How quickly could the IRS get you another check?
Sarah Tew/CNET
The acute need for financial aid in the United States is deepening even as negotiations to pass a new relief bill have stalled until after the Nov. 3 election. On Friday, the US broke its single-day record with over 99,000 new COVID-19 cases.
“People are suffering, and they need help,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday on MSNBC. “We know that very well because we represent those people.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s timeline doesn’t appear to be as urgent — new stimulus aid is “something we’ll need to do right at the beginning of the year,” he said Friday, though he didn’t mention a second stimulus check as part of that aid. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have previously submitted proposals that include a new direct payment, including the $1.9 trillion package under current discussion.
If legislation containing a new stimulus check is approved after the election, those who are eligible may expect to be divided into priority groups that will determine how quickly the IRS will send their second payment. The first stimulus payment used priority groups to send out payments in waves over the course of several months — we’ll explain more below. This story updates often.
Read more: Nobody can take your stimulus check away, right? Not quite
When could a new stimulus check arrive? Some postelection guesses
With talks shifting to after the election, we’ve mapped out some potential dates a bill could pass, and what it means for your check, depending how you’ll get your money. (More on that in the next section.)
These dates, which are speculative, show you might possibly see a check if a bill becomes law in the period after the Nov. 3 election and before or after Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, including Dec. 11, the deadline for Congress to pass the next federal budget.
Read more: Inside presidential candidate Joe Biden’s stimulus plan
One important note is the speed at which the first checks would arrive. In August, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said it would take about a week to process the first payments. “I can get out 50 million payments really quickly. A lot of it into people’s direct accounts,” he said. But that doesn’t necessarily mean your stimulus money will arrive a week after a bill goes live.
Possible dates a second stimulus check could go out
| Scenario 1 | Scenario 2 | Scenario 3 | Scenario 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House passes final bill | Nov. 30 | Dec. 11 | Feb. 1 | Mar. 1 |
| Senate passes final bill | Dec. 1 | Dec. 12 | Feb. 2 | Mar. 2 |
| President signs | Dec. 2 | Dec. 13 | Feb. 3 | Mar. 3 |
| First direct deposits issued | Week of Dec. 21 | Week of Dec. 28 | Week of Feb. 8 | Week of Mar. 8 |
| First paper checks sent | Week of Jan. 4 | Week of Jan. 11 | Week of Feb. 15 | Week of Mar. 15 |
| First EIP cards sent | Week of Feb. 1 | Week of Feb. 8 | Week of Mar. 15 | Week of Apr. 12 |
What do the IRS priority groups mean?
The IRS has so far sent money to at least 160 million people three ways, starting with people the federal government has direct deposit information for. Some people with more complicated personal situations are still waiting for their checks or even for catch-up payments. This creates a de facto priority order that could result in some Americans receiving their checks days or even weeks before others.
Read more: Estimate the size of your check with our stimulus calculator
We expect the IRS will adopt roughly the same system for sending out a second stimulus check in 2020 or 2021 as it did with the first stimulus check, which was approved in March.
Direct deposit recipients: People who already have their direct deposit information on file with the IRS or who provide that info when and if registration opens again should be first in line to receive a stimulus check. An electronic transfer of funds is faster and more efficient, which is why this group largely got their first payment faster.
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Next stimulus checks: What to expect
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Social Security beneficiaries: With the first stimulus payment, many Social Security beneficiaries who had direct deposit information on file with the federal government received checks in the first week, though not always the first day.
People who get paper checks: The IRS began to mail checks about a week later to those without direct deposit data on file.
EIP card recipients: Economic Impact Payment debit cards are prepaid Visa cards the IRS sent to about 4 million people starting in mid-May. If the IRS follows the same payment priority order, this group could begin to see their checks weeks after the first direct deposit transfers go out.
People with more complex situations: This category includes people who received a check after June, are still waiting to receive their stimulus payment or did not know they need to complete an extra step. Direct payments will continue through the end of 2020 for some individuals who weren’t part of the previous groups. Here’s what could be holding up the stimulus check delivery for some and how to contact the IRS to report a missing, lost or stolen check.
There still are people who haven’t received a check
While over 150 million Americans have received their stimulus checks now, seven months after the first payments went out, the IRS is still trying to track down millions of people who may be owed money, including for dependents.
If you think this situation applies to you, you may be able to claim your missing check by Nov. 21. Some examples include people who didn’t receive their allotted $500 for their dependents, some people who are involved in child-support situations and nonfilers who may be owed a stimulus check (including older adults or people who receive SSI or SSDI). Otherwise, you may need to claim a catch-up payment or error adjustment as part of your 2020 federal tax return.
There’s hope that the IRS could speed up delivery of a second check, if it’s authorized.
Angela Lang/CNET
If you’re a US citizen abroad or live in a US territory and didn’t receive a check as expected, you may also need to investigate. And a new ruling in California may bring hope for people who are incarcerated and didn’t receive the first stimulus check, or who received it and were compelled to return the money.
If you’re still waiting on the first round of payments, you can track the status of your stimulus check, learn how to report your no-show check to the IRS and find possible reasons why your stimulus check still hasn’t arrived.