Stimulus check qualifications might be more complicated than you think. What we know

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Congress hasn’t yet agreed who’ll be eligible to receive a second stimulus check, but it’s expected that more people will be included the second time around.


Sarah Tew/CNET

Is there still hope that a new stimulus bill or an executive order could authorize a second stimulus check this year? And if so, would you make the cut to receive it?

Here’s the summary so far. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that her chamber would remain in session until an agreement is reached. And there’s increased activity in Washington, from President Donald Trump urging Republicans to accept a bigger bill to a specialized Problem Solvers Caucus within the House suggesting a $2 trillion compromise proposal it hopes is amenable to both sides of the aisle.

If a potential second round of direct payments goes through, the first stimulus check is expected to form the basis when it comes to how much money you might receive based on your yearly income and the number of dependents you have, who wouldn’t qualify for their own stimulus check. The eligibility rules — which could continue to change before finalized — draw from tax code, which can get complicated, fast. Keep reading for everything we currently know.

If your first stimulus check left out your kids, follow these steps — you may also be able to claim a payment for yourself if you don’t normally file taxes and didn’t receive that first check. And for an estimate of how much you might be due in a second payment, use CNET’s stimulus check calculator. This story is updated often.

Read more: 6 top things you need to know about stimulus checks

Stimulus check qualifications: Might you be eligible?

We won’t know for certain who will qualify for a new stimulus payment until Congress passes the legislation. We can, however, draw from the first stimulus check’s eligibility requirements and the Heroes Act and HEALS Act proposals (neither of which is law) to get an idea of who may or may not get a second check, including a few unexpected qualifiers below. 

Both Republicans and Democrats are using adjusted gross income, or AGI, to determine the payment amount for individuals and families, which would cap at $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples.

Who might qualify for the next stimulus check

Qualifying group Likely to be in final bill Unlikely to be in final bill
Individual An AGI of less than $99,000, under both proposals
Head of household An AGI of less than $146,500, under both proposals
Couple filing jointly An AGI less than $198,000, under both proposals
Dependents of any age No dependents limit specified, under HEALS Act Up to 3 dependents, under Heroes Act
Noncitizens who pay taxes Under Heroes Act
Incarcerated people Under CARES Act
Owe child support CARES Act excludes those who owe child support. Heroes Act includes them
US citizen living abroad Included under CARES Act
Live in US territory Under CARES Act, payments handled by each territory’s tax authority
SSDI recipients Included under CARES Act
Tax nonfilers Included under CARES Act


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More dependents could be eligible for money

While the initial payments authorized under the CARES Act included $500 for dependents aged 16 and younger, the HEALS and Heroes Act would both loop in any dependent, regardless of age, including college students and adult dependents. (Here’s the youngest you can be to qualify for your own stimulus check.)

The Democratic plan would extend $1,200 each, for up to three dependents, so a family of five people could receive a maximum of $6,000. The Republican plan would provide $500 for each dependent you claim on your taxes, but the HEALS Act doesn’t specify a cap on the number of dependents.

Nonfilers could possibly qualify a second time

Those who weren’t required to file a federal income tax return in either 2018 or 2019 could still be eligible for a stimulus check under the CARES Act. If that guideline doesn’t change for a second stimulus check, this group would qualify again. Here are reasons you might not have been required to file:

  • You’re over 24, not claimed as a dependent and your income is less than $12,200
  • You’re married filing jointly and together your income is less than $24,400
  • You have no income
  • You receive federal benefits, such as Social Security or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). See below for more on SSDI.

With the first stimulus check, nonfilers needed to provide the IRS with some information before they could receive their checks. The IRS is reaching out to 9 million Americans who may fall in this category but have not requested their payment to notify them they may be due a payment.

SSDI recipients likely to claim another stimulus check

Those who are part of the Social Security Disability Insurance program also qualify for a check under the CARES Act. Recipients would not receive their payments through their Direct Express card, which the government usually uses to distribute federal benefits, but through a non-Direct Express bank account or through a paper check. SSDI recipients also need to use the IRS’ Non-Filers tool to request a payment for themselves and dependents.

This is who didn’t receive a first stimulus payment 

For the payments authorized under the CARES Act, which became law in March, these groups were excluded:

  • Single taxpayers with an AGI over $99,000.
  • Heads of households with an AGI over $136,500.
  • Married couples with an AGI over $198,000.
  • Children over 16 and college students under age 24.
  • Nonresident aliens, as defined by the US government.
  • People who are incarcerated.
  • People who died since the previous tax filing. (Their families may not collect on their behalf and are expected to return the payment.)

For more, here’s what we know about the major proposals for a second stimulus package. We also have information on unemployment insurance, what you can do if you’ve lost your job, if you could receive two refund checks from the IRS and what to know about evictions.

Shelby Brown contributed to this report.

source: cnet.com