What’s happening with a second stimulus check? We’ll tell you.
Angela Lang/CNET
Early voting for the election on Nov. 3 is underway in some states and the presidential debates begin next week. The coronavirus pandemic may intensify as flu season fast approaches, and Capitol Hill has been distracted by the Supreme Court seat now open following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Therefore, we understand that it might be difficult to focus on what’s happening with the state of another stimulus payment with so much happening in this uncertain time, but we can help. Below, we’ve identified the six most important facts to know about what a second direct payment could look like for qualifying Americans, should talks yield a new economic relief package that includes a new direct payment.
We update this story regularly.
Washington continues to talk about the need for more direct payments.
Angela Lang/CNET
1. A new stimulus check is wanted but hasn’t been approved
The second stimulus check has strong bipartisan support, but is not a done deal. Talks have now been on hold for over a month. Another payment will only happen if a bill passes Congress or is funded through an executive order, the latter of which President Donald Trump hinted at in early September.
Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell is testifying before three congressional committees this week in a last-ditch effort to promote more stimulus aid ahead of the election. The lack of stimulus intervention, which includes another direct payment, “will start to show up in economic activity. It’ll also show up in things like evictions and foreclosures and things that will scar and damage the economy,” Powell said, according to The Hill.
Watch this:
Next stimulus checks: What to expect
3:03
2. The IRS could send out a second check quicker than the first time
It took the IRS and Treasury Department about two and a half weeks to send the first round of stimulus payments to eligible recipients. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said he could send them much faster this time, once a deal is inked.
“I could get out 50 million payments really quickly,” and start making payments a week after a bill is signed, Mnuchin said in August.
3. Qualifications could shift to your benefit
While we think a second stimulus check would largely follow the same guidelines as the first, eligibility requirements are subject to change. It might even benefit your family, if a new stimulus bill redefines who counts as a qualifying dependent.
Other notes on eligibility:
Less than a quarter of eligible recipients received their payment as a check in the mail.
Sarah Tew/CNET
4. You can estimate the amount of your payment right now
If you’re still waiting for your first payment or are looking for an estimate for how much a second check could include, you can use our stimulus check calculator to get an idea for how much you, your family and your dependents could expect to receive, especially if qualifications shift with another stimulus check. Our calculator tool doesn’t retain your personal details in any way.
5. How the IRS sends your stimulus money matters
To get economic relief money out as quickly as possible to eligible Americans, the IRS and the Treasury Department took several approaches that included direct deposit, physical checks and prepaid EIP cards. According to the most recent numbers from the Treasury Department (in June), this is how the nearly 160 million payments break down:
- Direct deposit: 75% or 120 million payments
- Paper check: 22% or 35 million payments
- Prepaid EIP debit card: 3% or 4 million payments
With the IRS continuing to urge people to set up direct deposit to receive payments straight to their bank account, that number could be even higher. It’s expected you’ll receive your money fastest with direct deposit, followed by the check and then the EIP card. The IRS automatically picks the payment method, but is likely to reopen its portal to register for direct deposit if you haven’t already.
6. The fine print can get complicated fast
When and if a second stimulus check does arrive, the details will require some unraveling. While some situations are straightforward, other complications about you and your dependents could make it unclear if you’re eligible, the size of a check you should expect and when it’s coming. Fringe cases abound.
For example:
There’s much more to know about other government payments during the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know about a possible interest check from the IRS, the $300 federal unemployment benefit and the administration’s payroll tax cut.