Stimulus Checks Round Two
Second Round of Economic Impact Payments to Millions of Americans
The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have begun delivering a second round of Economic Impact Payments as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 to millions of Americans who received the first round of payments earlier in 2020.
This time around, U.S. citizens and resident aliens who are not eligible to be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s income tax return are eligible for this second payment. Eligible individuals will automatically receive an Economic Impact Payment of up to $600 for individuals or $1,200 for married couples and up to $600 for each qualifying child. If you have adjusted gross income for 2019 up to $75,000 for individuals and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns and surviving spouses, you will receive the full amount of the second payment. For filers with income above those amounts, the payment amount is reduced.
Where is my check?
As with the first round of payments under the CARES Act, 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. Hughes members who received their first-round payment via direct deposit have begun to see their new payments arrive.
Check eligibility and monitor the status of your payment using the Get My Payment tool at IRS.gov.
If you get a paper check or debit card
The IRS has already started mailing checks and debit cards but it could be three to four weeks until your payment lands in your mailbox. Depending on the size of your payment, you’ll be able to deposit your check using the Hughes Mobile App (up to $1,500), or at a Hughes branch or shared branch location (over $1,500).
A limited number of payments will be sent out by debit card. The form of payment for the second mailed stimulus payment may be different than for the first mailed payment. Some people who received a paper check last time might receive a debit card this time, and vice versa.
Did you file using TurboTax or H&R Block?
If you filed with either TurboTax or H&R Block, you could be waiting a little longer. Due to an IRS error where funds were sent to temporary bank accounts created by the tax preparer that were no longer active, an estimated 20 million people who paid for tax preparation fees using their refund could experience a delay in payment.
What’s taking so long? By law, the financial institution that received your payment must return the funds to the IRS if the account is closed or inactive. “The IRS and tax industry partners are taking immediate steps to redirect stimulus payments to the correct account for those affected,” the IRS said in a statement.
Why is the Get My Payment Tool showing me an error message?
What if I never received my first stimulus payment?
Learn more
Visit IRS.gov for the latest updates on Coronavirus Tax Relief.
Watch out for scams
The FCC and the IRS are both warning consumers to beware of scammers trying to get ahold of your stimulus check. These scams are intended to steal personal information and money. The IRS will not call, text, email, or reach out via social media asking for personal bank account information. Be extra mindful of emails claiming to have special information about economic relief payments or refunds. Beware of calls, text messages, and emails that promise a speedy delivery by paying a “processing fee.”