 2020, and adding up to $2,000.
Congress passed the coronavirus relief plan with targeted income limits for maximum stimulus payments to individual taxpayers earning under $75,000 and joint filers making up to $150,000. But whereas the first and second rounds of stimulus payments phased out checks on a sliding scale of $5 for every $100 over the income limit, the new plan cuts off high earners at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for couples.
Eligibility for the third stimulus checks is based on your tax filing status. For more information on who qualifies for a third stimulus check, our tables below will help you calculate different payment options.
How To Return A Paper Check You Have Cashed Or Deposited
If you have already cashed or deposited the check , heres how you can return the money:
- Make a personal check or money order payable to U.S. Treasury.
- Write 2020EIP on the payment and include either the taxpayer identification number or Social Security number of the person whose name was on the stimulus payment.
- On a sticky note or sheet of paper, write down the reason youre sending back the check or money order.
- Mail the check or money order and the explanation to your local IRS office .15
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Do I Qualify For The New Stimulus Check Payments
It has been reported that for the second round of stimulus check payments, individuals who earned under $75,000 per year would be receiving a one-time direct payment of $600. Also, in the event that you werent eligible for the first payment and did not move in to claim your dependent, you would be receiving an extra $600. If you also did not qualify previously and went on to claim a couple of dependents, you would be receiving a sum of $500 which will be added.
One needs to remember that if they received the stimulus check in the first issue, and then went on to claim a couple of dependents, they would be receiving a sum of $500.
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Special Reminder For Those Who Dont Normally File A Tax Return
People who dont normally file a tax return and dont receive federal benefits may qualify for stimulus payments. This includes those without a permanent address, an income or bank account.
If youre eligible and didnt get a first, second or third Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts, you may be eligible for a Recovery Rebate Credit, but youll need to file a tax return.
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How Will The Irs Know Where To Send My Payment What If I Changed Bank Accounts
The IRS will use the data already in our systems to send the new payments. Taxpayers with direct deposit information on file will receive the payment that way. For those without current direct deposit information on file, they will receive the payment as a check or debit card in the mail. For those eligible but who dont receive the payment for any reason, it can be claimed by filing a 2020 tax return in 2021. Remember, the Economic Impact Payments are an advance payment of what will be called the Recovery Rebate Credit on the 2020 Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR.
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.
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The 2021 Stimulus Payment
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan was signed into law. It called for sending a third round of stimulus checks to Americans. The American Rescue Plan authorized a $1,400 stimulus payment to eligible people. Learn more about it on the IRS website. Most people already received their payments, which were based on income reported on their 2019 or 2020 tax return.
If you believe you did not get all or part of the $1,400 stimulus from the American Rescue Plan of 2021, you should claim this as a recovery rebate credit on your 2021 tax returnLearn where to get help filing your taxes.
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Stimulus Update: Inflation Stimulus Check
12 Min Read | Aug 29, 2022
Social distancing, remote learning, stimulus paymentsthe COVID-19 pandemic introduced us all to lots of new concepts.
And while the 6-foot rule has gone out the window , stimulus checks have hung around. But instead of a stimulus for pandemic relief, state politicians are now cutting stimulus checks to help ease the pain of record-high inflation and gas prices. And theres even talk of a federal inflation stimulus check.
So, is more stimulus money coming your way? Lets take a look.
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When Can We Expect The Next Stimulus Check
The third stimulus check passed through a process called budget reconciliation, which allowed Democrats to push the legislation through with a simple majority vote in the Senate. The bill did not get any Republican support.
There is a limit on the number of times reconciliation can be used. Democrats are now focused on other priorities and Republicans have made it clear theyre not interested in providing additional COVID relief. As such, its unlikely a fourth stimulus check will be authorized. This is especially true as states ease lockdowns and vaccinations ramp up.
I Claimed An Adult Dependent On My 2019 Or 2020 Taxes But That Person Is No Longer My Dependent What Should I Do
Check with your dependent to find out if theyve already filed a tax return since their dependent status ended. They may have already received a stimulus payment of their own. If they have not filed their own tax return and you receive a larger payment that accounts for your former dependent, you dont need to return it.
