This article was published when the first stimulus checks were deposited in April 2020. You can find information on the second stimulus check here.
The first wave of stimulus relief checks were deposited into some Americans' bank accounts over the weekend, according to the IRS. Millions more can expect to receive theirs in the coming weeks as part of the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill passed to aid Americans suffering financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
To help taxpayers check the status of their payment, the IRS is rolling out a tracking tool called "Get My Payment" by April 17. The tool will also let users update their direct deposit information with the IRS.
The agency also unveiled an online tool for low-income Americans who do not typically file taxes to enter their banking information to receive a payment.
The checks, worth $1,200 for individuals with adjusted gross income below $75,000 and $2,400 for couples earning below $150,000, are part of the federal government's response to unprecedented unemployment levels and financial strain caused by Covid-19.
Those who filed 2018 or 2019 returns and authorized direct deposit from the IRS will be paid first. The U.S. Treasury Department announced Monday that tens of millions of Americans should receive their deposits by Wednesday, April 15, and the department "expects a large majority of eligible Americans will receive Economic Impact Payments within the next two weeks."
It will take much longer for others, including those who do not typically file returns or opt to receive paper checks. Paper checks won't start being mailed until the beginning of May, according to a memo from the House Ways and Means Committee, and the IRS plans to prioritize sending those checks to lower income households first.
And remember: Scammers are already trying to cash in on the stimulus payments. Be on high alert.
Editor's note: This post was updated with the Treasury Department's most recent announcement.
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Tax season is already underway (the new deadline is May 17), 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 (more on those forms below).
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 (or at all), 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. (And here's what we know about a fourth stimulus check). This story was updated.
How much was the first stimulus check and when was it sent out?
The CARES Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020, and the first stimulus check, which maxed out at $1,200 per person (with an extra $500 per dependent), would have arrived as early as mid-April 2020, either as a paper check in your mailbox or via direct deposit into your bank account.
If you don't have an IRS Notice 1444 and you know (or think) you received money from the first stimulus check via direct deposit, start your search in your April bank statements. If you still can't find a record of receipt, use our first stimulus check calculator below to figure out how much you should have received. You can then find what you need to claim your money by logging into your tax account on the IRS website.
Now playing: Watch this: Stimulus check 3: How much money you'll get
What about the second stimulus check amount and dates?
Congress approved another economic relief bill at the end of last year, and the second round of stimulus check payments began sending as early as Dec. 29, 2020. This payment capped out at $600 per person, and another $600 per qualifying child dependent. If you don't have IRS Notice 1444-B and can't find anything in your December and January bank statements, check out our handy stimulus check 2 calculator to get an idea of what you were entitled to and then head to the IRS website to get what you need.
Stimulus check 1 calculator
Although there's a new set of stimulus check qualifications for the third check, we left this calculator from the first stimulus check here for the sake of posterity, in case you wanted to compare estimates or to see if you got the amount you thought you would (if not, here's how to file for a Recovery Rebate Credit with the IRS).
By the way, the calculator doesn't retain your personal details in any way. Keep in mind that it provides an estimate of the total amount you might have received -- it isn't a final figure from the IRS.
Important: Make sure you have your AGI
CNET's stimulus check calculator tool is based on rules from the CARES Act that was passed in March, 2020. It's intended to give you an estimate of what you should have received in your first stimulus check. To use the tool, you'll need your adjusted gross income, or AGI, from your 2019 or 2018 tax information. You can find that figure on line 8b of the 2019 1040 tax form and line 7 on the 2018 1040 tax form. (And when you go to file your 2020 tax return, it'll be on line 11 of the 2020 1040 federal tax form.)
How to use the $1,200 stimulus calculator
The CARES Act allowed Americans to claim child dependents for $500 each, as long as they're 16 years old or younger (that is, under 17 years old). Here are exceptions to the current rules regarding when someone who's 17 to 24 years old can claim a stimulus check. If you don't typically file taxes, or have different circumstances, this provides more information.
Note: If you aren't able to view the calculator, please click this link. If on a mobile device, allow the calculator to load into a new browser tab.
If you don't usually file taxes, how to estimate your stimulus money
With the first checks, the IRS automatically sent stimulus checks to many who normally aren't required to file a tax return -- including older adults, Social Security and SSDI and SSI recipients and railroad retirees. (In some situations, eligible individuals and families who didn't file taxes needed to use the IRS Non-Filers tool to provide the IRS with enough information to send a check.) Some who didn't file taxes may be eligible for a payment but haven't yet claimed it.
If this is the case for you, enter your best guess where it asks for your adjusted gross income.
Reminder: Here's who qualified to receive a first stimulus check
In broad strokes, here's the income cap under the CARES Act:
- You're a single US citizen or resident alien and have an adjusted gross income less than $99,000
- You file as the head of a household and earn under $146,500
- You file jointly without children and earn less than $198,000
For everything to know about the first payment, see our guide to the first round of checks. We also have an idea for how quickly the IRS could send out the third round of payments.