The first paper coronavirus stimulus checks are in the mail. When will yours arrive?
The first round of paper stimulus checks was mailed out Friday, but many Americans will wait months more for their money to arrive.
Even at 5 million per week, the IRS is expected to take up to 20 weeks to send all the checks, with some receiving theirs much sooner than others. So when will you see yours?
Those most financially in need should be the first in line, the House Committee on Ways and Means decided, and the IRS schedule reflects that.
Each round is based on income, organized in $10,000 increments, according to The Washington Post.
People who earn $10,000 or less a year, based on their 2018 or 2019 tax filings, are the target of the first wave of checks just distributed.
Earners in the $10,001-$20,000 bracket come next, and will get their cut May 1, followed by the $20,001-$30,000 bracket on May 8, and so on, until everyone eligible has been covered, the Post reported.
The first 10 weeks are for individual filers.
Under the CARES act, anyone earning $75,000 or less is eligible for a $1,200 stimulus check, which increasingly shrinks the more money an individual earns. Individuals earning $99,000 or more will receive no federal money, McClatchy News reported.
However, if an individual files as a head of household they qualify for the full $1,200 with an adjusted gross income of $112,500 a year or less, and can still get some federal money up until they hit the $146,500 threshold, CNET reported.
Checks for joint filers start July 3 and end Sept. 4, according to Fast Company. Joint filers, such as married couples, can earn a combined total of $198,000 before losing eligibility.
Whoever the IRS missed before, and for whatever reason, the final batch of payments on Sept. 11 is for them, according to The Washington Post.
If someone was missed, it is “in most cases because the IRS did not have prior tax information for them and they need to apply for the checks,” according to the outlet.
The full schedule is as follows, based on Washington Post reporting.
April 24: $10,000 or less
May 1: $10,001 - $20,000
May 8: $20,001 - $30,000
May 15: $30,001 - $40,000
May 22: $40,001 - $50,000
May 29: $50,001 - $60,000
June 5: $60,001 - $70,000
June 12: $70,001 - $80,000
June 19: $80,001 - $90,000
June 26: $90,001 - $100,000
July 3: $100,001 - $110,000
July 10: $110,001 - $120,000
July 17: $120,001 - $130,000
July 24: $130,001- $140,000
July 31: $140,001 - $150,000
August 7: $150,001 - $160,000
August 14: $160,001 - $170,000
August 21: $170,001 - $180,000
August 28: $180,001 - $190,000
September 4: $190,001 - $198,000
September 11: leftover payments
For anyone who doesn’t want to wait any longer for a paper check, it’s not too late to sign up for direct deposit, using the “Get My Payment” portal on the IRS website.
It’s also a way to track the status of checks or payments that doesn’t require users to set up direct deposit if they don’t want to, according to McClatchy News.
If no check ever arrives, the IRS can be notified. According to CNET, the IRS will send a letter within 15 days of mailing the check that provides instructions on what to do if the money never arrived, and how to report it.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 10:09 PM with the headline "The first paper coronavirus stimulus checks are in the mail. When will yours arrive?."