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Do I Qualify And How Much Will I Receive
If you receive certain social security, retirement, disability, survivors, railroad retirement, or veterans benefits, you may automatically qualify to receive a payment. Learn more to see if this applies to you.
For most people, the IRS will use information from your 2019 or 2018 tax return or information that you provide to see if you qualify for an Economic Impact Payment.
To qualify for a payment, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien
- Not be claimed as a dependent on someone elses tax return
- Have a valid Social Security Number . Or if you or your spouse is a member of the military, only one of you needs a valid SSN
- Have an adjusted gross income below a certain amount that is based on your filing status and the number of qualifying children under the age of 17. If you are not required to file taxes because you have limited income, even if you have no income, you are still eligible for payment.
You may be eligible based on the criteria below, even if you arent required to file taxes. If you qualify, your Economic Impact Payment amount will be based on your adjusted gross income, filing status, and the number of qualifying children under age of 17. You will receive either the full payment or a reduced amount at higher incomes.
Find Out Which Payments You Received
To find the amounts of your Economic Impact Payments, check:
Your Online Account: Securely access your individual IRS account online to view the total of your first, second and third Economic Impact Payment amounts under the Economic Impact Payment Information section on the Tax Records page.
IRS EIP Notices: We mailed these notices to the address we have on file.
- Notice 1444: Shows the first Economic Impact Payment sent for tax year 2020
- Notice 1444-B: Shows the second Economic Impact Payment sent for tax year 2020
- Notice 1444-C: Shows the third Economic Impact Payment sent for tax year 2021
Letter 6475: Through March 2022, we’ll send this letter confirming the total amount of the third Economic Impact Payment and any plus-up payments you received for tax year 2021.
You will need the total payment information from your online account or your letter to accurately calculate your Recovery Rebate Credit. For married filing joint individuals, each spouse will need to log into their own online account or review their own letter for their half of the total payment.
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Who Is Eligible For The Second Stimulus Check
Eligibility is primarily based on four requirements:
1. Income: The income requirements to receive the full payment are the same as the first stimulus check.There is no minimum income needed to qualify for the payment. Households with adjusted gross income up to $75,000 for individuals will receive the full payment. This stimulus payment starts to phaseout for people with higher earnings. The second stimulus check maximum income limit is lower than the first stimulus check. Single filers who earned more than $87,000 in 2019 are ineligible for the second stimulus check.
View the chart below to compare income requirements for the first and second stimulus checks.
| Income to Receive Full Stimulus Payment | First Stimulus Check Maximum Income Limit | Second Stimulus Check Maximum Income Limit |
| Single Filer | ||
| $136,500 | $124,500 |
2. Social Security Number: This requirement differs from the original eligibility for the first stimulus check. Originally under the first stimulus check, if you were married filing jointly, both spouses needed valid Social Security numbers . If one spouse had an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number , then both spouses were ineligible for the stimulus check. For married military couples, the spouse with an SSN could still get the stimulus check for themselves but not the other spouse with an ITIN.
Examples
Former first stimulus check rules:
Second stimulus check rules:
When Should I Get My Payment
The IRS was given hard and fast deadlines to send the two rounds of Economic Impact Payments out to American families. The first round of payments had to be sent out by December 31, 2020. The second round had to be sent out by January 15, 2021.
What this means: If you have not received the first or second round of payments yet, then you will not be getting them in advance. The good news is that you can still do something to get these payments. Read below.
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Do College Students Adult Dependents Get The Third Stimulus Check
Unlike the first and second rounds of checks, payments for dependents in the third round are not restricted to only children under 17.
According to the IRS website: âEligible families will get a payment based on all of their qualifying dependents claimed on their return, including older relatives like college students, adults with disabilities, parents and grandparents.â
Now itâs important to note that if youâre a dependent, the check wonât go to you, itâll go to whoever claims you as a dependent.
