The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is sending letters this week to nearly 9 million citizens who appear to be eligible for the first batch of CARES Act coronavirus economic impact payments of $1,200 per adult, plus $500 per child, but who have not received any checks.
Just over 1 million Californians are on the list, as are 796,525 Texans, 537,726 New Yorkers and 348,631 Georgians. There are also 5,795 members of the Armed Forces who will be notified. All states and the District of Columbia are on the IRS state-by-state breakdown list.
If you want to find out if you are one of the people who has not received their stimulus check there is a way to find out if you are eligible.
Who will receive the letters?
Most of the people who will receive the letters are low-income men and women who did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019. These are people with incomes under $24,400 for married couples and $12,200 for singles.
The IRS has W-2 and 1099 forms for them that report some income, so they can be tracked. The IRS has issued a copy of the official letter, IRS Notice 1444-A, in English and Spanish, in an attempt to stop the scammers.
The extended deadline for non-applicants to sign up for the economic impact payment is Oct. 15. Non-applicants can enter their payment information using the “Non-Filers” tool: Enter Payment Info Here.
So far, more than 7 million people have already registered to receive a payment this way, the IRS reported in a statement.
“We are publishing this information state by state so that state and local leaders and organizations can better understand the size of this population in their communities and help them claim these important payments. Time is running out to claim a payment before the deadline,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.
A Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday on the federal response to the pandemic recommends that the IRS update and refine the estimate of eligible recipients who have not yet applied for a stimulus payment, and provide relevant information to outreach partners to raise awareness about how to apply.
Remember, just because you receive a letter doesn’t mean you automatically qualify. You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien, have a Social Security number eligible for work, and cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
Also, if you are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child Tax Credit, you cannot use the opt-out tool. Instead, you must file a regular tax return for 2019 as soon as possible, and the IRS will use that information to calculate your stimulus payment, if you must.
If you receive a letter, act immediately. If you include the direct deposit information when you register, you’ll get your payment faster. Alternatively, you can wait until next year and claim the stimulus payment as a credit on your 2020 federal tax return filed in early 2021.
Will there be a second stimulus check?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is insisting on a second check, and President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to reach an agreement that includes one. But it’s not certain.
The Democrats’ HEROES Act passed in May included a second stimulus check as the Republicans’ HEALS Act passed in July. The last Republican “reduced” relief bill was rejected on a procedural vote and did not have a second check.
For now Congress is busy with the Spending Bill and is struggling to see who will take the seat left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Some analysts have mentioned that there will not be a new stimulus bill until after the November presidential elections.