Second stimulus check qualifications: Democrats and Republicans agree on this requirement

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It’s expected that millions more people will be included the second time around.


Angela Lang/CNET

There’s much that Democrats and Republicans disagree on when it comes to a new economic relief package. But as negotiators representing both sides move closer to an agreement, there’s at least one area where they’re aligned and that’s on a second stimulus check

Specifically, one change to at least one group who may be eligible — a broader definition of dependents. The upside of this is that including this group could increase how much money you might receive overall (you can calculate a specific estimate). 

Below, we detail everything that we know today about stimulus check eligibility in a second round of direct payments. Here’s how the Internal Revenue Service defines an adult in terms of stimulus checks. We update this story often.


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Will I qualify for the second stimulus check?

It’s likely that if a second stimulus check emerges, it’ll follow many of the guidelines from the CARES Act that governed the first check, but draw some changes from the Heroes Act and HEALS Act proposals, neither of which is law, as well as the latest House proposal. The most important decider in setting income limits is adjusted gross income, or AGI, which determines how much of the $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples you could receive if you meet the other requirements.

Who could qualify for a second stimulus check

Qualifying group Likely to be covered by the final bill
Individuals An AGI of less than $99,000 (Same as CARES)
Head of household An AGI of less than $146,500 (Same as CARES)
Couple filing jointly An AGI less than $198,000 (Same as CARES)
Dependents of any age As defined by your tax filing (HEALS proposal; and revised Heroes Act)
US citizens living abroad Yes, same as CARES
Citizens of US territories Likely, with payments handled by each territory’s tax authority (CARES)
SSDI and tax nonfilers Likely, but with an extra step to file (more below)
Disqualified group Unlikely to be covered by the final bill
Noncitizens who pay taxes Proposed in Heroes Act, unlikely to pass in Senate
Incarcerated people Excluded under CARES Act
People who owe child support Included in Heroes proposal, but excluded under CARES

Additional dependents could count toward your family’s total sum

Not enough dependents were eligible for any money at all under the CARES Act, Republicans and Democrats both agree. Dependents aged 16 and younger were allotted $500 as part of the family check, but new proposals from both sides of the aisle want to expand the definition of a dependent to include people regardless of age — that means college students and adult dependents.

The new Democratic proposal (the revised Heroes Act) and the Republican HEALS Act would provide $500 for each dependent you claim on your taxes no matter the age, with no specified cap on the number of dependents. That’s a change from the original Democratic proposal to extend $1,200 each, for up to three dependents, so a family of five people could receive a maximum of $6,000.

Could SSDI recipients get a new 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.

An extra step nonfilers may need to take

People who weren’t required to file a federal income tax return in either 2018 or 2019 may still be eligible to receive the first 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.

7 groups that were passed over in the first stimulus round 

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.

source: cnet.com