A stimulus check is coming for the vast majority of Americans, but there are some people who aren’t going to be getting a stimulus check. Let’s take a look at those who are and aren’t, and review how much people will be getting.
First, let’s go over what the stimulus check is. Since the bill was written and rewritten several times, and because it was so hotly negotiated, some things changed during development. Under the bill that officially passed, every adult making under $75,000 will get $1,200. Couples in households making under $150,000 will get $2,400. This is an important distinction—if one spouse earns $100,000 and the other spouse earns $0, they will still get the full $2,400.
Who Isn’t Getting a Stimulus Check?
Dependent children are not going to receive their own stimulus check, and this is determined by whether the child was claimed under the last filed tax year. Instead, the parent who claimed them as dependents will get $500. So, that leaves out a lot of college students, though their parents are still free to pass along the $500 they get.
Taxpaying immigrants also aren’t getting stimulus checks. These are immigrants who file taxes with the federal government, but they’re also undocumented — so they lie in a gray area. Some may be in the process of being legalized, but they aren’t currently legal immigrants.
Those who make over $75,000 (or $150,000) will see their benefits start to get phased out at a rate of $0.05 for every dollar. So, if someone makes $80,000, they make $5,000 more than the soft cap. $5,000 times $0.05 is $250. They will receive $950. This also means that anyone who makes over $99,000 for an individual or $198,000 for a couple will not receive any stimulus check.
Are There Others Who Won’t Receive a Stimulus?
Some people have been concerned that those who owe the IRS money may not get their stimulus. This has been confirmed to be false; the IRS is going to distribute stimulus checks even to those who have preexisting debts for taxes. Further, those who haven’t filed for 2019 will still get their stimulus check. The amount will simply be based on their filing for 2018, rather than 2019.
That being said, there’s another segment of people who might not get a stimulus check: Those who don’t have the same bank account. The IRS will be trying to direct deposit checks into the same bank account that was used to file the last time, and those accounts might be closed. It’s still up in the air how these issues might be resolved.
What is known is that it’s probably not going to be any time fast. The stimulus checks aren’t likely to go out until May at earliest. People whose budgets are tight are going to need to take action on their own.
