For information on the third coronavirus relief package, please visit our “American Rescue Plan: What Does it Mean for You and a Third Stimulus Check” blog post.
As a part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act recently signed into law, the IRS announced that they have begun issuing a second round of stimulus payments to eligible tax filers.
Here are answers to some of the top questions you may have about the second stimulus checks:
If you have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to $75,000 ($112,500 Head of Household, $150,000 Married Filing Kointly), you could be eligible for the full amount of the recovery rebate – $600 for eligible individuals, $1,200 for joint taxpayers, and an additional $600 for each dependent child under 17.
*Note, adjusted gross income (AGI) is your gross income like wages, salaries, or interest minus adjustments for eligible deductions like student loan interest or your IRA deduction. Your AGI can be found on line 8b of your 2019 Form 1040.
As your AGI increases over $75,000 ($112,500 for those filing Head of Household and $150,000 Married Filing Jointly), the stimulus amount will go down. The stimulus check rebate will completely phase out at $87,000 for Single filers, at $124,500 for those filing as Head of Household and at $174,000 for those Married Filing Jointly with no dependents.
The same eligibility rules apply to the second stimulus payment as the first one. You must have a valid Social Security number, and you can’t have been claimed as a dependent on someone else’s 2019 tax return.
In general, taxpayers without an eligible Social Security number are not eligible for the payment. However, households with different immigration and citizenship statuses will be eligible to receive $600 per individual and $600 per child with Social Security numbers.
There is nothing you need to do to get a stimulus payment. The IRS has begun issuing stimulus payments using the most recent information they have on file, likely from your 2019 tax return, either by direct deposit or by check.
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. As part of the income tax filing, the IRS receives accurate banking information for all TurboTax filers who receive a tax refund, which the IRS is able to use to deposit stimulus payments.
The IRS is directing tax filers, who have not received their full payment by the time they file their 2020 tax return, to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on this year’s tax return since these payments are an advance of the Recovery Rebate Credit on the 2020 Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. TurboTax will guide tax filers through the process of claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit so that eligible filers get every dollar they deserve.
According to the IRS, direct deposit payments have begun being distributed. Paper checks and prepaid debit cards for eligible filers who do not have ACH information on file began being mailed starting Wednesday, December 30.
The IRS is the only source for when and how your stimulus payment will be distributed. You can check the status of both your first and second payments by using the Get My Payment tool, available in English and Spanish on IRS.gov.
Unfortunately, because of an IRS error, millions of payments were sent to the wrong accounts and some may not have received their stimulus payment. We have been working tirelessly on a solution with the Treasury and the IRS. As a result, our expectation now is that within days the error will be corrected and stimulus payments will begin being deposited into the correct bank accounts. We will keep you updated on our efforts here.
Currently, the IRS will use the information it has on file to deliver stimulus checks, including if you registered using the IRS Enter Payment Information tool in 2020. If you are a Social Security retirement or disability income recipient who doesn’t typically file a tax return, you do not need to take any action to get your stimulus payment as it will be automatically calculated based on information from your 2019 Form SSA-1099 Social Security Benefit Statement or RRB-1099 Social Security Equivalent Benefit Statement and deposited by the IRS.
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) you will automatically receive your stimulus payment with no further action needed. The Treasury Department, not the Social Security Administration, will make these automatic payments to SSI recipients. You will generally receive the automatic payments by direct deposit, Direct Express debit card, or by paper check, just as you would normally receive your SSI benefits.
Veterans and their beneficiaries who receive Compensation and Pension (C and P) benefit payments from VA who don’t usually file a tax return and didn’t file their tax year 2018 or tax year 2019 taxes also don’t need to do anything and will automatically receive their $600 stimulus check.
If none of these apply, you should be able to file a 2020 tax return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit to get any payments you deserve during the upcoming filing season.
The IRS will issue a letter or form that shows the amount of stimulus you were issued for your records. If you didn’t receive a full stimulus payment and you are eligible to claim more in the form of a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 taxes you should have the form showing the amount of your payment in front of you when you sit down to file your taxes.
The second stimulus payments will be advance payments of the recovery rebate credit just like the first stimulus payments under the CARES Act. If you are eligible and do not get a payment or it is less than expected, you may be able to claim it on your 2020 tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS is directing tax filers, who have not received their full payment by the time they file their 2020 tax return, to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax return. TurboTax will guide tax filers through the process of claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit so that eligible filers get every dollar they deserve.
Additionally, if you received too much stimulus based on your actual 2020 income you will not have to pay it back through a tax return in the upcoming filing season, just like the first stimulus payment.
The IRS may deposit some stimulus payments on debit cards, including the Turbo® Visa® Debit Card, for taxpayers that chose to receive their refund through that method in tax year 2019. If you received your refund on a Turbo® Visa® Debit Card during your most recent tax filing (2019), here is what you need to know.
If you have access to your debit card, there is nothing more you need to do. If the IRS deposits a stimulus payment onto your debit card, you will be able to immediately use the stimulus funds upon deposit.
If you received a notification that you will be receiving your stimulus payment from the IRS on your debit card and no longer have access to it, you can request a replacement card by either signing in to your Turbo Visa Debit Card account or calling 888-285-4169 and reporting your card lost/stolen. We’ll waive or refund standard replacement fees so there’s no cost to you.
The IRS recently began issuing a second round of stimulus payments to those eligible. Unfortunately, because of an IRS error, millions of payments were sent to the wrong accounts and some may not have received their stimulus payment.
We have been working tirelessly on a solution with the Treasury and the IRS. As a result, our expectation now is that within days the error will be corrected and stimulus payments will begin being deposited into the correct bank accounts. We have also re-confirmed with the IRS that they have all of the correct banking information for our customers.
We know how important these funds are for so many Americans and that everyone is anxious to get their money, now more than ever.
We will keep you updated on our efforts here.
The IRS cannot change payment information, including bank account or mailing information. If you are eligible and do not get a payment or it is less than expected, you may be able to claim it on your 2020 tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit.
You can be confident that TurboTax is here to keep you informed and help you file now.
TurboTax has COVID-19 specific guidance to help you with impacts that happened this year and through coronavirus relief. TurboTax will ask you upfront if you received a stimulus payment and help you claim the Recovery Rebate Credit and other tax deductions and credits you’re eligible for based on your entries.
If you have questions, you can connect live via one-way video to a TurboTax Live CPA or tax expert with an average 12 years of experience and get your tax questions answered. TurboTax Live CPAs and tax experts are available in English and Spanish, year round and can also review, sign, and file your tax return or you can fully hand over your taxes with TurboTax Live Full Service. All from the comfort of your home.
TurboTax will continue to keep you updated on coronavirus relief as more details and guidance come out. Be sure to check back with the TurboTax Blog and our TurboTax Coronavirus Tax Center for the latest information.
